Why has the Catholic Church never been successful sued for refusing ...

[bodecea]

...marry previously divorced couples?

 

[Katzndogz]

We used to have freedom of religion in this countryl

That and divorced couples can apply to the Church for a church annullment of the prior marriage, like Joseph P. Kennedy did.

 

[martybegan]

...marry previously divorced couples?

Because previously divorced couples havent tried to sue cake makers for not making cakes at thier weddings either.

 

[Chuckt]

...marry previously divorced couples?

What would the grounds be?

 

[Delta4Embassy]

...marry previously divorced couples?

Afaik, you can't sue a religious institution for matters pertaining to doctrine. I'd assume it's because ultimately, the religious doctrine isn't adherred to by secular laws. So while a divorced Catholic can't be remarried at a Catholic church, they could still be legally remarried outside of church.

 

[bodecea]

...marry previously divorced couples?

What would the grounds be?

Refusal to provide a service to a couple based on discrimination. Being divorced isn't a crime.

 

[Sunni Man]

Refusal to provide a service to a couple based on discrimination.

Because the Catholic church isn't a public retail business. ..

 

[bodecea]

Refusal to provide a service to a couple based on discrimination.

Because the Catholic church isn't a public retail business. ..

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

 

[Sunni Man]

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

Yes ...

(it's that separation of church and state thing the liberals are always squawking about)

 

[JakeStarkey]

...marry previously divorced couples?

What would the grounds be?

Refusal to provide a service to a couple based on discrimination. Being divorced isn't a crime.

Right to private association.

 

[bodecea]

Being divorced isn't a crime. Why does a church have the RIGHT to refuse service to divorced couples wanting to get married in their church?

 

[emilynghiem]

...marry previously divorced couples?

Because church/scriptural procedures call for resolving conflicts directly,
which usually work if followed in the spirit of the church laws in Christ:
See Matthew 18-15-20

I had a Lutheran Pastor explain that in all the years he served in ministry,
following this passage succeeded 100% in either resolving the conflict
or agreeing to disagree where no further action or protest was necessary.

If mediation were committed to and followed consistently, people could
ideally resolve all conflicts directly and personally AND NOT SUE ANYONE.

The issue of taking the issue to higher and higher levels, to the point of
"telling it unto the church" or protesting to the public
only happens where people REFUSE to resolve the conflicts themselves.

So this happened when Catholic Authorities failed to address the pedophile
and molestations claims which were a civil/criminal violation of public laws outside church law.

As long as the conflicts concern "in house" private policy only, these can and should be
resolved within the institution among its members, ideally. Especially if all members
claim to be committed to Christ and Bible law, they should be able to resolve conflicts based on that.

[Another controversial case was a woman with the Jehovah's Witnesses who reported child abuse cases
"outside" the Organization's policy to follow a chain of command. The courts ruled in favor of the private
organization to expel this member as a whisteblower because she failed to follow their inhouse policy.
But technically and legally if children were reported as abused, she felt compelled to go to authorities,
similar to how the law requires educators to report accusations of abuse. However,
the JW generally believe in their theocracy and authority of their leaders/organization BEFORE secular Govt which
they do not believe in, and as long as the courts ruled in their favor they considered this legal within their responsibilities.

Basically what I learned from these cases is that church conflicts over policy should be resolved using
Scriptural procedures; and civil/criminal abuses should be addressed using public processes.
And where there are accusations of abuse, these should be resolved first using personal/direct
intervention to minimalize the burden on going through govt processes.

Ideally, we could correct or prevent all grievances before they escalate into civil or criminal violations.
So only severe cases of crime should require govt intervention. These other conflicts we should be able to resolve without govt stepping in.]

 

[longknife]

The Catholic doctrine on divorce may be summed up in the following propositions:

In Christian marriage, which implies the restoration, by Christ Himself, of marriage to its original indissolubility, there can never be an absolute divorce, at least after the marriage has been consummated;
Non-Christian marriage can be dissolved by absolute divorce under certain circumstances in favour of the Faith;
Christian marriage before consummation can be dissolved by solemn profession in a religious order, or by an act of papal authority;
Separation from bed and board (divortium imperfectum) is allowed for various causes, especially in the case of adultery or lapse into infidelity or heresy on the part of husband or wife.

go to CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Divorce (In Moral Theology) for a detailed explanation of each point.

 

[Unkotare]

Refusal to provide a service to a couple based on discrimination.

Because the Catholic church isn't a public retail business. ..

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

Of course. What is confusing you about this?

 

[bodecea]

Because the Catholic church isn't a public retail business. ..

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

Of course. What is confusing you about this?

What is confusing me is how people keep saying that gays will sue churches to marry them, and yet the Catholic Church has never been successfully sued by divorcees for the same issue.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Think somewhere in Matthew, Yeshua said the only valid excuse to divorce was adultery. Since many divorce for reasons other than that, could see the Church argueing such divorces aren't Scripturally consistent and therefore while you may be legally divorced, spiritually you're still married and thus can't get married again.

 

[Unkotare]

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

Of course. What is confusing you about this?

What is confusing me is how people keep saying that gays will sue churches to marry them, and yet the Catholic Church has never been successfully sued by divorcees for the same issue.

They won't be sued by either. You realize you don't have to be married in a church, right?

 

[bodecea]

Of course. What is confusing you about this?

What is confusing me is how people keep saying that gays will sue churches to marry them, and yet the Catholic Church has never been successfully sued by divorcees for the same issue.

They won't be sued by either. You realize you don't have to be married in a church, right?

I totally understand that. What I cannot understand is why it is so CLEAR to most people that the Church cannot be sued to force the marriage of divorced people...and yet, it is suddenly not so clear that the Church cannot be sued to force the marriage of gay people. That is the REAL puzzlement.

 

[R.D.]

So....you are saying that churches have the right to refuse service (weddings) to people without fear of legal consequences?

Of course. What is confusing you about this?

What is confusing me is how people keep saying that gays will sue churches to marry them, and yet the Catholic Church has never been successfully sued by divorcees for the same issue.

You just answered your question. Divorced people don't have an intrest in taking down the church.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Only ignorant scare tactics, nothing more.