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Church fights a losing battle

In the fight for gay rights, activists have gained ground in employment fairness, social accep-tance and greater freedom to be who they are.

However, the 1990s have seen a focus on religion and gays, particularly in relation to the church and same-sex marriages. For all the gains activists have made, this topic is coming to a head with major recent developments in Nebraska and Georgia. In the Bible, there are clear instructions on marriage and homosexuality. Moreover, churches are private institutions and have a definitive legal right to say that church and clergy membership for non-practicing homosexuals is fine, but trying to legitimize gay marriages or sex by the Bible is not.

Recently in Grand Island, Neb., Rev. Jimmy Creech was defrocked because he married two gay couples. A jury of 13 Nebraska ministers decided to relieve Creech of his title despite his cries that enforcement of the church using its "legal power, spiritual power and financial power - to enforce bigotry" spelled a "sad day."

In no way is the banishment of this minister a happy occasion. The consequences for his actions were harsh, and for a man in the clergy whose life was dedicated to the work of God, losing that ordination was undoubtedly life shattering. However, Creech made a choice to be politically correct rather than following defined church rules.

Bible passages state that God's joining of man and woman in holy matrimony should never be broken or meddled with - man and woman. Not man and man, nor woman and woman. For agnostics it is a matter of rhetoric because the church holds no weight. Agnostic gays shouldn't be concerned because the idea is bunk according to their ideologies. To the "Christian gay," though, marriage holds more importance, and marrying in God's presence is among the most holy of moments for any Christian. The fact is, God loves all his children, no matter their sexual orientation, but God has rules and churches have rules. One is that same sex marriages are not allowed.

In a similar church matter in Georgia, two churches were ousted by the Southern Baptist Convention for allowing gay church members. Here, the church has the right to remove the churches for whatever reason they wish. In this case, however, I feel that the Southern Baptists have gone too far. The Presbyterian church is far more progressive, even allowing celibate gays to be ordained. Naturally, the question arises over where the difference in marriage and church membership lies.

For the church, marriage has proscriptions as to how and for whom one may be conducted. Membership, on the other hand, is clearly open to anyone accepting God and Jesus as His son. If the practicing Christian runs from their sin, they are accepted. This denies gays the right to practice by the following church doctrine logic: premarital sex is a sin, same sex marriages go against God, thus gays must be celibate to fully participate in church and clergy.

Do not make the assumption that my supporting certain church initiatives makes me a bigot nor a gay basher. What I'm standing for is a matter of private rights for the church. Churches cannot be controlled by the government, having been separated by our forefathers. Whether it was their true intention is questionable, but the Bill of Rights stands.

Legally, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees nothing to gays, and certainly nothing in the way of churches for any group of people. When private institutions become pawns of federal regulation, rights slip away.

Inherent in any religious issue, particularly in Christian topics, doctrine debates mesh with legal arguments to create cloudy, violent issues. It's hard to differentiate between the legal and religious bases a church might use to justify a stance. The crucial point is that in the cases of the Nebraska and Georgia oustings, whether we agree fundamentally or not, the churches have the right to conduct themselves as they wish, being private institutions in a republic with guaranteed rights.

Beyond this, gay rights activists would be better served fighting fights they can gain ground on. Churches will continue to evolve and, despite Biblical fact, may one day fully allow any gay activity among all ranks. For now though, the key for gays is to battle something that won't create hatred toward them. No matter what that issue may be, let it rest on legal rights and remember that once private institutions lose their rights, we as individuals do the same.

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