EQUAL MARRIAGE RIGHTS FOR SAME-GENDER COUPLES

Submitted by: Irvine United Congregational Church, Irvine, CA
First Congregational Church, Long Beach, CA
Southern California Nevada Conference Chapter of the UCC Coalition for LGBT Concerns

Background

Ideas about marriage have shifted and changed dramatically throughout human history, and such change continues even today.  At different points marriage has been defined in response to economic realities, by the primacy of procreation and by societal understandings of the role of men and women. In the Gospel we find ground for a definition of marriage and family relationships based on affirmation of the full humanity of each partner, lived out in mutual care and respect for one another. Scripture itself, along with the global human experience, offers many different views of family and how family is to be defined. This unfolding revelation and understanding needs to be weighed carefully by people of faith considering the issue of equal marriage rights for same-gender couples. Jesus radically challenged his traditional cultural roles and concepts of family life. Jesus boldly declares members of the household/family of God to be whoever hears and follows the will of God.

Civil/legal marriage carries with it significant access to institutional support, rights and benefits. There are more than 1,400 such rights and benefits in the federal statutes alone. Efforts to ban civil marriage to same-gender couples denies them and their children access to these rights and benefits, and thus, undermine the civil liberties of gay and lesbian couples, putting them and their children at risk.

Throughout its history, the United Church of Christ has been at the forefront in the struggle for justice and equality. For more than 30 years, the General Synod of the UCC has adopted resolutions affirming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, consistently calling for an end to discrimination, equal protection under the  law, deploring LGBT hate crimes and violence, supporting LGBT relationships and families, celebrating the gifts of LGBT persons for ministry and encouraging all settings of the church to be open and affirming of LGBT persons, welcoming them and encouraging their participation in every aspect of the mission and ministry of the church.

Theological and Ethical Foundations

The message of the Gospel is the lens through which the whole of scripture is to be interpreted. Love and compassion, justice and peace are at the very core of the life and ministry of Jesus.  It is a message that always bends toward inclusion. The biblical story recounts the ways in which inclusion and welcome to God's community is ever-expanding - from the story of Abraham and Sarah, to the inclusive ministry of Jesus, to the missionary journeys of Paul throughout the Greco-Roman world.  Jesus' ministry was to address the situations and structures of exclusion, injustice and oppression that diminish God's people and keep them from realizing the full gift of personhood. The scriptures affirm and celebrate human expressions of love and partnership.

The language of covenant is central to the message of scripture concerning relationships and community. Both in the message of the prophets and the teachings of Jesus covenant relationships are important. They are taken seriously by God and to be taken seriously by God's people. While Jesus said little about the institution of marriage, he did speak about covenant relationships and criticized those who took the marriage covenant frivolously (Mark 10:2-12).  The overriding message of the Gospel is that God calls God's people to live fully the gift of love in responsible, faithful, just, committed, covenantal relationships of trust that recognize and respect the image of God in all people.  These Gospel values are at the core of the covenantal relationship that we call marriage. God is the creator of all people, including people of differing sexual orientations, and has bestowed on each one the gift of human sexuality.  Therefore, theologically and ethically, there is neither justification for denying same-gender couples the blessing of the church in marriage nor for denying them equal protection under the law by refusing to grant a civil marriage license recognized and respected by all civil entities.

Text of resolution

Whereas, the Bible affirms and celebrates human expressions of love and partnership, calling us to live out fully that gift of God in responsible, faithful, committed relationships that recognize and respect the image of God in all people; and

Whereas, the Southern California Nevada Conference became Open and
Affirming in 1989 and urged the churches of the Southern California Nevada
Conference to become Open and Affirming; and

Whereas, many UCC pastors and congregations have held commitment services for gay and lesbian couples for some time, consistent with the call to loving, long-term committed relationships and to nurture family life; and

Whereas, recognition of marriage carries with it significant access to institutional support, rights and benefits; and

Whereas, legislation to ban recognition of same-gender marriages further undermine the civil liberties of gay and lesbian couples and contributes to a climate of misunderstanding and polarization, increasing hostility against gays and lesbians; and

Whereas, equal marriage rights for same-gender couples is an issue deserving of serious, faithful discussion by people of faith, taking into consideration the long, complex history of marriage and family life, layered as it is with cultural practices, economic realities, political dynamics, religious history and biblical interpretation;

THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED, that the Southern California Nevada
Conference of the United Church of Christ affirms equal marriage rights for same-gender couples and declares that the State should not interfere with same-gender couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Southern California Nevada Conference of the United Church of Christ affirms equal access to the basic rights, institutional protections and quality of life conferred by the recognition of marriage; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call upon the congregations and individuals of the Southern California Nevada Conference to engage in serious, respectful, and prayerful discussion of equal marriage rights for same-gender couples; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call for an end to rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, we urge the congregations and individuals of the Southern California Nevada Conference to prayerfully consider and support state and national legislation to grant equal marriage rights to same-gender couples; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that we call for the defeat of the Federal Marriage Amendment and the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996; and

LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Southern California Nevada Conference staff is called upon to submit a similar resolution to the Twenty-fifth General Synod; and

LET IT FINALLY BE RESOLVED, that the staff of the Southern California Nevada Conference is called upon to communicate this resolution to our state and national legislators, urging them to support equal marriage rights for same-gender couples.

This resolution is endorsed by the Lambda Group at First Congregational Church of Pasadena, UCC