Gay Marriage Upheld by USSC in Close Ruling

[Martinus]

Gay-Hating Westboro Church Protests Ky. Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Marriages
by M. ALEX JOHNSON

In what may be the pinnacle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" activism, Westboro Baptist — the unaffiliated Kansas church known for its virulently anti-gay agenda — is attacking the Kentucky court clerk who refuses to issue same-sex marriage licenses in defiance of court orders.

Westboro, or WBC, is notorious and widely scorned for picketing funerals for service members of victims of mass shootings to draw attention to its "God Hates Fags" argument that God is punishing America for accommodating homosexuality.

Referring to Jeremiah 3:20 — the King James version of which reads, "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD" — WBC undertook a P.R. campaign over the weekend, attacking the thrice-divorced (and legally remarried) Davis in a string of Tweets and YouTube videos as an "oath breaker" and a "lawbreaker" — meaning, of course, God's law.

"Get this straight: you can NOT repent of a sin you actively live. Kim must leave that man who's not her husband," the organization said on Twitter.

As if to clarify how it could so viciously attack someone who's fighting for its own principles, the group said, "Proud adulterers who divorce/remarry and refuse to call it a sin are no more a WBC member than a proud fag."

I gotta say, WBC may be the only Christians I actually respect - because, unlike most of the other Bible-based religions, they actually follow what their "word of God".

Do you seriously mean to say of all Christians world wide these are the only ones you respect? That seems very short sighted of you.

Well, WBC show what Christianity really means - so at least they are honest. I don't respect people who are blind or deceitful and follow an organisation they would be abhorred with.

[Eddie Teach]

We are social justice warriors. 

Lame.

[dps]

Gay-Hating Westboro Church Protests Ky. Clerk Who Denied Same-Sex Marriages
by M. ALEX JOHNSON

In what may be the pinnacle of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" activism, Westboro Baptist — the unaffiliated Kansas church known for its virulently anti-gay agenda — is attacking the Kentucky court clerk who refuses to issue same-sex marriage licenses in defiance of court orders.

Westboro, or WBC, is notorious and widely scorned for picketing funerals for service members of victims of mass shootings to draw attention to its "God Hates Fags" argument that God is punishing America for accommodating homosexuality.

Referring to Jeremiah 3:20 — the King James version of which reads, "Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD" — WBC undertook a P.R. campaign over the weekend, attacking the thrice-divorced (and legally remarried) Davis in a string of Tweets and YouTube videos as an "oath breaker" and a "lawbreaker" — meaning, of course, God's law.

"Get this straight: you can NOT repent of a sin you actively live. Kim must leave that man who's not her husband," the organization said on Twitter.

As if to clarify how it could so viciously attack someone who's fighting for its own principles, the group said, "Proud adulterers who divorce/remarry and refuse to call it a sin are no more a WBC member than a proud fag."

I gotta say, WBC may be the only Christians I actually respect - because, unlike most of the other Bible-based religions, they actually follow what their "word of God".

Do you seriously mean to say of all Christians world wide these are the only ones you respect? That seems very short sighted of you.

Well, WBC show what Christianity really means - so at least they are honest. I don't respect people who are blind or deceitful and follow an organisation they would be abhorred with.

What organization is that, exactly?  Do you mean the Roman Catholic Church?  Do you still not quite get that all Christians aren't Catholic?

[Razgovory]

Marty, simply because homosexuality in the center of your life it doesn't follow that it is the center of everyone else.

[Martinus]

I didn't realise non-Catholic Christians did not follow the Bible. 

[Jaron]

It depends really. I would say most Christians don't take the bible literally but instead try to draw moral lessons from it. I don't see failure to follow the tenants of a religion as hypocrisy; there is a very strong redemption theme to Christianity. It is more about staying on the path even though you stumble than never falling off the path at all.

I suspect that, as usual, you're just trolling. You're basically to religious people what homophobes are to you. In other words, no better. Just more of the same hatred circulating the planet.

[garbon]

Does Marti do anything actively to restrict the rights of religious people?

[Syt]

Meanwhile in Tennessee:

http://www.fox17.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/Tennessee-Judge-Rules-Against-Couple-39-s-Divorce-Cites-SCOTUS-Gay-Marriage-Decision-199334.shtml

Tennessee Judge Rules Against Couple's Divorce

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.-- In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to make same-sex marriage legal and Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis' refusal to issue gays marriage licenses, a Chattanooga Chancellor is now using the Supreme Court decision to deny a divorce.

Chancellor Jeffrey M. Atherton says he could not rule on the divorce of a couple in their 60s because "With the U.S. Supreme Court having defined what must be recognized as a marriage, it would appear that Tennessee's judiciary must now await the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court as to what is not a marriage, or better stated, when a marriage is no longer a marriage."

Chancellor Atherton added "The conclusion reached by this Court is that Tennesseans have been deemed by the U.S. Supreme Court to be incompetent to define and address such keystone/central institutions such as marriage, and, thereby, at minimum, contested divorces."

Seven witnesses and 77 exhibits were admitted into evidence in the divorce case of Pamela and Thomas Bumgardner, but Chancellor Atherton stated the evidence presented was "mixed at best" and added they did not prove "inappropriate marital conduct by a preponderance of the evidence."

[celedhring]

Wait, you need "evidence" to get divorced in the US (in TN at least)? Doesn't the stated will of any of the spouses suffice to get granted one? 

Over here getting a divorce is automatic, if you go to court is just to sort the alimony/assets/children issues, but you can't get denied a divorce.

[Martinus]

Wait, you need "evidence" to get divorced in the US (in TN at least)? Doesn't the stated will of any of the spouses suffice to get granted one? 

Over here getting a divorce is automatic, if you go to court is just to sort the alimony/assets/children issues, but you can't get denied a divorce.

In Poland you also need evidence to show "deterioration of marriage" to get a divorce - I believe the only exception is when both the husband and the wife want a divorce and there are no children.

[Syt]

@celed: Seems so. Germany used to have a court decide who carried how much guilt for the divorce (and to determine who gets the kids, who gets how much alimony etc.), but since that led to rather ugly and nasty court battles, the guilt question was largely removed from divorce proceedings.

[celedhring]

@celed: Seems so. Germany used to have a court decide who carried how much guilt for the divorce (and to determine who gets the kids, who gets how much alimony etc.), but since that led to rather ugly and nasty court battles, the guilt question was largely removed from divorce proceedings.

Used to be like that in the good halcyon national-catholic times. We got rid of that shit and divorce is just a mere administrative proceeding nowadays. Unless there isn't an agreement regarding children/alimony and they have to go to court to settle that part. I presumed that was the standard way of conducting divorces in the west.

[Razgovory]

Does Marti do anything actively to restrict the rights of religious people?

No, but nobody here is restricting the rights of gays either.

[garbon]

Does Marti do anything actively to restrict the rights of religious people?

No, but nobody here is restricting the rights of gays either.

Jaron compared him to homophobes. I think a great many homophobes do actually take steps to limit gay rights.

[garbon]

Wait, you need "evidence" to get divorced in the US (in TN at least)? Doesn't the stated will of any of the spouses suffice to get granted one? 

Over here getting a divorce is automatic, if you go to court is just to sort the alimony/assets/children issues, but you can't get denied a divorce.

Oh my god, different states in the US have different laws.