Clergy Don't Marry Anyone

As another Lutheran Pastor, I agree with Pr Marty, and I'd like to suggest that maybe we ought to adopt the practices common in the Soviet Union: All those to be married, applied for a license at their local official, were officially married there, and then were free to do what they wanted to otherwise celebrate.

We ought to have a national "civil union" law, which is what all legal decisions, such as inheritance, property, visitation in hospitals, last wishes, etc., should be based on. Blessing of unions, or marriage, or whatever term is desired, should then be the purview of religious organizations, if desired. For the non-religious, a "celebration of their union" could be held, with family, wedding dress, all the trappings of a marriage ceremony, as they wish.

In other words, let's separate the legal recognition of "marital" status be determined, and effected, by civil offices, and let the couple (of other sex, or same sex) have whatever celebrations they want, or whatever blessings they desire, to be theirs to make.

If a church decides not to recognize same sex unions, that's their choice; they could not be compelled to do so. Those religious groups who want to support people through some ceremony of blessing should likewise be free to do so. Since no one is compelled to belong to any religious group, their rights are safeguarded: They would be bestowed through the civil ceremony.

and those of us who are clergy would not be caught up in the "agent of the state" issues. We would also not get caught up in the issue of non-members who want something fancier than a drab two minute "ceremony" in the records office, but who are really not members of our community, and don't really want to make the sort of commitment that I, as clergy, represent. And then they can have whatever music, etc., they want!

Pr Chris

'suggest an old-fashioned boar-bristle brush, using it old-school, using *less* of these modern chemical things, and switching which shampoo you use frequently.'
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Have four boar-bristle brushes, which are not cheap. Problems persist.

Pakistani friend, with similar hair, is sending traditional Pakistani "product" even as I write. Hopefully, this will enable me to void my request for divine hair-intervention, thus sparing deities yet another matter needful of their airy concern. :

"Although not wishing to add to an already lengthy list, I wonder if you might put in a word for hair care products. Many of us spend a small fortune on them every year, and the vast majority are do not do what they say they will. As one with long thick hair, I could use a divine hand here."

I suggest an old-fashioned boar-bristle brush, using it old-school, using *less* of these modern chemical things, and switching which shampoo you use frequently.

Brushing my hair is part of my meditation time. :)

"The clergy can bless anything and anyone they want: door posts of new houses, puppies on animal-blessing day in churches, coffins, nurseries, wedding rings, anything."

Although not wishing to add to an already lengthy list, I wonder if you might put in a word for hair care products. Many of us spend a small fortune on them every year, and the vast majority are do not do what they say they will. As one with long thick hair, I could use a divine hand here.

Thanks.

Farnaz

"But the issue raised so far and mentioned in this week's topic is a non-issue."

Except inasmuch as anti-gay people have made a practice of deceiving voters about it in order to pass anti-gay laws like Prop 8 or countless prejudiced 'definition of marriage' state laws and amendments and prohibitions on anything from marriage to civil unions to even paying your own lawyer to give protections that *are substantially similar to* marriage.

If you're of the same sex.

There's been a lot of damage done by these deceptions.

In a sense, no, let's not move on that easily. There's been a fundamental dishonesty to a lot of the things the anti-equality set have done already.