UCC Endorses Gay Marriage

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In an historic vote, the United Church of Christ passed a resolution that endorses same sex marriage. The vote means that the UCC is the largest mainstream Christian religion to officially recognize and endorse gay marriage.

In addition, the resolution encourages its congregation to develop wedding policies, endorse nondiscriminatory and gay rights legislation, oppose discriminatory legislation, including constitutional amendments, which deny homosexuals equal rights, and calls for an end to the rhetoric that promotes devisiveness and hatred towards homosexuals.

Specifically, as posted on the UCC website, the marriage equality resolution

1. Affirms equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender and declares that the government should not interfere with couples regardless of gender who choose to marry and share fully in the rights, responsibilities and commitment of legally recognized marriage;
2. Affirms equal access to the basic rights, institutional protections and quality of life conferred by the recognition of marriage,
3. Calls for an end to rhetoric that fuels hostility, misunderstanding, fear and hatred expressed toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons,
4. Asks officers of the church to communicate the resolution to local, state and national legislators, urging them to support equal marriage rights,
5. Calls upon all settings of the church to engage in serious, respectful and prayerful discussion of the covenantal relationship of marriage and equal marriage rights,
6. Calls upon congregations, after prayerful, biblical, theological, and historical study, to consider adopting Wedding Policies that do not discriminate against couples based on gender, and
7. Urges congregations and individuals of the UCC to prayerfully consider and support local, state and national legislation to grant equal marriage rights to couples regardless of gender, and to work against legislation, including constitutional amendments, which denies rights to couples based on gender.

Now, if only all those other Christian denominations would follow suit....

Nah. I'm sure those seven points are far too controversial for them to adopt.