It was all but a formality, but Sweden’s parliament has finally passed legislation overwhelmingly supporting the legal marriage of same-sex couples in churches and in civil ceremonies. The law will officially take effect on 1 May to the happiness of gay couples across the nation.
Known as the gender-neutral marriage law, parliament approved the landmark bill by a wide majority. Homosexual Swedes have been allowed to legally marry in civil unions since 1995. They enjoy the same legal status as any other married couple, but church ceremonies were not possible.
The new law will change all that, making Sweden one of the world’s first nations to allow gays to marry in a major church. The Lutheran Church, which is Sweden’s biggest church and former state religion and claims 74 percent of Swedes as members, has offered gays their religious blessing since 2007, according to The Local.
But it won’t be until October that the Lutheran Church’s leaders will decide if they want to sanction actual gay marriages inside their churches. Individual pastors can still refuse to administer the service even though the church must provide a minister to supervise the rites. However, it seems likely that the church will follow suit and continue to pave the way for forward-thinking policies.
Blessed be Scandinavia :D
Just for the records – I don’t consider this as forward-thinking. A kind of new “fashion”.
Tom in the USA sends his thanks to Sweden!
“… pave the way for forward-thinking policies”
How is this “forward-thinking”? If there is a church such as the Lutheran church that supposedly bases its beliefs on the Bible…and they decide to do the opposite of what it says…what does that say? The church itself becomes a hypocrite, saying that lies are bad while they lie themselves! How could that possibly be good for the society as a whole, and most especially the 74% of Swedes that are members of the church? A secular government can do what it wants, but the church should decide whether they are following the Bible or following popular (or possibly minority) sentiment…
As soon as institutional hypocrisy raises its head, there will be a new generation of the morally confused and morally indifferent…and when those confused decide to become violent psychopaths (since there is no right and wrong), who will be to blame?
In America, it is not legal “protection” that is really wanted by homosexuals…it’s is forced acceptance by society. In the end, it is leaning towards just another attack on freedom – telling others what they must accept as decent behavior.
AMERICAN, YOUR FREEDOM ENDS WHERE MINE STARTS, AND MINE ENDS WHEN YOURS STARTS…
DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO THINK DIFFERENT BUT MANAGE TO TOLERATE EACH OTHER AND COHEXIST.
THERE IS NOT SUCH A THING AS A MINORITY AND MAJORITY ( MINORITY AS THE STRANGE AND MAJORITY AS THE “NORMAL”) INSTEAD SOCIETIES ARE FORMED BY MANY CULTURAL GROUPS ( MANY MINORITIES), IN THOSE CULTURAL GROUPS ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT SHARE CULTURAL CARACTERISTICS WITH INDIVIDUALS OF OTHER GROUPS.
KAMON AMERICAN, LETS PLAY SOMETHING:
I GIVE YOU DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS OF IDENTITY AND YOU DESIGN A PERSON AT YOUR CHOICE:
- CATHOLIC, PROTESTANT, BUDHIST, MUSLIM, ATHEIST.
- BLACK AFRICAN, WHITE AFRICAN, MALAYSIAN, AUSTRALIAN ABORIGIN, NATIVE AMERICAN, EUROPEAN, CHINESSE, ETC..
-RICH, VERY RICH, POOR, MIDLE CLASS.
-GAY. BISEXUAL, HETEROSEXUAL, OPEN MINDED, TRANSEXUAL, GAY IN THE CLOSET, BISEXUAL IN THE CLOSET.
THIS IS THE GUY I HAVE CREATED: BLACK, CATHOLIC, RICH, BISEXUAL.
NOW IS YOUR TURN:, IT COULD BE: EUROPEAN, POOR, HETEROSEXUAL, ATHEIST…
BLA BLA, AND NOW COME AND TELL ME THAT 74% ARE JUST THE SAME… HAHAHAHAHA
IN YOUR POST, THAT LACK OF HUMAN SENSE AND RESPECT, YOU LINK AT THE END HOMSEXUALITY AND GAY MARRIAGE TO ATTACK ON FREEDOM AND VIOLENT PSYCHOPATHS. LOOK AMERICAN, VIOLENT PSYCHOPATHS ARE THE THOUSAND OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE YOUR SAME IDEAS AND BRING THEM AT ITS MOST BY SYSTEMATICALLY KILLING HOMOSEXUALS ALOGN WIDE IN THE UNITED STATES. AS MUCH AS 200 HUMAN BEINGS ARE ASSESINATED IN YOUR COUNTRY, THE COUNTRY OF FREEDOM, EVERY YEAR, JUST BECAUSE THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
IT IS NOT ABOUT OBLIGATING THE MAJORITY TO ACCEPT THAT GAY MARRIAGE IS A RIGHT, A HUMAN RIGHT. IT IS TAKING THE RIGHTS STEPS TO ASSURE THAT HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED. YOU CAN ACCEPT IT AS A DECENT BEHAVIOR OR NOT, THAT IS YOUR CHOICE. BUT THE CHOICE OF MILLIONS OF HUMAN BEINGS AROUND THE WORLD IS TO LOVE SOMEONE OF THE SAME SEX. AND BELIEVE ME, WHEN TWO GAY MEN OR LESBIAN WOMEN WANT TO MARRY THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER, AS MUCH OR EVEN MORE THAN HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES DO.
AND IF NOT THEN TELL ME WHY AMERICAN PROSTIBULES ARE FULL OF HETEROSEXUAL MARRIED MEN. GAY PEOPLE BELIEVE IN MARRIAGE AS A SACRED WAY OF CONSUME THEIR UNION IN BODY AND SPIRIT. BUT A GREAT MAJORITY OF HETEROSEXUAL PEOPLE HAVE NO FAITH IN MARRIAGE ANYMORE. WHAT IS REALLY HYPOCRITAL IS THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD CONDEN LOVE, JUST BECAUSE IS NOT THE WAY THEY THINK LOVE SHOULD BE.
THOSE GUYS WHO USE THE NAME AND WORDS OF GOD IN THEIR OWN PROFIT. THOSE GUYS WHO THINK THEY CAN JUDGE OTHERS.
BUT JESUS SAID:
” THOSE WHO JUDGE WILL BE JUDGED” AND
“TAKE THE BIG STONE YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE AND AFTER THAT GO AND TAKE THE GRAIN OF SAND THAT IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORS EYE”
WHAT THE LAW IS TELLING PEOPLE LIKE YOU IS THAT YOUR NEIGHBOUR, IF HE IS GAY, HAS THE RIGHT TO MARRY A MAN. THE LAW IS NOT TELLING THAT “YOU HAVE TO MARRY A MAN” THE LAW IS NOT OBLIGATING ANYONE THINKING LIKE YOU TO MARRY A PERSON OF THE SAME SEX. IT IS NOT IMPOSSING ANY CHANGE INTO “YOUR PERSONAL AND INDIVIDUAL LIFE”. YOU CAN KEEP THINKING AND FEELING AND BELIEVING WHAT YOU WANT, BUT SORRY, YOUR NEIGHBOR HAS ALSO THE RIGHT TO THINK BELIEVE AND LIVE HIS LIVE AS HE THINKS IS RIGHT.
BEING A PSYCHOPATH, A CHILD ABUSSER, A KILLER, A LIER, ETC… HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
THERE ARE FULL OF GUYS OUT THERE, HETEROSEXUAL GUYS, THAT KILL, ABUSSE OF CHILDREN, RAPE WOMEN, MURDER PEOPLE, ROB MONEY, ETC… DELINCUENCY IS MUCH HIGHER IN THE HETEROSEXUAL COMMUNITY THAN IN BISEXUAL, TRANSEXUAL ETC…
EVERYONE KNOWS THE HUGE PROBLEM OF MANY GAY MEN THAT LIVE IN NON TOLERANT COMMUNITIES THAT SEEM TO BE GOBERNED BY LOCAL FANATIC CHURCHES, GAY MEN THAT END MARRYING WOMEN JUST TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING WHERE THEY ARE, OR EVEN NOT BE KILLED.
YES, THE SOCIETY OF FEAR, NEGLECTION, OF PARENTS THROWING THEIR OWN YOUNG DAUGHTERS AND SONS OUT OF THEIR HOMES AND COMMUNITIES JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE GAY/ LESBIAN.
JUST REMEMBER, TO ALL OF YOU, WHEN YOU GO TO HEAVEN, IF YOU DON´T BURN IN HELL DIRECTLY, THAT GOD WILL ASK YOU: ” WHERE IS YOUR SON? WHERE IS YOUR DAUGHTER?”, AND HE WILL ADD: ” YOU DID NOT HAVE MERCY WITH YOUR OWN SON, HOW SHOULD I SHOW MERCY ON YOU?”
BE SURE THAT THOSE GAY AND LESBIAN MEN AND WOMEN ARE LOVED BY GOD, THAT GOD CELEBRATES WHEN HE SEES THEIR HEARTS SHINING OF PURE LOVE, IRRADIATING HAPPINESS… GOD WILL OPEN THE DOORS OF HEAVEN FOR THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE THURSTY FOR JUSTICE AND THEY WILL FIND JUSTICE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE CRYIED AND SUFFERED IN THE HANDS OF THE INTOLERANTS, AND GOD WILL DRY THEIR TEARS WITH HIS FINGERS…
MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOU… AND MAY GOD TURN AGAINST YOUR FEAR AND YOUR TONGUE OF HORROR AND HATE.
ALEXANDER, SHAME ON YOU! HOW COULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT??
- SO WHEN WOMEN GO THE RIGHT TO VOTE, WAS IT A FASHION?
- WHEN BLACK SLAVES WHERE EMANCIPATED AND SLAVERY ABOLISHED, WAS IT A FASHION?
- WHEN THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD DECLARED THAT ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE ENTITLED WITH THE SAME RIGHTS, WAS IT A FASHION?
MAYBE FOR YOU IS A FASHION, BUT FOR MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD IT MEANS THE RIGHT TO LIVE WITH DIGNITY!!
OR IS THAT DIGNITY DOES NOT MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU??
JESUS AND THE DISCIPULES THEMSELVES. THEY DID NOT USE TO BE AROUND WOMEN, YET, THEY ATE, SLEPT, TRAVELED AND CELEBRATED LIFE TOGETHER, HAND BY HAND… OH GOD, IT SOUNDS SO GAY!!
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT JESUS HIMSELF WAS GAY AND THAT HE TRIED TO MAKE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND A NEW MESSAGE THAT WOULD BRING HUMANITY FROM IGNORANCE AND FEAR INTO KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE!!
THAT IS WHY MANY OF THE WRITTINGS WERE EXCLUDED OF THE BIBLE IN THE MANY CONCILIES ALONG THE CHURCHS HISTORY…
JESUS WAS GAY!! HIS WORDS WHERE SAID FOR THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED, THOSE WHO SUFFER, THOSE WHO ARE HUMILLIATED AND KILLED, BY THE HANDS OF THE CRIMINALS WHO THINK THEY ARE PERFECT AND CLEAN OF SINNS AND SHAME, BY THE CRIMINAL HANDS OF THOSE WHO ARE INTOLERANT AND SHOW NO MERCY, BY THE CRIMINAL HANDS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW ABOUT MISERICORDY AND PARDON, BY THE CRIMINAL HANDS OF THOSE WHO JUDGE IN THE NAME OF GOD!!!
Folks, the Government mustn’t interfere in church’s affairs, really. Otherwise, a state, especially, a secular state would have interfered in what a community does according to what it depends to, and thus that state therefore would have contradicted with itself.