Justin R,

Religious organizations are legally permitted to “discriminate” on the basis of religion. The unanimous decision in Hosanna-Tabor was a very clear signal from the Supreme Court that that is the case. The US Government (or state governments) will not and cannot tell the Catholic Church how and to whom to administer the sacraments. The issue is very simple. The government has never told the Catholic Church whom it may or not marry (or baptize, or administer communion to, or ordain) in the past, and it is not going to do so in the future.

I suppose some will bring up the old cliché about “never say never.” If you don’t want me to say with certainty that it will never happy, then allow me to say that it is as likely that the government will try to force the Catholic Church to perform same-sex weddings as it is that the Catholic Church will gain control over the US government, make Catholicism the state religion, and ban all other religions. Nobody can prove that won’t happen, but what are the odds? It is such an outlandish scenario that it is not worth talking about.

A state would pass a law saying that in order to be a legal officiant for marriage, you must marry any couple legally permitted to marry in that state… I don’t see this happening any time soon.

I don’t see it happening at all. As far as I can tell, every single law respecting gay marriage has specifically exempted clergy from any obligation to marry people not in accord with their church’s doctrine. I know of no one – no one – who’s proposing anything different.

Besides, Weigel isn’t talking about the priests ‘giving up the power to marry’. He’s talking about priests voluntarily refraining from exercising that power. As in, “declining to act as agents of government in witnessing marriages for purposes of state law.”

http://www.culturewars.com/2010/Manhattan.htm

Why not? They have tax exempt status. There are anti-discrimination laws. You sound like someone 40 years ago saying, “It’s just not going to happen that a…doctor would be legally allowed to help kill a patient…doctor would be required by law to refer patients to abortionists (and their supporters)….pharmacist must distribute “morning after” pills regardless of faith…teenager who wants to find therapy to curtail same-sex attraction would be prohibited by law”

The amazing thing is that you don’t see where all this is headed.

I don’t know if you are a believer, but I would caution you that persecution is coming for those whose public expression of faith doesn’t “conform” to socially appropriate norms. And perhaps, that’s what He desires after all.

Dave,

You have basically stated what my own position is. The only thing I would do is state your third point more strongly. It’s just not going to happen that a Catholic priest would be legally required to perform marriages of same-sex couples or be in legal jeopardy for refusing to do so.

I doubt priests will be ordered to perform any weddings outside that which they do now, however. After all, at present the Church can wholesale refuse to marry those who are divorced, those who have voluntarily sterilized themselves, couples who aren’t Catholic, or really for any reason that would appear to make the union invalid, such as immaturity of the couple, or one partner having serious emotional problems, etc…Priests decline to marry people for situations all the time. I don’t see how priests could be legally forced to marry same sex people when they aren’t forced to marry these other folks.