Should a Christian attend a same-sex wedding ceremony?
The simple answer is no, but, of course, there are a number of complex issues we must think about here. We can all understand just how excruciatingly difficult it will be for Christians to not attend or participate in the same-sex ceremonies of family and friends. It is tempting to think that our presence at the ceremony can be understood merely as an act of identification with the two people involved without giving moral approval to their union. But no one attends a wedding with a suspended moral judgment . And this is precisely the problem. Attending a wedding ceremony always signals moral approval. This is why The Book of Common Prayer (which has provided the traditional ceremonial language known to millions of people throughout the centuries) contains the phrase that asks if anyone knows any cause that should prevent the marriage-"speak now; or else forever hold your peace." These words reveal the historic function of the wedding ceremony as a gat...