Christopher Seitz and I recently formulated a “marriage pledge,” which First Things has hosted. It asks signers who are pastors to stop signing civil marriage licences as part of the Christian marriages at which they officiate, In this way, they will give public notice that Christian marriage is not what the state calls “marriage.”
This proposed pledge has already given rise to surprisingly wide debate, including a fair amount of criticism. That is fine with me, and I have a great deal of sympathy for many who disagree. For I myself have changed my mind about the present relationship of civil and Christian marriage.
