Sweden Becomes 7th Country to Allow Same-Sex Marriage
Nathan Black - Christian Post Reporter
Wed, Apr. 01, 2009
Sweden has adopted a law that legalizes same-sex marriage, making it the seventh country in the world to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed in either a religious or civil ceremony.
After hours of debate, the Swedish parliament voted 261 to 22, with 66 abstaining or absent, on Wednesday to approve a gender-neutral law on marriage.
Christian Democrats opposed the legislation.
The new legislation repeals a 1987 law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Sweden now joins the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa and Norway in allowing same-sex marriage. In the United States, homosexual marriage is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut.
The new law takes effect May 1 and allows individual pastors the freedom to opt out of marrying same-sex couples.
The Lutheran Church of Sweden has already expressed support for the new law, according to Agence France-Presse.
FULL STORY HERE . . .
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