Impact of homosexual marriage on legal standing of churches

Kathleen Parker has a number of useful insights in her column about gay marriage consequences.

Legal acceptance of homosexual marriages means that every institution must recognize them, or face litigation for hate speech/crimes. Churches could lose tax-exempt status.

Her comments about the tone of the two sides of this debate are intriguing:

"Or, perhaps the lack of interest is tied to the way the debate thus far has been presented. On the pro-gay-marriage side, advocates have proposed the issue only as a question of fairness, civil rights, love and validation. No fair-minded person wants to prevent another human being from equal protection under the law or the pursuit of happiness.

On the other side are mostly heard the voices of the religious right. Regardless of their sincerity, such voices tend to fall on deaf ears in a secular society. If people want preaching, they'll go to church. Moreover, some of the rhetoric from the pews is so strident and off-putting, even devout people may prefer other company.

There are plenty of good reasons to be skeptical about rearranging the basic structure of human society without invoking the "Radicals in Black Robes," who are trying to "force their distorted Homosexual Marriage views on 280 million Americans," as one Christian Coalition action alert recently put it."

This vote is coming before Congress very soon. Contact your representatives. All evidence suggests that they are not hearing very much from the quiet majority of Americans opposed to homosexual marriages.