Religious leaders call Prop 8 ruling 'insult' or 'victory'

UPDATED 9:36 P.M.

The California Catholic Conference, one of the primary backers of Prop 8 in 2008, said late Tuesday that the bishops are putting their faith in a higher court -- and prayer -- to rectify the 9th Circuit's decision.

... Marriage between one man and one woman has been -- and always will be -- the most basic building block of the family and of our society.

In the end, through sound legal reasoning, we believe the (U.S. Supreme) Court will see this as well and uphold the will of the voters as expressed in Proposition 8. We continue to pray for that positive outcome.

UPDATED 6: 21 P.M.

Catholic bishops denounced today's court ruling, calling it an "injustice" to the union of marriage. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said "marriage deserves better":

Today's court ruling is a grave injustice, ignoring the reality that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. The Constitution of the United States most assuredly does not forbid the protection of the perennial meaning of marriage, one of the cornerstones of society. The people of California deserve better. Our nation deserves better. Marriage deserves better.

UPDATED 3:30 P.M.

Insulted or outraged -- or unavailable. That's how some major religious voices responded Tuesday when the 9th Circuit Court upheld a lower court ruling that overturned California's ban on gay marriage, Proposition 8. Those who back same-sex marriage, however, were quick and gleeful in public reaction.

Start with the major religious backers of Prop 8 -- Catholic, Mormon and evangelical believers.

The California Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm of the state's bishops, declined repeated requests to comment Tuesday, although it was one of the primary sponsors of the original, successful Proposition 8 campaign.

Ned Dolejsi, the executive director of the conference who served on the board of the Protect Marriage committee, would not comment. Their spokesperson could not be reached. California's 11 million Catholics are about 29% of the state population.

The other major religious force in the Prop 8 effort in 2008 was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Mormons did not make a direct contribution to Protect Marriage from their Salt Lake City headquarters, but they did have a letter read at every Mormon congregation in the state asking for believers to give time and money to the cause.

LDS spokesman Michael Purdy said the church regretted the ruling.

Millions of voters in California sent a message that traditional marriage is crucial to society. They expressed their desire, through the democratic process, to keep traditional marriage as the bedrock of society, as it has been for generations...

We recognize that this decision represents a continuation of what has been a vigorous public debate over the rights of the people to define and protect the fundamental institution of marriage.

And Purdy also called for

...people on all sides of this issue to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility toward those with a different opinion.

In 2008, outraged gay marriage supporters demonstrated in front of Mormon temples in California and Salt Lake City.

The Rev. Albert Mohler, influential president of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, was flat out insulted, saying the 9th Circuit,

... has ruled straightforwardly that the motivation for defending traditional marriage is animus against homosexual persons.

I think that's ridiculous on its face! The defense of marriage is valued by all kinds of people. To say this is insulting to people of faith and anyone who would support a traditional concept of marriage, humanity's most central institution. To suggest the people of California can't decide by a referendum what marriage is, is an insult to democracy.

But the Rev. Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, which filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting same-sex marriage, pointed a finger at religious groups that supported Prop 8, saying in a statement,

No American's right to marry should be subjected to a veto from aggressive and well-funded religious groups.

... Opponents of same-sex marriage have been unable to muster any arguments other than it offends their theology. We have a secular government, and dogma should not and cannot be transformed into law.

The organization's brief dismissed supporters of the ban as relying on "literal and selective interpretations of the Bible."

The new Episcopal Bishop of the Diocese of Washington, D.C., on Tuesday endorsed the legislative campaign now underway to legalize same sex marriage in Maryland.

The Rt. Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, wrote on the Washington Post website that gay marriage opponents should not be so certain the Bible is on their side. In her reading the Bible

... condemns exploitative sexual activity that is the antithesis of loving, committed relationships. The Bible is silent on the subject of same-gender monogamous relationships.

Budde's diocese performs same-sex ceremonies, which are legal in the District.

The Rev. Susan Russell of All Saints Pasadena, where they have refused to sign marriage licenses for any couple until gay couples could be legally wed, went straight to rejoicing -- with a caveat.

Russell, an Episcopal priest, called it a victory for

...all Americans who believe that the "liberty and justice for all" in the pledge we teach our children really means ALL. It is also a victory over those who erroneously believe that the freedom of religion guaranteed by the First Amendment gives them freedom to write their theology on marriage -- or anything else -- into our Constitution.

Russell dismisses the notion this tramples on freedom of religion, saying in a statement that everyone is

... just as free today to decide for themselves whether God equally blesses our marriages. What the 9th Circuit Court said today is that they are NOT free to decide whether the Constitution equally protects them.

However, Russell tempered her celebration with a reminder that this decision has no impact on federally protected rights "and it won't have until we Dump DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act.)"

UPDATED 1:35 P.M.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that Proposition 8,which overturned legalized same-sex marriage in California, is unconstitutional.

ORIGINAL POST

(The court ruling) comes just as Washington state nears passage of a gay marriage bill, making it the seventh state to allow it.

Expect "mayhem" -- and more appeals, NBC's Bay Area site says.

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After Proposition 8 was challenged by gay couples seeking to marry, U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker ruled the ballot measure a violation of the Constitution's equality guarantee. That August 2010 decision is the focus of the appeal, brought by proponents of Prop 8.

Under all the legalese is a fundamental clash of values.

Walker's Prop 8 opinion offered a portrait of 21st century marriage. After examining how several major religious groups condemn either homosexual identity or behavior or both, Walker spelled out in all capital letters in the decision:

A PRIVATE MORAL VIEW THAT SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE INFERIOR TO OPPOSITE-SEX COUPLES IS NOT A PROPER BASIS FOR LEGISLATION...California's obligation is to treat its citizens equally, not to "mandate [its] own moral code."

Walker said, essentially, 'Believers, it's not about you."

Yes, it is, said theologian Andreas Kostenberger of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Writing on Walker in Christianity Today, he said,

The Bible makes clear that marriage is God's idea rather than a social contract that we are free to renegotiate based on changing social trends.

Too late, said historian Stephanie Coontz. a professor at Evergreen State college and author of Marriage, A History, after Walker's ruling.

Heterosexuals already led the way. The modern marriage is voluntary, not arranged, about love and fulfillment, not economic or social requirements, and it need not be based on a notion of separate but equal rights and responsibilities for men and women. Coontz said,

That's when homosexuals raised their hands and said, 'Hey, guess what ...

The Los Angeles Times says Marriage Equality USA and other groups have already staked out turf for reaction rallies in San Francisco and Los Angeles, while Prop 8 supporters such as ProtectMarriage.com, haven't announced details -- yet.

Meanwhile, the Rev. Susan Russell of All Saints Pasadena, jumped ahead of the decision with comments Monday evening forecasting victory:

Tomorrow's ruling will be another step toward putting California back on the right side of marriage equality history and undoing the shameful act of allowing a bare majority of voters to write discrimination into our constitution.

DO YOU HAVE your prayers or your posters -- or both -- ready? Ready for what ruling?