Rhode Island became the tenth state to legalize same sex marriage. Delaware could follow as early as next week, making New Jersey and Pennsylvania the only states in the Northeast quarter of this country living in the past. Its consistent; we got phones, mass transit, electricity and television before the rest of the country too. The bill was sponsored by Democrats, supported by the entire GOP Senate caucus and strongly advocated by independent Governor Lincoln Chaffee. Chaffee signed the bill into law on the steps of the statehouse, declaring I know that you have been waiting for this day to come. I know that you have loved ones who dreamed this would happen and did not live to see it. But I am proud to say that now, at long last, you are free to marry the person you love. The RI House, led by openly Gay Democratic Speaker Gordon Fox, reported the bill out of committee in January. Its been introduced every year since 1997 only to die in committee. The House quickly passed it. Joining legislators, Governor Chaffee and GLBT activists, this legislation was supported by a broad coalition of business and religious leaders. The one notable naysayer was the Catholic Bishop of Providence, Thomas de Torquetobin, who said in a pastoral letter that he was profoundly disappointed that the bill was likely to be enacted, and warned his flock Catholics should examine their consciences very carefully before deciding whether or not to endorse same-sex relationships or attend same-sex ceremonies, realizing that to do so might harm their relationship with God and cause significant scandal to others. Well, hey you say the guys entitled to his opinion. Fair enough. Kindly point me towards Tobins pastoral letters warning the faithful to avoid heathens, idolaters, swearers, sabbath non-observers, parent dishonorers, murderers, adulterers, thieves, liars and coveters. When has a bishop ever told anyone that consorting with a convicted thief or murderer would damage their relationship with God? I was always under the apparent misimpression that sin attached to the sinner, not that it was moral cooties that could jump to anyone nearby. And dont give me any nonsense about participating in the ceremony being the sin. Nothing in the Bible evenly arguably prohibits Gay weddings. Even if the happy couple is going to lie with each other as theyd prefer not to lie with a woman at the reception, no one else is participating in that. But, apparently, homosexuality is greater than those other sins. Per church teachings, the injunction against the other ten was merely handed by God, in writing, to Moses. Whereas the Holiness Code bears the greater authenticity of having been added to a book Moses wrote by a nameless scribe centuries after Moses died. I respect each sects right to its own religious beliefs. But it would be nice if its clergy had a little respect for their own dogma. In a culture this material and a world this lethal, the Catholic church must have a nearly infinite number of concerns greater than who shows up when two guys tie the knot in Pawtucket. I guess Ill just have to wait and see if His Holiness issues an ex Cathedra change in title to The Eleven Commandments, Starring Stay Away from Gays. Father, forgive them; theyve apparently lost their minds along with their perspective.
It is now 2015 and thank goodness the U.S. Supreme Court has declared Same-Sex Marriage to be the law of the land.
