Christians who have so far avoided controversial “culture war” issues will likely be pulled into those battles as their religious freedom becomes threatened due to…[same-sex] “marriage,” Dr. John Inazu warned Monday.
Theologically conservative Christian non-profit organizations, including churches, could face losing their tax exempt status or being shut down, and Christian doctors, lawyers, counselors and other professionals could be forced out of their professions, he explained.
Inazu, associate professor of law and political science at Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, was delivering a presentation, “Religious Liberty and the American Culture Wars,” at the Ethics and Public Policy Center’s “Faith Angle Forum.”
Jhn 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Yep. Christians who have avoided the culture wars may not have any choice…. especially if Christian marriage is not recognized by state and federal governments. Far fetched you say…. not really.
Before our diocesan convention, the diocese had a series of workshops on Friday afternoon. One of the workshops was given by The Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll, a retired professor at Trinity School for Ministry, teaching on “Cultural Shifts in Marriage: What is Christian Marriage?†. Dr. Noll reviewed the basics of the Church’s traditional teaching on marriage and compared it with the “ethic of intimacy†that prevails in contemporary Western society. One of the most disturbing things he said towards the end of the workshop was that there is a real possibility that Christian marriage could cease to be recognized by the state and federal governments if there is no accommodation for ministers who will not perform a same sex marriage. Remember even Christians who marry in church need to get a license and have it signed by the minister/officaint and have that document recorded/registered in a government office somewhere (usually a county level office).