The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston, Bishop of Virginia, writes:
In my view, no one who supports marriage equality should want to force such a crisis on a matter of this importance. And I, for one, do not relish the thought of the Church arguing for years to come about how marriage equality was actually achieved. I can only imagine that such a state of affairs would bring yet more pain to the LGBT community. I am privileged and proud to have been a bishop that has opened doors and cleared the way for LGBT people in many ways over just a few years. And so it will be as long as I serve in this office.
Therefore, it is precisely because I do support real marriage equality that I oppose the resolution proposed by the Task Force! I want the strongest possible witness of the Church in this, and I believe that to pass a canon that from the start would be in conflict with our own Constitution actually weakens the case. To enact marriage equality with what could be seen as a legislative “end run” around the Constitution would, I fear, bring a degree of discredit to what we are trying to affirm as true and right, faithful to the Gospel’s vision for all of God’s people.
