Republican candidate for governor Charlie Baker endorsed by pro-gay marriage group GOProud

masslive.com ^ | 06/02/2014 | Robert Rizzuto

[theBuckwheat]

Here is a better path for Republican candidates: free marriage from the smothering tar pit of government.

Because we have allowed government to define “marriage” for its own purposes (such as taxation and regulation of estates), we have allowed government to define marriage as a social institution. That was fine as long as people in control of government were generally supportive of God’s original definition of marriage. However we have entered a time when a growing number of people in control of government are willing to redefine marriage for their own purposes, which in part is contrary to God’s definition.

Marriage is now far more a matter of politics and ideology than of private religious beliefs.

Therefore, for the sake of marriage as God defines it, it is time to remove from government the power to define who is married and who is not. Then gays could form whatever relationships they please but they could not force those who disagree to be enablers for those relationships. And we would not have schools that must teach that homosexual “marriages” are just as legitimate as heterosexual ones. Nor would we have owners of wedding photography services being threatened with arrest and being convicted of a crime for merely declining to artfully photograph a “marriage” they find morally repugnant.

[fwdude]

I had been intending to donate to Lively, so thanks for the reminder.

Just donated $199!!!!

[fwdude]

Let me guess; you’re all for “civil unions” for everyone, though.

[theBuckwheat]

Am I for “civil unions”? My personal opinion is that marriage is defined by Jesus as the union of one man and one woman. But if we are to live in a society with people who believe all manner of things, or who don’t accept there is a God, how shall we structure society so we all can get along?

Indeed, how many churches that hold to the Scriptural definition of marriage, will accept as married new a couple without demanding they disclose whether they were married in another church or in a civil union.

But what is to be done with citizens who reject God, but who want to be married? When marriage is removed from the realm of government and returned to being a private matter, these people can do as they please and it won’t matter. As of today, it does matter, especially when you disagree with how government defines “marriage”. Someone like myself cannot say “live and let live”, especially if I make wedding cakes.