Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Catholic Bishop Ed Burns, head of the Juneau diocese, testified to the Alaska Legislature, saying the Juneau and Fairbanks dioceses “reversed a 75-year-old policy of allowing people of other faiths to get married in its landmark chapels after same-sex marriage became legal … (until such time as) the Legislature passes a bill that would exempt clergy from civil or criminal liability for refusing to perform marriages for same-sex couples,” according to a recent Associated Press article.
But I am dismayed by the breadth of his dismissal — so unapologetically delivering a blow to the heart to almost all Alaskans, readily giving everyone, except select Catholics, a chance to feel the pain of religious rejection based on who they are and who they love.
The Bishop himself acknowledges the bill isn’t necessary — he knows clergy are already protected — he just wants further clarification.
It’s true, the bill is NOT needed. All clergy know their church, and every church in America, is already allowed by state and federal constitutions to decide who they will and won’t marry. Example: Through all of time Catholics have been free to legally refuse to marry any couple at all, a Catholic to a non-Catholic is most common. Catholics won’t even allow remarrying of divorced Cathlics if they choose not to. They are likewise free not to perform marriages of same-sex couples. No problem.
All churches have always had religious freedom to refuse to perform marriage ceremonies for people they didn’t approve of; legalization of same-sex marriages in civil (non-religious) marriage ceremonies did not change that.
So at a time when Alaska’s budget crisis is the worst in history, and Alaska legislators claim not enough time to avoid a phenomenally expensive special session, what are they thinking, wasting time and money on this unnecessary bill? This misguided effort is should be intolerable to all Alaskans. Every bill runs the session (and special session) longer, with legislator and staff time, meetings, hearings.
Anti-gay legislators and religious leaders who choose to spread pain only to reemphasize what we already know about their beliefs are not making Alaska a better place for all of us to live.
I recall Jesus reaching out and welcoming those who were ostracized by religious and political leaders of his day. What a great example.
He didn’t waste time spreading pain.
• Sara Boesser first moved to Juneau in 1959. She is a longtime LGBTIQ activist, and author of the book “Silent Lives, How High a Price?”
