At the heels of last week's
U.S. Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, another pro-LGBT equality decision has emerged. This time from the
Episcopal Church.
Episcopalians voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church's embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop.
The House of Bishops had approved the resolution Tuesday by 129-26 with only five abstaining their votes. The Rev. Brian Baker of Sacramento said the church rule change was the result of a nearly four-decade long conversation that has been difficult and painful for many. Baker, chair of the committee that crafted the changes, said church members have not always been kind to one another but that the dynamic has changed in recent decades.
"We have learned to not only care for, but care about one other," Baker said.
A minority of Episcopalian clergy were not happy about the vote. The Rev. Jose Luis Mendoza-Barahona of Honduras said, 'the fight is not over - it's just starting.' He ads his ilk will remain firm in not recognizing Wednesday's decision. No matter. If they choose not to perform the ceremony, they can opt to have someone else in the church help out.
The celebration continues and is not daunted by naysayers. One of the many things I love about this decision is the new verbiage that will be used in ceremonies. Instead of 'husband and wife,' the new language will include 'the couple.'
The new law takes effect Nov. 29, 2015. You can read the full story by Brady McCombs and Rachel Zoll at Yahoo.com. To learn more about The Episcopal Chuch in the U.S., here is a link.
As a Christian on the Left (with a splash of Buddhism, because I can) I'm always delighted to see people of faith stand up for love, denounce hate, and let people believe or not believe as they choose… as it should be.