Let me begin by saying that I am not deeply spiritual and definitely not religious but I don't have even the slightest problem with organized religion. Let's face it, life is tough and I am in favor of anything that brings people peace, creates unity and gives people a sense of purpose. Christianity, as well as most of the world's religions, is based on principles that I can really get behind - love one another, treat others as you would like to be treated - good, solid stuff. Who can argue against those ideals? The problem arises, for me, when people start to warp their religion's basic tenants into something ugly, judgmental and unkind. Much evil has been done in the name of someone's "God" (abortion clinic bombings, murderous rampages, 9/11, The Crusades, the horrible things that Warren Jeffs was doing in Texas... the list goes on). It's easy to do terrible things in the name of your religion when you start deciding for yourself what God's intentions are and then believing that it is your job to carry out his will. I really believe that discrimination against homosexuals is one of those evils being carried out in God's name.
The truth of the matter is that God has no place in politics. One of the most basic tenants of our American government is the separation of church and state which means we have NO official religion and should never base our laws on religious doctrine. One of the most basic tenants of Christianity is that humans, inherently flawed as they are, have no right to judge one another... that's God's job. So, the way I see it, this amendment flies in the face of what America is supposed to stand for AND it flies in the face of what Christians are supposed to believe.
Gay marriage is a civil rights issue. Telling two gay people they can't marry is no different than the oppression of African Americans that is such a black mark on our country's history. It doesn't matter what you believe about homosexuality or gay people. As American citizens, they should be afforded the same rights as anyone else. If you're Christian then it has to do with treating people as you would like to be treated. How would you like it if someone told you that your relationship, as loving and committed as it may be, was not worthy of acknowledgment? That it was perverse and wrong? That it was a threat to children? To imply that gay people (merely by existing and committing to one another) are a threat to children is possibly one of the most horrible insults I can imagine. Whether it's explicitly stated the implication is that gay people are proverbial lepers (people, by the way, that Jesus hung out with quite a bit, as you may recall).
If this amendment gets passed, what does this mean for my sons? Well, for one, it means that if they are gay they will NOT be treated as equal citizens. But if they are straight it means that my sons will grow up in a place and time where our society still believes it is OK to systematically and overtly discriminate against entire groups of people. I am very proud to be an American and would certainly never want to live anywhere else but I think Americans can do better than this. I really do. I think this country is based on much better values and that most Americans are well-meaning and generally good. So let's make this a better place for my kids (and yours). Please.
No comments:
Post a Comment