It's truly amazing to be a part of this time, the historical journey towards marriage equality in this country. Looking back on the last ten years, it began with Massachusetts in 2003 being the first state to legally recognize same-sex marriage. Today, with the state of Texas there are 17 or 18 states plus the District of Columbia that have full marriage equality or recognition. With last year's Supreme Court decision that struck down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and gave federal recognition to same-sex marriages, we now have so many other states taking up the issue of equality and marriage within their states it's difficult to keep track of who's batting, who's on base, and who's made a home run.
<big grin!>
This week a trial began in my own home state, one of several that made an amendment to its state constitution defining marriage almost ten years ago. I'm confident that we'll see a similar outcome as in the other nine or so recent states that barring the recognition of marriage between any two consenting, loving adults is unconstitutional. And yet with all this momentum of doing the right thing, there are some conservative state legislatures that have tried to push through efforts in other states' legalizing blantent discrimination. Arizona actually passed a law that would allow businesses to openly discriminate based on their personal beliefs under the guise of freedom of religion. Well, thank you, God, the governor saw sense or lack of sense rather in this hateful bill and vetoed it.
Almost ten years ago, we had a Pope that declared in his book that, "Homosexual marriages are part of a new ideology of evil that is insidiously threatening society." And now we have a Pope that is so polar opposite, with his statements like, "who am I to judge." He truly gets Christianity, he lives it. He talks the talk and walks the walk. Conservatives believe religion is under attack in our country. I say Spirit in Christ is at work making correction.
Yes, these are amazing times. I'm grateful. I'm grateful and excited to be in full swing with the preparations for our upcoming celebratory ceremony this June. We have a lot to be grateful for.
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