With state elections in Virginia a month away, one issue on the Nov. 7 ballot has captured broad attention from numerous area churches: the proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
A priest at an area Catholic church applauded a recent letter from Virginia’s bishops to members of Catholic churches in the state that supports a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Father Tom Mattingly, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Harrisonburg, said that his church endorses the amendment, formally known as the Marshall-Newman Amendment.
"We definitely agree with the wording and content of the amendment," said Mattingly. "What the bishops have done is to take this opportunity to affirm what the church teaches about marriage — that marriage is a life-long commitment between a man and a woman."
Mattingly said that what happened in Massachusetts in 2004, when the state’s highest court upheld same-sex marriage, reflects "a confusion" about what marriage means.
"I would like to see the traditional understanding of marriage upheld," said Mattingly. "I’m saddened that we have to put it into a constitutional amendment. It’s sad that this action needs to be taken because it has been challenged, or likely will be."
Mattingly said that leaders at his church will distribute copies of the pastoral letter. Mattingly plans to address the issue in his homily at this weekend’s mass.
Other Catholic churches in the area also back the state’s stand. Father Gerald A. Przywara, pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Staunton, said that he will distribute duplicates of the bishops’ letter, and address the memorandum at mass.
Przywara calls the bishops’ letter important, adding that all Christians should support such action.
"The existence of God and the definition of marriage are not Catholic curiosities that we are trying to force on the rest of the world, but [rather] the dictates of reason that come from natural laws," said Przywara.
Protestant Protests
Response to the state bishops’ initiative came from other faiths. The Rev. John F. Sloop, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, said that at last month’s "session" at his church, elders from his congregation voted unanimously to back the marriage amendment.
Sloop says legislation that endorses traditional marriage "reaffirms the longstanding views" of his church on marriage, and added that officials at First Presbyterian encourage its members to "stand up and take a stand" for morality and biblical views on marriage.
Sloop said that the issue of marriage "absolutely" eclipses denomination, adding that numerous Protestant churches, including his, have much in common theologically with Catholics on tenets relating to marriage.
Sloop recently delivered a sermon on morals and responsibilities of marriage: a discourse in which Sloop compared songs that celebrate marriage to whooping cranes and humpback whales, two creatures once deemed nearly extinct.
Despite the amendment on next month’s state ballots, Sloop insists that marriage is not a political issue. "It’s a biblical and moral issue."
The Final Authority
Warren L. Grant, pastor at First Baptist Church of Elkton, said that he has addressed the issue of homosexuality from the pulpit and between sermons, and has dispensed literature on the upcoming state amendment.
"We discussed it some Wednesday night at Bible study," said Grant. "My people understand the Bible’s teaching on marriage. In a lot of churches across the country, it’s an explosive issue. The Bible is the final authority — to me, it’s just common sense. We don’t hate homosexuals. We’re all sinners."
What worries him, says Grant, are today’s individualized moral codes, or what Grant recently heard termed "supermarket theology." Such selective beliefs, adds Grant, turn out to be, for many people, "what they choose to be their lifestyle. If you grant homosexuals the right to marry, then how do you prohibit any other [marital] combination you can imagine?"
Glenn Bollinger, pastor of Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren just west of Bridgewater, said that his church does not discourage discussion of such sensitive topics as gay rights.
"Our approach has been to allow dialogue to happen in the adult Sunday school classes where people can have conversations," said Bollinger. "We know our congregation covers a diversity of views on a lot of things."
Counterpoint
Foes of legislation that would ban same-sex marriage cite not only their views, but point to divisions within the ranks of faiths that largely oppose homosexual unions.
Beryl Lawson, a member of the board of trustees for the Harrisonburg Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, said that marital decisions should remain the exclusive right of the people involved.
"It’s an individual choice," said Lawson. "We have no reason to condemn people’s choices if they’re not hurting anybody else."
Lawson said that her church is "very concerned" about next month’s amendment vote because of the measure’s potential scope.
"It will not only affect gays, but it will affect people who are living together and who are not necessarily married," said Lawson. "It will affect the children of those relationships. This proposed amendment is based on conservative Christian beliefs that homosexuality is wrong."
Claire Gastanaga, campaign manager for The Commonwealth Coalition, says that numerous "people of faith" are opposed to the proposed amendment. The Web site of the Commonwealth Coalition defines the organization as a "diverse group of individuals, businesses, and civic, community and religious organizations who have joined together to oppose the proposed amendment."
Gastanaga said that numerous Catholics whom she has spoken with "disagree with the bishops" and are concerned about the bill’s infringement on civil secular laws.
Contact Tom Mitchell at 574-6275 or mitchell@dnronline.com
