Marriage Equality in Sweden — neither fire nor brimstone sighted

Nor earthquakes, pillars of fire, hails of frogs, nor any of the other dire warnings of what happens when God’s Will is Thwarted.

The change in the law, which currently allows gay couples to register unions but not formal marriage, comes into force on May 1 this year under the timetable set out in the bill. […] Sweden gave same-sex couples the right to form a union via registered partnerships in the mid-nineties and made it legal for them to adopt in 2002.

The passage of the bill was widely expected and the final tally was 261 votes in favor of the bill and 22 opposed.

“The decision means that gender no longer has an impact on the ability to marry and that the law on registered partnership is repealed,” the government said on its website.

Wow. Civil unions until the 90s, and gay adoption since 2002 — and no plagues of locusts (nor plagues of polar bears, perhaps more appropriately). What is God waiting for?

Could it be that God isn’t automatically smiting down those who’d dare let such a thing happen? I’m sure the Religious Right must be aghast.

The new legislation eliminates legal distinctions between heterosexual and homosexual spouses, but does not force dissenting clergy to wed gay couples.

Which is fine. It’s setting civil rights, not religious rights. That’s up to each denomination and cleric within same.

The Swedish Lutheran church, which split from the state in 2000, has said it was open to celebrating and registering same-sex unions, although it wanted to reserve the term matrimony for heterosexual marriages.

Again, fine. That’s their prerogative.

Why is it the Swedes seem so relatively calm and rational and happy about this sort of thing, while it ties our society, churches, and politicians into laughable knots?

(via Les)