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An argument by some in our Church against the legalization of same sex marriages is that it threatens the institution of marriage because it opens the door to legalizing other non-traditional unions. Thoughtful people have trouble believing this, and those who are married are not threatened by same sex unions. Divorce and annulments are far greater threats to the stability of heterosexual marriages. "If others can easily get out, why do I remain in this difficult marriage," is a temptation encountered by many if not most spouses at some time or another in their marriage. One might conjecture that many of the male-celibate-clergy feel threatened, and are projecting this onto the married faithful. Astonishingly, a recent letter against same sex unions by Catholic bishops of Missouri states, "The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost transformed the natural sacrament of marriage into the Christian Sacrament of Matrimony." This origin of the sacrament appears to be something completely new that they have just made up, and, no doubt, will be given the usual "as taught from the very beginning" tag. Summing up the position of the church they state, "Christians must give witness to the whole moral truth and oppose as immoral both homosexual acts and also any unjust actions or hateful attitudes against persons with same-sex attractions." There is no explanation why the sin of expressing a God-given attraction in a loving way and doing so within a stable, legally sanctioned relationship should pose a threat for heterosexual unions.

The position of church leaders is not convincingly argued and is not received by those of us who seek their guidance in the formation of conscience in this matter.

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(Bishop Geoffrey Robinson in converation with Dr Ingrid Shafer)