Articles
WA State Religious Leaders Declaration on Marriage Equality
Washington State Faith Leaders' Declaration of Support for Marriage Equality
We, the undersigned clergy and religious leaders from across Washington State, have come together to speak with a common voice on behalf of Marriage Equality in our state.
As religious people, clergy, and leaders, we are mandated to stand for justice in our common civic life. Religious leaders before us have spoken to end slavery, and to ensure equal rights to all persons regardless of gender, nationality, religion, and race. We declare that our faith calls us to affirm civil marriage equality for loving, same-sex couples.
Our religious traditions and sacred texts teach us that wherever love is present, God is also present. One of God's gifts is our capacity to love one another. The ability of two people to enter into relationships and form families of love and care is an expression of this gift. It is holy and good. We therefore support the right of loving, same-sex couples to enter into such relationships on an equal basis with loving heterosexual couples. This is a right that all people have as members of the human family. The state should not deny individuals their fundamental civil right to marry whom they love.
We uphold the right to freedom of conscience in this matter: the state may not require religious groups to officiate at, or bless, same-sex marriages. By the same token, we support civil marriage equality as an issue of religious freedom, for a denial of civil recognition dishonors the religious convictions of those communities and clergy who do officiate at, and bless, same-sex marriages. The state should not favor the convictions of one religious group over another to deny individuals their fundamental right to marry and have those marriages recognized by civil law.
God is love and love is for everyone. In this spirit we raise our voices in the struggle for the right and freedom to marry.
To sign this declaration, follow this link: http://equalityfederation.salsalabs.com/o/35037/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=477
Recent Articles
- Executive Director of ABHMS Speaks of Marriage Equality
- One Heart | One Soul: Building Communities that Work
- BPFNA Announces New Initiatives in Sudan/south Sudan, the Philippines and Latin America
- March for Workers' and Immigrants' Rights on May 1st
- Rally for Women's Rights
- Baptist-Muslim Dialogue Sponsored by the American Baptist Churches, USA
- Volunteer Opportunities
- Baptist Peace Fellowship Publishes An Open Letter to President Obama
- ABHMS Justice Ministries
- Home Mission Societies Executive Director Shows Solidarity with Trayvon Martin
Comments: