National Cathedral seeks to lead on gay marriage

WASHINGTON (AP) - The dean of Washington National Cathedral hopes its decision to host same-sex weddings won't cause more traditional Christians to shun it as a gathering place for memorials and prayer services.

The Rev. Gary Hall says the Episcopal Church blesses same-sex couples and D.C. and Maryland let them marry, so the cathedral will now offer "Christian marriage as an option for them to live a holy life, following Jesus."

He says Christians who insist that marriage is only the union of a man and a woman are forgetting the polygamy of the biblical patriarchs and ignoring what he calls "the deep logic of the Scriptures" to welcome people as they are.

Hall adds that he believes part of the cathedral's mission is to lead the nation and its churches on important issues, and he doesn't think hosting gay weddings will hurt its fund drive to repair damage from the 2011 East Coast earthquake.

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