Layman blog
SCOTUS to decide on same-sex marriage by June
Carmen Fowler LaBerge with Scott Lamb, The Layman, December 11, 2012
In the court battles over same-sex marriage, a U.S. Supreme court decision as momentous as “Roe v. Wade” could arrive by this summer.
SCOTUS announced last week that it will take up both of the gay marriage cases: (1) the review of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), and (2) the legal challenge to California’s Proposition 8.
Gay marriage will soon be legal in nine states, but it is banned by the constitution of 31 states. Therefore, a SCOTUS decision to legalize same-sex marriage could overturn the will of the citizens of nearly 2/3 of the nation. Or, the Court could make other moves – allowing for gay marriage in states that of their own accord bring it into law. The decisions will come by the end of June 2013.
Much is at stake here – and both sides of the same-sex wedding aisle know it. Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry released a statement of hopeful anticipation that SCOTUS would overturn DOMA:
“By agreeing to hear a case against the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, the Court can now move swiftly to affirm what 10 federal rulings have already said: DOMA’s ‘gay exception’ to how the federal government treats married couples violates the Constitution and must fall.
…With the clock now ticking on Supreme Court rulings in 2013, it is more urgent than ever that we make the same strong case for the freedom to marry in the court of public opinion that our advocates are making in the courts of law. By winning more states and winning over more hearts and minds, we maximize our chances of victory in court, showing the justices that when they do the right thing, it will stand the test of time and be true to where the American people already are.”
Depending on which slice of U.S. demographics one polls, Wolfson may be right in saying that the pro-gay marriage agenda is “true to where the American people already are.” Repeatedly, surveys show a wide difference of opinion on this issue between older and younger citizens. Of course, there are also some factors that override the age factor. Evangelical Christians of all ages oppose same-sex marriage with the same gusto that mainline Protestants support it.
At the end of the day – or even, by the end of June 2013 – it is important for Christians to remember that neither the Supreme Court nor popular opinion gives the ultimate determination to whether an act is right or wrong. God alone determines righteousness – by His holy character, revealed will, and natural law.
Furthermore, even as Christians should pray that SCOTUS resists the temptation toward judicial activism, overturning individual state constitutional amendments, we must also be prepared for them to do just that. Regardless, as Christians, we will be a people whose hearts are full of hope and joy, knowing that the Kingdom of God does not rise or fall on the decisions delivered by human councils.
As ancient and modern Christian theologians alike would remind us, we live “between two worlds” as citizens of both the City of God and the City of Man. Let us pray as Jesus did: “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Here at The Layman, we will continue to track the movement of SCOTUS on these issues, and will bring updates and analysis as movement occurs. Stay tuned.
For Biblical and theological resources to equip yourself and your congregation for the debate, see Theology Matters and the equipping resources at The Layman.