The “Fortnight for Freedom” and established religion…
With the Catholic Church in the United States deep into its “Fortnight for Freedom,” The Motley Monk thinks it useful to contemplate the blessing of religious liberty called the “Establishment Clause” and the “Free Exercise Clause.” That is, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
Other nations aren’t so richly blessed.
Take Denmark, for example, where the Vatican Insider reports that Parliament recently voted 85 to 24 to compel churches in the established Evangelical Lutheran Church to perform homosexual “marriage” ceremonies—identical to those performed for heterosexual couples—inside their sanctuaries. The new law took effect on June 15th.
One third of the denomination’s ministers say they will not participate in these rituals and may use the law’s “opt out for theological reasons” clause to do so. However, a bishop must arrange for a replacement.
Okay, The Motley Monk “gets it.” The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark is an established church and, in fact, has been Denmark’s established church since 1849. As such, Denmark’s House of Parliament is free to exert its will upon the church as it pleases. If a minister won’t do what Parliament demands, Parliament has every right to tell the bishop to do what Parliament demands.
Thank God that’s not how it works in the United States.
But, this particular establishment story doesn’t end there.
Better yet is the genesis of the legislation establishing homosexual “marriages” in Denmark’s established church.
The bill’s primary sponsor was Denmark’s Minister of Equality and Church and Nordic Cooperation, Manu Sareen.
Mr. Sareen is an agnostic.
The Motley Monk is down on his knees thanking God for the blessing of religious liberty.
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