No one's forcing them to do gay weddings. They can simply stop doing "weddings for profit". They are being forced to choose another profession, but so do we insist that burglars do the same. (No, I am not equating these people with burglars - just pointing out the legal angle).
The whole wedding industry is going to be effected by this - but the Church, IMO, should not be part of the wedding industry. And anybody who does not believe there is such a thing as the "wedding industry" has apparently never had to finance one.
The Church (God's Church) should never have sanctioned any connection of Church weddings to state regulation. IMO, the Church's role in Biblical marriage is or should be completely separate from civil authority. As such, there is no practical or Biblical reason for churches to charge any fee for weddings.
No money changing hands - no authority to regulate. Simple.
JMO. I don't like the way things are going either. I don't agree with any attempt to regulate what The Church may do regarding weddings with her own time and property. But two individuals marrying people for profit does not constitute a Church, IMO.
Pretty close. A license is required to solemnize marriages legally. A license is actually state control. So to solemnize marriages, and for them to have standing before the law, the state has control of every aspect
But before the law and before God are two different things. A marriage before God is valid before him, even if it isn't before the law. It has standing before God, but not law.
