AP reported yesterday that there are now enough votes in the Washington state legislature to pass
SB 6239, a bill that legalizes same-sex marriage. The crucial 25th vote in the state Senate will come from state senator Mary Margaret Haugen who, in an
announcement yesterday, said in part:
I have very strong Christian beliefs, and personally I have always said when I accepted the Lord, I became more tolerant of others. I stopped judging people and try to live by the Golden Rule. This is part of my decision. I do not believe it is my role to judge others, regardless of my personal beliefs.... For me personally, I have always believed in traditional marriage between a man and a woman.....
But this issue isn’t about just what I believe. It’s about respecting others, including people who may believe differently than I. It’s about whether everyone has the same opportunities for love and companionship and family and security that I have enjoyed.
Gov. Chris Gregoire has publicly endorsed the proposal which also appears to have sufficient support in the state House of Representatives to pass in that chamber. Nevertheless, the Washington State Catholic Conference has issued a public statement (
full text) urging retention of the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman. The statement argues in part:
Upholding the present definition of marriage does not depend on anyone’s religious beliefs. Washington State’s present law defining marriage as "a civil contract between a male and a female" is grounded not in faith, but in reason and the experience of society. It recognizes the value of marriage as a bond of personal relationships, but also in terms of the unique and irreplaceable potential of a man and woman to conceive and nurture new life, thus contributing to the continuation of the human race. A change in legislation would mean that the state would no longer recognize the unique sacrifices and contributions made by these couples, thereby adding to the forces already undermining family life today.
