in some other countries, the legal ceremony and the religious ceremony are two separate events. the wedding party goes to the courthouse for the legal ceremony that is conducted by a judge. then they proceed to the church for the religious ceremony.

in the US you will hear the minister in a church say "by the power vested in me by the state, I now pronounce you man and wife." or whatever. so the minister is acting on behalf of the state.

what would you think of this idea? the legal ceremony between two (or 3) people, men, women, etc. would be conducted by a judge if the people in that state voted to allow it. but the churches would be free to marry whomever they wished, with whatever restrictions they deemed were right according to their view of the Scriptures or whatever they hold to.

i'm right there with you. i felt like i had been punched in the stomach when i heard that proposition 8 had been past. it felt like our country had taken a huge step backward in human rights efforts.

I am going to propose the opposite of your recommendation Audrey, but not because I disagree with you regarding extending grace to all. I propose that homosexuality should be curtailed by law because one of the government's responsibilities is to foster a healthy society. I think you would agree that the standards of the Kingdom make for a healthy society and that one of the Kingdom standards is the prohibition of homosexuality. Thus, Paul could say confidently that "homosexuals shall not enter into the Kingdom of God."

This isn't strictly an issue of imposing Kingdom values on those around us. It is a matter of moving society in the direction of the Kingdom. "The method of the Church's impact upon society should be twofold, according to William Temple. First, the Church should make its principles known, and second the Church should equip its members to reshape the existing order." Devotional Classics - Selected Readings for Individuals and Groups, Harper San Francisco 1993 p.227

Lastly, if we take to hands off approach regarding one Kingdom standard, then for consistency's sake we must do the same for others. Prohibitions against theft, murder and rape would then also be open for discussion. To be certain, the restrictions that exist today against such things are rooted in Judeo Christian Jurisprudence. Historically many societies had no or minimal restrictions against such things as incest and rape until the standards of the Kingdom were introduced. The overall health of the individual and society as a whole requires that we make a stand for Kingdom values.

A brief account of the impact of the standards of the Kingdom on the world in general can be found in WorldPerfect - The Jewish Impact on Civilization by Rabbi Ken Spiro.