Is Marriage a Separation of Church and State?

I do not profess to be an expert in this area, so know that going into this reading. Also, know that you may have strong disagreement to my opinion, which doesn't devalue either of us in any way.

The United States Supreme Court is currently in deliberation regarding same-sex marriages. The debates are filled with heat and passion on both sides. My simple summary: The Court is reviewing a federal constitutional right that was established by our forefathers in 1776. When our forefathers defined what marriage in America would be based on their principals and beliefs at that time. That is the fact that is being debated.

Since 1776, States (and our nation) has had issue with the following heterosexual marriage laws:
•Interracial marriages were illegal until the 1960s.
•In many states, the legal marriage age was 13; providing access to heterosexual adults (over the age of 18-21) to marriage heterosexual children ages 13-17.
•All 50 states allow marriages to dissolve at any point in the marriage: 24, 48, 72 hours. The perks of this grow based on the status of one’s celebrity.
•All 50 states allow heterosexual individuals to marry as often as they desire. The perks of this grow based on the status of one’s celebrity.

Interesting . . . . . .. . .

One of the greatest oppositions to same-sex marriage comes from a religious difference in Gods’ intentions on marriage. This begs me to ask: Is the issue of marriage – all marriage – a separation of church and state? If so, and the Bill of Rights is upheld then religion doesn't factor into this legal decision. Let’s be honest, it would be easier to be able to pick and choose our support of the amendments based on our own preference (free speech, right to bare arms . . just a couple of examples) but we kinda need to be fair all around when it comes to the Bill of Rights. We can’t use it as our baseline of support for one issue and ignore it on others. Seems to me, and I might be wrong, but it seems to me that marriage might fall under the Ninth Amendment.

So why is the separation of church and state so important, well in the words of Thomas Jefferson: “Believing that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legislative powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their Legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State (Letter to the Danbury Baptists, 1802).

Now don’t get me wrong, I fully believe that God’s law out weights all man-made rules. This is one reason I get frustrated with the disagreements within churches over man-made rules, but another subject for another time. I also believe that our walk if faith is a difficult one. Are there verses in the Bible that reference a union is between a man and a woman? Yes, clearly there are. But there are also verses that take positions on slavery and tattoos. There are stories that support if a man dies, his wife is promised to his brother. There are stories where David plots to kill the husband of a woman he loves so he can have her. There are stories where Ruth plots to sleep next to a man so that he will be confused and wed her.

The thing is, the Bible is a good and holy book . . it speaks God’s word. The Bible is also confusing to ‘we the people’. Often we use segments to support our position (as I just did) without fully disclosing or studying the full intention of the word. The Bible can be confusing (to me at least) because it doesn't spell everything out for us, and it forces us to study and seek more wisdom so we grow in our faith. But there are some elements that are pretty clear and are the foundation for how we are to try to live.

ONE: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.'

TWO: 'You shall not make for yourself a carved image--any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.'

THREE: 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.'

FOUR: 'Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.'

FIVE: 'Honor your father and your mother.'

SIX: 'You shall not murder.'

SEVEN: 'You shall not commit adultery.'

EIGHT: 'You shall not steal.'

NINE: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.'

TEN: 'You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.'

And in summary of those 10 Commandments:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matthew 22:36-40).

Interesting . . . . .

Assignment: Love one and other.