The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts, representing the state's largest religious denomination, denounced as "radical" the Supreme Judicial Court's ruling yesterday in favor of gay marriage, and called on the Legislature to reverse the decision.
"It is alarming that the Supreme Judicial Court in this ruling has cast aside what has been . . . the very definition of marriage held by peoples for thousands of years," said Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston. "My hope is that legislators will have the courage and common sense to redress this situation for the good of society."
But the state's major non-Catholic denominations hailed the ruling, which they declared a victory for civil rights.
"We have witnessed an extraordinary moment in Massachusetts history," said the Rev. Nancy S. Taylor, president of the Massachusetts conference of the United Church of Christ, the state's biggest Protestant denomination. "The court has affirmed that the quest for civil rights for all citizens will not be denied, either by prejudice or by religious doctrine."
Religious denominations across the state divided along theological lines, with many evangelical Protestant, Orthodox Jewish, Eastern Orthodox Christian, and African American Protestant leaders lining up with Roman Catholic bishops in opposition to same-sex marriage. Many Unitarian Universalist, Episcopal, and Reform Jewish leaders support the decision.
The Catholic bishops of Massachusetts, whose churches claim 3 million adherents statewide, called on the Legislature to pass a constitutional amendment preventing same-sex marriage, which they said could appear on the ballot in 2006.
"Today's radical decision in the Goodridge case to redefine marriage must be reversed," the Massachusetts Catholic Conference said in a statement. "As devastating as the ruling is, it will not end the debate."
Other denominations said they would join in an effort to overturn the court decision, and they argued that the Legislature, not the courts, should decide what marriage is. "We will notify our clergy and ask them to be involved in a very energetic way in this matter," said the Rev. John G. Maheras, the ecumenical officer of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Massachusetts.
And Jim Wideman, executive director of the Baptist Convention of New England, said he hopes clergy will contact the Legislature "just to let them know there's a large number of people in Massachusetts who believe the court has made a wrong decision."
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts suggested impeachment of the justices who ruled in favor of gay marriage, while the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, a national organization, warned that the decision could open the door to polygamy and incestuous marriages.
But an organization representing gay Catholics, Dignity USA, rejoiced, saying, "We believe that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people have the right to full expression of their sexuality in ways that are consistent with Catholic/Christian values."
And a variety of religious leaders said they would fight to preserve the victory.
"We need not to be too complacent -- this is a major battle won, but the war still lies ahead of us," said Rabbi Howard A. Berman of the Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry. "There are a significant number of religious leaders who are part of our coalition, and it's quite important for legislators to hear that."
As religious leaders prepared to make their cases to lawmakers, some regretted that the issue is further dividing the world of faith.
"We're of two minds, because of course we want to affirm the dignity and civil rights of our homosexual neighbors, but it's unquestionably the case that the framers of our fine state constitution would be shocked to find that they had enshrined some right for same sex marriage," said the Rev. Gordon P. Hugenberger, senior minister at Park Street Church in Boston. "It's hard to discuss this without being accused of homophobia, but this is not going to advance the cause of mutual understanding."
A nationwide poll, released yesterday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found that opposition to gay marriage is growing, and that religious belief is a major factor in people's opposition to homosexuality.
Even if gay marriage is legalized in Massachusetts, religious denominations will not be required to perform such ceremonies, and the Supreme Judicial Court made it clear that the religious teachings have no bearing on constitutional law.
Some religious leaders saw the decision as evidence of declining morality in American society.
"We keep slipping from the word of God," said the Rev. Leroy Attles, pastor of St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Cambridge.
But others saw progress.
"I see this in the same way that I view the US Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education -- it affirms something which might not be popular at the time, but which is clearly morally right," said the Rev. William G. Sinkford, president of the Unitarian Universalist Association.