Man faces excommunication for supporting gay marriage

Then he should have stopped being a member instead of pulling the victim card by them getting rid of him. He knew they wouldn't like it and he did it anyway. Lack of respect.

He can do as he wishes.

They can do as they wish. But I think any religion that goes into politics is no longer viable, but merely an opinion. They, apparently, don't mix very well.

God has standards, just like anyone here has standards. There is a right way to act and a wrong way.

Talk about trying to make someone newsworthy...he tried awfully hard. Hopefully he cares more about the cause and less about the attention.

The mormons, such a tolerant and forgiving bunch...

damn mormons

JanaPokana
Based on your posts, you seem to be engaged in the heterophobic and religiophobic business.

I hope you are having fun spreading hate and lies

good for him

the bible does tell us that if one openly does not follow the church it is the peoples responsibility to judge them and correct their ways. but then again the punishment for 8/10 of the commandments is death

This man has clearly excommunicated himself and need to join the episcopal church or what is left of it if anything

This is just antireligious spin from the advocate who promote their own belief system that is rejected by all main religions and civilizations

As a Utah Mormon native, I do not only disagree with what the church did but, I just hope this Callahan guy knows enough to stand up against the church. Once you're out, you're out. As a lesbian from a large mormon family, I am grateful that my family has still be kind enough to not disown me like the church did.

I say Kudos to Mr. Callahan!!

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with a religious institution standing up for what they believe in and supporting their members to also stand up for what they believe in. We are scripturally taught that homosexuality is WRONG.

So, yes, I think the Church was right to choose to excommunicate someone going specifically against its teachings. (It should be noted here that all the major religions are taking similar actions regarding Prop. 8: The Roman Catholic Church, Baptists, and most non-denomination Christian Churches)

Any time a person commits a sin (whether that be a transgression, or apostacy --going against the teachings or admonishings of its leaders) they ought to be expelled from that religion. They obviously don't believe in it anyway.

We as Christians are taught to love the sinner and not the sin.. its a zero tolerance policy.. against the SIN and not the SINNER. This is something people here seem to be breezing over.

I know several homosexual people, and in fact my great uncle was homosexual. And I loved him just the same. Although, I did not, do not, and will not be "ok with" or support his choice of lifestyle. Its one of those situations where you agree to disagree. Believing someone's action is a sin does not have to affect your relationship with them. There is nothing wrong with agreeing to disagree. There is nothing wrong with standing up and saying, "hey, I'm NOT ok with this".. Since when is voicing one's opinion hate speech? Since when is voicing one's opinion bigotry?

These are the facts:
26 states have made the definition of marriage as between a man and a woman part of their state's constitutions.
19 states have passed state laws identifying marriage as that between a man and a woman.
4 states have no laws regarding this
2 states have legalized same-sex marriages, but have legal battles raging to make amendments to their constitutions defining marriage as between a man and a woman (this includes Californias Prop 8)

The fact is, the majority of the United States Of America feels that the institution of marriage is something which ought to be between a man and a woman only. The civil rights of homosexual couples (including tax rights, hospital visitation rights, funeral rights, etc) are protected under domestic partnership laws in virtually all these states. This is not about rights.. its about preserving the institution of marriage and traditional families.

***VOTE YES ON PROP***

nigthwisp,

Thanks for your post.

"Gay marriage" will destroy marriage. It is about hijacking the law to make homosexual lifestyle acceptable.

In relation to the article -

Religion is religion. They can do whatever they want as far as their religion goes. This guy knew what he was getting into.
In my opinion, a sociopolitical institution does not equate with "Christianity."

nightwisp/ soleil10 -

Allowing gay couples to get married does not mean that Christian churches will suddenly have to start marrying them.
Marriage is not the property of Christianity.
We live in a secular nation, not a Christian theocracy.
Gay couples can already get married via all sorts of religions/ churches across the country - and they do.

"Gay marriage" is a legal issue - civil unions, if that makes you feel less icky. Straight couples get them all the time, whether they are Hindu, Muslim, Atheist, pagan, or barren.
Equal rights for gay couples does not affect you in the slightest.
Mind your own business.

Do you people honestly feel that the "majority" gets to decide what legal rights the minority has, based solely on the majority's ill-informed opinion?
You do realize that there was a time when the "majority" felt that people of African decent were born to be slaves.
That is a ridiculous argument.

"Do you people honestly feel that the "majority" gets to decide what legal rights the minority has? "

--Absolutely. This is, afterall, a Nation Of the People, By the People, For the People. That is one of the best things about our Great Nation: that the people's vote ultimately decides the law (either by direct vote, or by electing people who uphold their standards). It is true that at one point our Nation believed in slavery, and also did not allow women to vote. But the MAJORITY of the voting people also over-turned that, don't forget that.

====================================
Actually in the Democratic REPUBLIC of THese United States of America -- there were many checks on the tyranny of the Majority on the Minority.

Many of which are in the Bill of Rights...

No one can have rights if they are denied to anyone

Our form of government it supposed to protect us from Democracy ....
Please read this ... and use other links to find out the same information

http://www.serendipity.li/jsmill/jsmill.htm
==========================
At the Constitutional Convention, much time was spent debating how to avoid
the known perils of democracy, insofar as it was known to lead to
despotism. I believe that the current misrepresentation and abuse of
language is a deliberate and devious attempt to subvert our limited
Constitutional Republic and replace it with a 'democratic' despotism in
which public opinion is controlled through the mechanisms of the mass media
and power is centralized far beyond the limits imposed by the Constitution.

Please consider this exerpt from The Kentucky Resolution, written by Thomas
Jefferson and James Madison, which states:

"Resolved that the several States composing the United States of
America, are not united on the principles of unlimited submission to
their general government; but that by Compact under the style and
title of a Constitution for the United States and of amendments
thereto, they constituted a general government for special purposes,
delegated to that government certain definite powers, reserving to
each State to itself the residuary mass of right to their own
self-government; and that whensoever the general government assumes
undelegated powers, its acts are unauthoritative void, and of no
force; that to this Compact each State acceded as a State and is an
integral party, its co-states forming as to itself the other party;
that the government created by this Compact was not made the
exclusive or final judge of the extent of the power delegated to
itself since that would have made ITS discretion, and not the
Constitution, the measure of its power; but that as in all other cases
of Compact among parties having no common judge, each party has an
equal right to judge for itself, as well of infractions as of the mode
and measure of redress."

Furthermore, when asked about the future of our 'democratic' form of
government, Benjamin Franklin responded:

"You have a Republic...if you can keep it!" -- Benjamin Franklin

Commentor--

Let us not forget that this is a DEMOCRATIC Republic.. where the voice of the people has a direct influence on our government. Yes, I believe this is one of the greatest things about our great Nation.. the fact that the people have a voice.. the fact that we as individuals can come together and have a say in how our government is run. The very idea that democracy leads to despotism is utterly ridiculous. ESPECIALLY in a country as diverse as the USA. Thinking that the voice of the majority is a form of tyranny is also ludicrous. Obviously the governmental system is less than perfect, NOTHING is perfect. But it is MORE PERFECT than anything else exhibited elsewhere on the planet.

James Madison also said,
"a majority of the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter or abolish [the government]". (it is commonly understood that he meant all forms of government, including the laws which they govern by.. hence, MAJORITY RULES)
and
"The government should not have the power of suspending or executing laws, without consent of the representatives of the people,". [which the Californian Supreme Court did when they overturned Prop. 22 regarding the definition of marriage --i.e. overturned the voice of the people]

And, let us not forget that Thomas Jefferson co-founded the DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN party.. the idea being that without democracy the republic could not work for the people.

Andrew Callahan is a brave man, and he should be applauded. The best way to show support for him is for all Californians to go out and vote "No" on Proposition 8 on election day.
As for Soleil10's comment about joining the Episcopalian church, that organization is a tolerant and open-minded religious body. I am sure that Callahan and many other people who can think for themselves would feel very comfortable there.