Same-Sex Marriage in Massachusetts and churches in Massachusetts (Northampton: weddings, buy)

[vivabigpapi]

Only Massachusetts residents answer this please. I was wondering, how many churches in Massachusetts actually allow same-sex marriages? As best as I can tell, none of the largest Protestant churches in Massachusetts allow same-sex marriages. Also, under the same-sex marriage law in Massachusetts, churches in Massachusetts aren't required to perform same-sex marriages, right? It just gives churches the option to perform same-sex marriages, right? That would be unconstitutional if churches in Massachusetts were required to perform same-sex marriages.

[scarletfire]

I believe UU churches have same-gender marriage ceremonies.

[litlux]

Originally Posted by vivabigpapi

Only Massachusetts residents answer this please. I was wondering, how many churches in Massachusetts actually allow same-sex marriages? As best as I can tell, none of the largest Protestant churches in Massachusetts allow same-sex marriages. Also, under the same-sex marriage law in Massachusetts, churches in Massachusetts aren't required to perform same-sex marriages, right? It just gives churches the option to perform same-sex marriages, right? That would be unconstitutional if churches in Massachusetts were required to perform same-sex marriages.

It is not a law that was passed per se, but our Massachusetts Supreme Court which made the same sex marriage decision. They based their ruling on the Massachusetts Constitution (not t he US one) and although the state legislature has often discussed it, it has not reversed the ruling.

As to the churches, of course it does NOT require any church to marry people, it is strictly a civil marriage. But the rights of married people then apply, within the state, to gay couples.

There are various smaller churches that do allow for gay marriage, usually not mainstream, but some mainstream churches have established various commitment services in order to acknowledge the relationships. Gays are frequent churchgoers in Massachusetts, and would be in the rest of the country if welcomed instead of damned.

[vivabigpapi]

Originally Posted by litlux

It is not a law that was passed per se, but our Massachusetts Supreme Court which made the same sex marriage decision. They based their ruling on the Massachusetts Constitution (not t he US one) and although the state legislature has often discussed it, it has not reversed the ruling.

As to the churches, of course it does NOT require any church to marry people, it is strictly a civil marriage. But the rights of married people then apply, within the state, to gay couples.

There are various smaller churches that do allow for gay marriage, usually not mainstream, but some mainstream churches have established various commitment services in order to acknowledge the relationships. Gays are frequent churchgoers in Massachusetts, and would be in the rest of the country if welcomed instead of damned.

By civil marriage you mean just getting married by the state of Massachusetts right? So the same-sex marriage laws in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut only apply to civil marriages?

[1979]

If you are wondering if churches are required to marry, NO.

[scarletfire]

VivaBigPapi, To get married in Massachusetts, any couple (same gender or opposite gender) would get a marriage license a few days beforehand (if I recall that's at the local town clerk's office). You can then get married by a justice of the peace or get married at some churches or temples. (I've seen a few Protestant churches start to be more welcoming in this respect but certainly not all.) You have the same marriage rights whether you're same gender or not.

[vivabigpapi]

Originally Posted by scarletfire

VivaBigPapi, To get married in Massachusetts, any couple (same gender or opposite gender) would get a marriage license a few days beforehand (if I recall that's at the local town clerk's office). You can then get married by a justice of the peace or get married at some churches or temples. (I've seen a few Protestant churches start to be more welcoming in this respect but certainly not all.) You have the same marriage rights whether you're same gender or not.

That's how I thought the law in Massachusetts was, that Justices of the Peace were required to perform same-sex marriages, and that churches/clergymen have the option (option meaning that churches/clergymen get to decide whether to allow same-sex marriage in their churches or to not allow same-sex marriage in their churches) to perform same-sex marriages.

[VlyRoadKid]

Due to the Constitutional Separation of Church and State, no church, synagogue, mosque or any RELIGIOUS entity is bound by STATE laws. As one person said, the Universalist Unitarian (UU) might recognize same-sex marriages, but I'm not sure.

Let me tell you. I was raised Catholic, (but atheist for over 20 yrs.) and my husband Methodist. Though he had a divorce, and NEVER any affiliation to Catholicism, we could NOT get married in a Catholic church, w/o special dispensation or whatever from a PANEL of BISHOPS! The only reason I wanted the wedding there was for aethetics and their great choral group, NOT religion (lapsed, agnostic...etc.).

Still, we'd have had to do the lot...and I said "NO WAY!"

So, we went to Smith College's (Northampton, MA)
church (can't remember denomination, if any) and had a beautiful wedding there, with a great organist and (hired) sextet singing Mozart's "Vespere Solemnes de Confessore" and a duet from "Die Zauberfloete".

No muss, no fuss, unlike the Catholics...but of course, we were a same-sex couple.

My point? Try to get it the way YOU want it, or as close to, and hang the rest!

Whenever you feel bad, think of THIS: My dad was engaged to be married (not to my mom), after WWII and due to his insane (IMO) belief in the Church, ditched his true love at the altar for the same reason they wouldn't marry my husband and me!

I AM glad it resulted in my being born...but always felt bad for my Dad that he felt had to give up his True Love, due to some religious nonsense! Ugh.

[bluenoter]

Someone in Mass. should buy an old church and sell your services as a minister. It sounds like a great opportunity. I'm pretty sure anyone can become a minister. Check the back of Rolling Stone.

[vivabigpapi]

The reason why I asked this question is to see if there was any truth on what the Yes on 8 people are saying. The Yes on 8 People are saying that these things happen in Massachusetts these days as a result of Massachusetts allowing same-sex marriage:

1.)same-sex marriage is taught in Public Schools

2.)churches that don't perform same-sex weddings lose their tax-exempt status

So my question to you Massachusetts residents is are any of the things that the Yes on 8 campaign says is going on these days in Massachusetts really going on these days in Massachusetts?