Let me be the first to say the law pass last night in NY concerning homosexuality have no requirement that churches recognize gay marriage or offer it to people. That need to be understood with all the chatter going on about the ruling. I believe the church mistake was made when it enter this fight regarding marriage from the start with thinking it's a church issue when it's not. As currently understood, marriage is a civil right that grants certain benefits to the any willing adult. To deny these rights to those who are gay or lesbian is to deny to them rights held by others, whether or not the church might agree or not. I believe in my heart the issue of homosexuality is here to stay. In fact, it's becoming more a part of our culture every day. Each generation is more accepting of the gay lifestyle than the generation before it. The Barna's group, a research organization that focuses on religious cultural trends, found that young people think Christians aren't merely opposed to homosexuality, but show "excessive contempt and unloving attitudes towards gays and lesbians." Ninety-one percent of young non-Christians and 80% of young church-goers perceive Christianity as "anti-homosexual." That same group found that, "People 35 and younger are more likely to consider homosexuality an acceptable lifestyle; and probable more likely to approve of pastors conducting or blessing gay marriages."
I believe we can expect to see a growing acceptance of homosexuality as the younger generation, become more influential in public policy making.
