I was listening to a piece on NPR’s Morning Edition about the wedding of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon when the following lines caught my attention:

Outside City Hall, hundreds of supporters and some opponents of gay marriage gathered. Those protesting carried signs that said “Re-criminalize Sodomy” and “God Hates Lying Sinners.”

Ugh. I hardly know what to do with such language. “God hates lying sinners.” Really? Even if I could accept that all gay couples who choose to marry in a legal ceremony are “lying sinners” (and, let me be clear, I find that assertion scandalous), how does one justify saying that God hates anyone? Where is the charity, not to mention the humility and compassion, that Christians claim as the hallmarks of their faith?

I recognize that that protester and his sign are not a fair representation of all or even most people who oppose gay marriage. The sad truth is that when people use God language in that way, it is bound to get attention, but it is also likely to tar all religious people with the same brush.

The larger point is that gay marriage is one of those contentious issues where people on both sides can legitimately support their position by citing their religious beliefs. This is especially true once it moves from the realm of civil ceremonies into the area of church polity.

Sherry Tyree’s recent post pointed out that the Rev. Dr. Martin Dudley of the Church of England presided over what many are calling a gay wedding (in a published statement he said explicitly that the ceremony was celebrating a union that is “like a marriage but not a marriage, for I am clear that marriage is between a man and a woman”). The Anglican Communion is already in a furor over such issues, and this will inevitably heighten the tension in many quarters of our church; according to the Guardian newspaper, he has been admonished by his diocesan bishop as well as England’s two archbishops. Dudley himself gave this explanation for why he did it:

I did not seek the role, the interviews, the publicity, but more than thirty years ago I began a journey, a process of becoming, that focuses on Jesus the Christ, not as lawgiver and judge but as the one who loves us and holds us and will not let us go until we know ourselves as loved by him despite our foolishness and imperfections, and because of that, when Peter Cowell asked me, I did not hesitate, not even for a moment to answer “Yes, I will.”

There are probably some few other souls out there who haven’t quite figured out what to think about all this. Frankly, I count myself among the conflicted and uncertain. (Those of you who believe there is no room for ambivalence in the blogosphere, take note!) But I pray that wherever my church ultimately lands on this issue, we remain firm in our commitment to upholding the dignity of all persons. I have promised, through the Baptismal Covenant, to seek and serve Christ in all persons. That means everyone, from the angry protester to the rebellious priest, not just those with whom I agree.

Photo courtesy of NPR’s website.