Recognizing same-sex marriage, pleasing the church

The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington has already won a small victory in the struggle over same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia, but it’s not stopping there. This week, the DC Council approved changes to proposed legislation allowing churches to refuse to participate in or perform same-sex marriage ceremonies. One might think this would be enough to please all parties involved, right? After months of rallies, marches, public hearings and shout-fests, the DC Council is set to take its first full vote on the matter early next month. A majority of council members support the measure. The governing body has also given concessions to those who are against the idea, mainly religious leaders, out of hopes to avoid lawsuits. Unfortunately, for those who’ve been fighting for legal recognition, the fight may drag on. The archdiocese, which had first called for the ceremony exemption, appears it still isn’t satisfied.

The bill, as it stands, still prohibits religious groups from discriminating against homosexuals in matters of employment. This means if, god forbid, a pastor were to come out of the closet, his church would still be legally bound to provide basic employee benefits. What’s more, the archdiocese says it may have to end a number of social service programs it provides to city residents, programs such as homeless shelters, adoption services and healthcare for the poor and underinsured. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington serves about 68-thousand people in the city each year, but the group’s president/CEO says their programs may come to a screeching halt. “It is our concern that the committee’s narrowing of the religious exemption language will cause the government to discontinue our long partnership with them and open up the agency to litigation and the use of resources to defend our religious beliefs rather than serve the poor,” said charities president Edward Orzechowski. Looking at this statement closely, you could say the church is merely trying to protect itself from potential lawsuits. You could also say the church would rather hold strong to its centuries-old beliefs, rather than help the needy. So in effect, if one were to adhere to the latter statement, it would appear we have one hell of an oxymoron. While some religious leaders still believe the Bible requires marriage to be between a man and a woman only, those same religious leaders would willingly go against the teachings of Jesus Christ -- that being to help the poor and afflicted. Which is more important to the Catholic church? Which should be more important to the church? And will the DC Council be forced to make even more concessions in order for it to avoid potential lawsuits?

As it stands, the bill before the Council appears to be as good as it gets for those religious leaders who are against same-sex marriage. And let’s be clear, there are many religious leaders in the District who actually support the legislation. The Rev. Dennis Wiley, pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in Ward 8 is a perfect example. “This bill clearly protects clergy who disagree with me about marriage equality while also standing by the tenants of inclusion Washington, DC is known for,” he says. Pastor Wiley is among those who created the group DC Clergy United For Marriage Equality. The Rev. Robert Hardies, pastor of All Souls Unitarian Universalist Congregation, echoes the sentiments of the nearly 200 members of the group. “The DC marriage equality bill ends harmful discrimination against same-sex couples and at the same time preserves the sacred rights of my clergy colleagues. This is a testament to the care the Council has taken in listening to the community as a whole,” he says.

The debate over same-sex marriage in the District has, unfortunately, ended up pitting Church against church. Either you’re Catholic and you’re with us, or you’re Protestant and you’re against us. Actually, it’s more complicated than that, because the majority of African-American Baptist leaders in the city are also strongly against same-sex marriage. Oh, to be a Christian in the 21^st century. Can’t we all just get along? Once the Council passes the bill, Congress will have thirty days to either accept or deny the legislation. Anything DC leaders pass must first get the approval of the federal government, and I for one can’t wait to write about that next chapter in the fight.