Slippery Slope of Gay "Marriage"

In the efforts of the LDS Church to fight for passage of Proposition 8 in California I note a greater sense of urgency than just taking a political stand. As soon as we begin to allow the government to define a religious ordinance (such as marriage), then we are on a slippery slope to allowing the government to continue to place restrictions on other ordinances and practices. Before you know it, the tax exempt status of the LDS Church will be forfeit the first time an LDS bishop refuses to perform a gay marriage.

Remember, marriage was a religious ritual long before it was subject to state licensure. If we allow marriage to be nothing more significant than a license to sell real estate, then we are not far from having the government tell us what we can and cannot do within the walls of our own chapels, what we can and cannot teach in Sunday School, and what marriages we can and cannot perform within the walls of our temples.

Think about that.

Some great thoughts on the matter were posted by my nephew, Clayton Hess, on his blog yesterday, here:

http://claytonandkatiemay.blogspot.com/2008/10/are-you-from-california-vote-yes-on.html