Supreme Court Upholds Same- Sex Marriage. Update June 2. 9, 4: 1. Hodges, the historic Supreme Court ruling recognizing same- sex marriage as a constitutional right, James Obergefell and an array of supporters gathered at the Texas Capitol today to do a little bit more celebrating and reflect on what comes next. Surrounded by rainbow banners and equality flags, Obergefell shrugged off the fact that his name is in the title of such a momentous case. My name could be Smith, I wouldn. Supreme Court ruling in favor of same- sex marriage. Obergefell said Attorney General Ken Paxton. Polygamy (from Late Greek . When a man is married to.My marriage does not impact that, does not threaten that. In particular, activists said they planned to push for new local, state and federal non- discrimination protections. In Texas, same- sex couples can now legally marry but people can still be legally fired from jobs or denied housing simply because of their sexual orientation. Recent efforts to extend local non- discrimination ordinances in Texas cities have met organized resistance by religious- right organizations. Paraphrasing Harvey Milk, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin said bigotry is still a big problem outside gay- friendly enclaves. Cleopatra De. Leon, left, and Nicole Dimetman, plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit over Texas’ same- sex marriage ban, speak at the Texas State Capitol on June 2. What about the lesbian couple raising kids in Alabama? What about the transgender public school teachers in rural Texas? Supreme Court ruling in favor of same- sex marraige, speaks at the Texas State Capitol on June 2. Update June 2. 9, 8: 3. Rep. David Simpson (R- Longview) is asking Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the Legislature to end all marriage licenses in the state. Read his full release here. He concludes that they can, but may face litigation. Read the opinion below. Kirk Watson, joined gay rights activists in speaking to a crowd that came ready with rainbow beads, rainbow flags and posters reading, . Polygamy as a doctrine was introduced into the LDS Church by Joseph Smith. The practice continued after Joseph’s death in 1844, and was publicly announced. Besides the age variations in premarital cohabitation, several other correlates are worth noting: the higher the respondents' social class, the less likely they. Update June 27: The words “good evening” were all it took to set the crowd in Austin’s Central Presbyterian Church erupting with claps and hollers Friday night. LIVING A CHRISTIAN LIFE. Chapter 9: Marriage, Sexual Acts, and Family Life. Question B: Is This Theology of Marriage Consistent with the Church’s Practice? In the end, today is about . I heard, much to my distress, this morning, that mayors in Texas do not have the power to conduct weddings. But mayors do have the power to issue proclamations, and I brought one with me here today. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. And all of the talk about the delays, it. Abbott or Attorney General Paxton do will damper the joy that thousands of people across this state have because they are now celebrating their constitutional right to marry the person that they love. Constitution, it is not now nor will it ever be an excuse for any public official to shirk their responsibilities and the oath that they take of their office to uphold the Constitution of the United States. No parent, no parent should have to face those struggles and stresses because their marriage isn. Stand up for yourselves. Several couples had been waiting in line all day to get their licenses. And several couples were immediately married by District Court Judge Kyle Carter, who waived the 7. Carter said that he performed wedding ceremonies for five same- sex couples, most of which had already been married in other states where same- sex marriage is legal. Ashley and Jacquey Creath were married Friday afternoon by State District Judge Kyle Carter. The Harris County couple married in New York nine years ago. Ashley Creath and Jacquey Creath, who were married nine years ago in New York, went straight to Carter. Both women wept during the ceremony. Ashley changed her last name to Creath several years ago in Bexar County. I feel like our rights are now being protected. I feel like we will be able to get the same protections as everyone else. Everybody who came to me today had been together for a while. They had waited long enough. The document they got at the Harris County clerk’s office is a . Karen Wilkerson was feeling a mix of happiness and anger this afternoon after she said Smith County Clerk Karen Phillips refused to issue a marriage license to her and partner Jolie Smith. The couple tried again this afternoon, but was turned down a second time. They now have a team of attorneys working to file a writ in federal court to compel the county clerk to act, Wilkerson said. Smith County will not issue marriage applications for same sex couples . However, many counties are proceeding with altered forms. Wilkerson, 6. 4, and Smith, 5. Smith County and friends for 2. They made a decision to marry, but wanted to wait until they could tie the knot in the county they call home. Some counties, such as Hays County, have said they plan on issuing licenses as soon forms or software are updated rather than waiting for guidance from Attorney General Ken Paxton. Update at 4: 2. 1: A press conference in Austin following this morning’s landmark Supreme Court ruling in favor of same- sex marriage seemed like perfect timing for Vic Holmes to pop the question. They have filed a motion with the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to formally strike down Texas’ ban. I kept thinking about that this morning,” Dimetman said. The last one that they celebrated was their 4. Vic and I never dreamed that we would ever be able to celebrate one of those wedding anniversaries. And now we can, thanks to the Supreme Court. The only downside is, they took so long that I. As I said, we celebrate today, but there is very much, very real work that still needs to be done in the state of Texas in order to ensure and to eliminate legalized discrimination that still exists in Texas based on sexual orientation and gender. If your personal beliefs forbid you from keeping that oath, then you need to step down. You do not have a religious right to violate the oath you took as an official in the state of Texas. And I am sorry, I am sorry that my happiness today is causing you distress. Greg Abbott since they were in law school together, had yet to see Abbott. Constitution, that he will not interfere with LGBT Americans, Texan. His response was brief: . Dan Patrick wants to let county clerks, justices of the peace and judges refuse to participate in same- sex marriages based on religious beliefs. In a statement issued Friday afternoon, Patrick said he’s asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to expand the so- called “Pastor Protection Act,” which passed this year and reaffirms existing protections for clergy members who refuse refuse to perform same- sex marriages.“My request broadens the scope of SB 2. County Clerks, judges and Justices of the Peace who may be forced to issue a marriage license or preside over a wedding that is against the free exercise of their religion as guaranteed by the First Amendment,” Patrick said. I would rather be on the wrong side of history than on the wrong side of my faith and my beliefs. I believe I am not alone in that view in this country.” . Today they made the marriage legal. Jannie De La Cruz, left, and Norma De La Cruz have been together for nearly twenty years.“I’ve got two older kids as well. We had never had a baby, so we moved up . Everything that comes along with being married, we had to work for ahead of time, so this means a lot to us.”Norma held up her ticket for the line, no. I’ll wait here all day,” she said. It’s a really big thing. People don’t realize how big a thing it is.”Dean Shaw, 5. Shaw, a coworker of Norma’s, said he’d been ready to call Norma as soon as heard the Supreme Court’s decision. This is a good day for America and American families.” . Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of same- sex marriage. Texas Values called the high court’s decision “the most egregious form of judicial activism of our time,” and said it will only further divide America. The group said county clerks should wait for guidance from Attorney General Ken Paxton before issuing marriage licenses to same- sex couples, and alleged that altering application forms is a criminal offense.“This decision has no basis in the text of the Constitution and will never be accepted by millions of Americans and Texans that understand that marriage, by nature and God. No decision by five judges can ever alter this fundamental truth. Greg Abbott to call a special session of the Legislature to respond to the decision. State Sen. Don Huffines (R- Dallas) also got in on the action, sending out a fundraising email accompanied by a rainbow- colored map of the U. S., with Texas grayed out.“If the federal government thinks that Texas is going to go down without a fight, they’ve got another thing coming,” Huffines wrote. Don Huffiness (R- Dallas) sent out a fundraising email accompanied by a rainbow- colored map of the U. S., with Texas grayed out. Update at 2: 5. 3: During the legislative session, the Observerreported that state Rep. Sarah Davis (R- West University) became the first Texas GOP lawmaker to openly support same- sex marriage when she refused to sign an anti- gay marriage letter penned by her Republican colleagues. After today’s Supreme Court decision, she maintained that support, posting the following statement to her Facebook page. Marriage is a union in which two loving people commit to affirm, love and uphold one another, in any and all conditions. As such, marriage is not defined by a person. Any American, of any orientation, should not be denied that right. I applaud the court for its courage, and I congratulate the many loving couples in HD 1. Update at 2: 4. 7: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart announced this afternoon that his office would, after all, start issuing licenses to same- sex couples at 3 p. They waited for hours to get their marriage license in Harris County. Earlier, Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan had said he would seek a court order compelling Stanart to issue licenses, according to Sue Davis, a spokeswoman for Ryan. In a letter to Stanart, Ryan wrote that the Supreme Court. Until updated forms are supplied by the Bureau of Vital Statistics, the current marriage license form may be used by all applicants. Stanart had hesitated on the grounds that his office had yet to receive updated forms. The Spirit of Marriage. Jesus' Teaching on Divorce (Matthew 5: 2. Dr. Wilson. Audio(3. Sign up now for a free. Joshua Bible Study. It is difficult to teach on divorce because it seems to bring to the surface all the pain that people of our generation carry. And when there is pain there is sensitivity, extreme sensitivity to anything that might be construed as judgmental. If Jesus were to speak publicly today about divorce he would be lambasted as being politically incorrect, judgmental, harsh, and unbending. He would be silenced because his words would be too painful to a generation that has suffered so much hurt from divorce. But perhaps Jesus' teaching carries with it the seeds of truth that we need to heal us. Perhaps if we embrace Jesus' teaching in spite of our pain, and pass his words on to the next generation, they will do better than we. Let's examine his teaching. In this section we're looking at Jesus' brief words on divorce in the Sermon on the Mount. Why does Jesus say this? Jesus offers a more extended teaching on divorce in. Matthew 1. 9: 3- 1. As we study, we'll begin to understand what Jesus intended in the spirit of marriage. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?' 4 'Haven't you read,' he replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator ? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.'7 'Why then,' they asked, 'did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?' 8 Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.'. The major positions are: Divorce, but not remarriage, is permitted in the case of unchastity. This is the view of the majority of the early church fathers, Roman Catholics, and many evangelicals. Divorce is not permitted in any case; unchastity is not an exception. Both divorce and remarriage are permitted in cases of unchastity and desertion. This is the view of most of the Protestant Reformers and many evangelicals. Divorce in the case of unlawful marriages is permitted. This position is widely accepted and provides the basis for the Roman Catholic practice of annulment. No matter what way I interpret this passage, there will be a sizeable number of readers who will disagree with me. This is kind of like treading a theological minefield, and there is no way that I can fully treat the subject or support fully my own understanding in the space I have. My goal, however, is to help us to understand what Jesus taught and what is the spirit of marriage that lies behind Jesus' teaching. Now let's examine Jesus' teaching in Matthew 1. They asked, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?'. This already widespread practice was regulated and therefore limited by Deuteronomy 2. There was the requirement that the husband must write out a legal document called a . Literally, the word means . We just aren't sure of its exact meaning. In Matthew 1. 9: 1- 1. Pharisees are asking their question about divorce . The Pharisees themselves didn't even agree on the answer. The more lenient rabbinical school of Hillel interpreted Deuteronomy 2. As a result of this interpretation, divorce was widespread in Jesus' day. But this was still an issue of debate, since the stricter school of Shammai believed that the term in Deuteronomy referred only to unchastity. In the Beginning (1. In answering the Pharisees, Jesus goes back to God's original intention for marriage as found in two passages in Genesis. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate. God has joined them and it isn't for man to sever the union. One question I am commonly asked is framed something like this: . God instituted marriage and made a man and his wife one flesh. It had nothing especially to do with church or religion. It had to do with God's institution of marriage, a kind of ? For it is said, 'The two will become one flesh'. Even an illicit union involves this essential unity or . They view each other differently. They have shared something that unites them. Pulling that bond apart is wrenching, damaging. No wonder that the casual sex so acceptable in our generation can weaken subsequent marriages. Jesus doesn't discuss homosexuality in Matthew 1. God joining a man and a woman in marriage is germane. Homosexuality is a perversion of God's intention for the one flesh relationship between a man and a woman. Women can have strong and deep friendships with other women. Men can have strong and deep friendships with other men. That is good and healthy. But these should not be confused with sexual relationships. Sexual relationships are something else entirely and involve spiritual and social relationships that cannot be perverted without serious consequences to the individual, the family, and the society. He goes back to God's original intention for marriage . Of those who have entered into a first marriage, what percentage do you think have been . What are the allowable causes for divorce? So they ask another question. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.'. What he. did command is that if a man wanted to divorce his wife, he couldn't just turn her out of her house. It had to be a formal and legal severing of the marriage, with financial implications as well as the ability to remarry. Without a certificate of divorce, the wife would not be able to remarry. This, of course, is one of the big questions we ask. Can a divorced person remarry? In the society of Jesus' day the answer was Yes. Divorce and the right to remarry went hand in hand with each other. Divorce was usually performed by saying, . But it was not that way from the beginning. What kind of hardness of heart does he have in mind? Selfishness, self- centeredness, I presume. Look at marriages today. Where does the trouble arise? Often it comes from the self- centeredness of the husband - - or the self- absorption of the wife - - and their subsequent lack of communicating with each other. In March 1. 99. 9, Barbara Walters interviewed Monica Lewinski who admitted to a sexual relationship with then U. S. President Bill Clinton. During the previous year she had gone through an extremely difficult time, but now she wanted to resurrect her image and tell her story to the world. Miss Walters led her through events step by step, and Monica replied in her own words. As I watched, I was struck by how she related everything about her relationship with the President to how it affected her - - and her alone. In many ways she was likeable, personable, and attractive, but extremely self- absorbed. One of the network commentators described it as narcissism, a word derived from the story of the beautiful youth in Greek mythology who pines away for love of his own reflection and is then turned into a narcissus flower. Unfortunately self- centeredness is all too common in marriages. How can you have a marriage in which one spouse is self- absorbed, selfish? The other spouse has to do all the giving while the self- absorbed one does all the receiving. What do you do when both spouses are self- absorbed? This is the opposite of love. It is the hardness of heart that Jesus was describing. Does it allow or regulate it? Why does it allow divorce at all? What was God's original intention (? Love, self- giving love. Love is the fulfilling of the Law, Jesus said (Matthew 2. And love is the only way a marriage can work for a lifetime. Love is the only way to fulfill the law. Jesus said it, and when you think about it, it is self- evident. The Apostle Paul told husbands, . He went on to expound on the one flesh relationship that Jesus also saw as the root of the marriage relationship. Not erotic, romantic love only, but self- giving, self- sacrificing love. Paul compares the agape love of Christ who gave himself up for us to the love that should exist in a marriage. God made law and society and relationships to run on love, too. Yes, there must be a provision for the case of sin - - murder, stealing, hardness of heart. But the essence, the root principle, is love and lifelong unity. Jesus contrasts what the religious leaders were saying about Moses and a certificate of divorce with his own pronouncement. They were arguing about how big the escape hatch was. But Jesus was saying, in essence, that there is no escape hatch from God's intention of lifelong marriage. And to divorce and remarry was to commit adultery. Wow! Just like each of the elements of the Sermon on the Mount, he contrasts, . Oh, not guilty of the act of adultery, perhaps. It takes the shape of looking on a woman with adulterous intent, or divorcing one woman and marrying another. But Jesus says that the heart of the problem is desiring someone who does not belong to you. God's intent is treating people with love not lust, and with faithfulness not selfishness. The fulfillment of the Law is love. The Apostle Paul echoes this understanding of Jesus' words. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. But even in Paul's command, there is room for man's hardness of heart. But it is divorce without the freedom to remarry, since that would preclude reconciliation, which is at the heart of God's intention for husband and wife. Jesus' disciples got the point loud and clear. Which is the teaching that everyone can't accept? The no divorce part or the eunuch part? In fact, people have trouble accepting either. I expect, however, that Jesus was referring to marriage in general - - that many couldn't accept Jesus' teaching about God's intention for marriage. The one who can accept this should accept it. This, too, was radical. The Judaism of Jesus' day saw marriage as the only way to fulfill the command to .
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