Letter: Understanding the Marriage Amendment
October 24, 2012 at 7:00 pm in Worthington Daily Globe
On Nov. 6, you have an opportunity to vote on the “Marriage Protection Amendment.” The ballot will read: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in Minnesota?” Continue Reading
“It’s not that same sex unions are not a loving environment or can’t raise children, but they can’t bring forth children.” Neither can women or men that are sterile. Or a woman that remarries after menopause. They shouldn’t have the same legal rights of marriage since they can’t bring forth children according to the authors statement.
“Marriage is the only institution that unites the biological, legal and social aspects of parenthood into a single and lasting bond.” Not true. Single parents do this as well. Also Marriage as a “lasting bond” isn’t 100% true with the divorce rate at 29% in the first 10 years with a total estimate of 40-50% lifetime rate. Social aspects of parenthood are changing. Social aspects are changing for more acceptance of homosexuals and their right, thus the fear to push for this amendment.
A religious defintion of marriage shouldn’t be forced onto a society in which not all the members of society believe in that particular religion. One can’t and shouldn’t use the Bible (or any holy book) to justify legal definitions. If we were, slavery would still be legal.
Marriage in society should be a legal/civil definition, and not a religious definition, once it is given special legal rights and benefits. Simply put, Marriage legally should be; a social contract between one person and another to jointly share assets of each party together in a partnership thus afforded all due legal rights and benefits with said social contract.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Very well stated, Merc. The arguments FOR the marriage amendment are flimsy. The amendment is unnecessary. There already is a law in place which defines marriage in Minnesota.
Once again, those who scream the loudest about “big government” and “government intrusion into our lives” and “government taking away our freedoms” don’t see the hypocrisy here.
Unlike Sarah Palin, who could clearly see Russia (and its threats) from her front porch in Alaska, these folks who are perched along the Iowa border apparently can’t see that life for their neighbors to the south has not changed at all since gay marriage was legalized.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Question for ‘minister’ merc. Why did you set your name to ‘minister’? Obviously you have no religious affiliation and I would be willing to bet the last time you set foot in a church was for a wedding or a funeral. I just hope you haven’t used the word “minister” to infer some sort of religious authority.
Marriage is a biblical term, and as it has been stated above “Governments have adapted this understanding of marriage because a strong family unit makes a stronger society”. Thou shall not kill, Thou shall not steal. Do any of these sound familiar? These are also 2 religious rules that governments have adopted to create a successful, safe and peaceful society. Marriage belongs to the church, and the government can either respect that or change there terminology. You pay a fee to the government to become joined for the purposes of tax’s, life and death benefits. The government puts no expectations on you for having children, staying faithful to your spouse or a lifetime commitment. What the government provides is not “marriage”, but instead a license to be joined for accounting purposes. If two separate organizations use the same term to define two totally separate meanings it results in confusion and conflict. So where does the conflict arise? If the State decides to say that a “marriage” is legal between two parties of the same sex, what is to stop them from saying we will put you in jail if you refuse to perform the “marriage” in your church? Don’t think that could happen, look at Canada. Freedom of religion is a staple of this country. The easiest way to lose your rights is to forget you have them.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I’ll let Minister Merc speak for himself as to whether or not he’s an ordained minister. I can only guess that you’re expressing “outrage” that someone who MIGHT be a minister would have the audacity to be speaking out in favor of gay marriage. That’s a GUESS on my part, because your comment is filled with contradictions and hypocritical statements.
For your information, there are HUNDREDS of ministers – from all faiths – who are speaking out against this amendment. More than 400 marched at the State Fair in opposition. There’s even a youtube video!
Check it out.
Have you not noticed that dozens of corporations, private and public colleges and universities, city councils, corporate executives — and even newspaper editorial boards — are against it?
There’s so much to challenge in your comment. But I’ll clarify one last thing: Marriage is NOT a Biblical term. Here’s the best definition I could find.
The word ‘marriage’ originates from 1297, from Old French mariage (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *maritaticum, from Latin maritatus, pp. of maritatre “to wed, marry, give in marriage”.
This does not mean that the concept was not in existence prior to that. Whatever it was called in the Bible, the word ‘marriage’ was not used. Remember that the Bible was translated using the available language of the time.
Genesis 2:24 is frequently quoted as “God’s plan” for marriage to the exclusion of all other family /marriage types:
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” You might notice that the word ‘marriage’ is not use
You question Merc’s nick here. Where did you come up with your “nick”? Just curious. I thnk I figured out the last part.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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My nickname is because i am an ordained minister. I have all rights to marry, perform funerals, and baptisms. I do go to church. I believe that my religion should stay out of legal definitions on society, as many in society don’t share my religious views. Protection of the minority is very important in our nation and is truely what seperates us from the rest of the world.
” Thou shall not kill, Thou shall not steal.”…our laws aren’t based on the biblical commandments, but general morality. If you were to look at a tribe in the Amazon rain forrest, they would have the same rule/laws dispite not having a biblical (or holy book) to draw from. General human morality creates those laws.
“You pay a fee to the government to become joined for the purposes of tax’s, life and death benefits.”, then whats the big deal if gays paid the very same fee? The marriage fee to get rights is different for gays, but the taxes (fees) a gay pays to get other social benefits (SS, Medicare, unemployment) aren’t? Or how about a drivers license? Have to pay a fee for those benefits and privligaes…ok for gays to pay that fee, but not a marriage fee? There wouldn’t be any confusion at all. Marriage would be a legal term as it is now. It would simply mean that 2 people are in a legal union.
“what is to stop them from saying we will put you in jail if you refuse to perform the “marriage” in your church?” The thing that would stop that is freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Constitutional rights.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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How many jobs does this amendment create? Zero.
How much does this add too or reduce the deficit? Nada.
The governments roll is not in religion and the only argument against same sex marriage is religion.
The government cannot mandate any church to marry a gay couple even if same sex marriages were recognized by the Minnesota.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Eastender: That’s interesting that you say marriage is not mentioned in the bible, Check out these verses. Does translation from Hebrew negate the fact that it was used? Wow!
1st Corinthians 7 (Start at vrs 1)
Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.
Hebrews 13: 4-7
Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
Deuteronomy 24:5
If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.
When God created Adam he also created Eve, not another Adam. Any church or minister that disagrees with that; should question their doctrine and maybe look into a different day job.
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“Any church or minister that disagrees with that; should question their doctrine and maybe look into a different day job.”
Why don’t you take that up with the 400 or so clergyman who have openly disagreed with the marriage amendment? That would be a lively discussion for certain, and you better bring your A-game. You seem comfortable telling others how to run their lives.
Thanks for your Biblical research. I stand corrected. The Deuteronomy quote is particularly interesting. Perhaps you should point out to the US Military that the Bible says newly-married soldiers can’t be deployed for at least one year. That will go over real big.
We have many more disagreements, but I think Merc has beautifully responded to you. Will you now apologize to him for being so obtuse?
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Minister Licensing Requirements in Minnesota
In Minnesota all ministers are required to register with the government before performing marriage. Ministers are able to complete this registration with the County Clerk, County Recorder, Probate Court Office, or applicable local Licensing Center. This is usually the same office that the couple must visit to file for their marriage license.
The minister does not need to be a Minnesota resident, though he or she must be at least 21 years old. Ministers will need the following:
1. Certificate of Ordination and Letter of Good Standing
Click on certificate of ordination it’s a link where you can by that for $9.99, probably is a bunch at the fair..
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If that link don’t work do this one:
http://www.theamm.org/products-page/minister-certification/ordination-certificate/
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