On Gay Marriage
Truth be told, I don’t really care about gay marriage. I’m sure that’s liable to get me slammed from both sides. I have defied my Christian roots by “condoning” something “sinful,” while at the same time I’m selfish and judgemental for “not caring enough” about the happiness and rights of my fellow humans.
Whatever.
Frankly, the idea of homosexuality grosses me out. And I think it’s a perversion of something that God intended, which makes it “wrong.” But at the same time, I don’t think it’s “wrong” in the same sense as murder, stealing, lying etc. because from what I can tell it doesn’t negatively affect OTHERS in the same way. Which I think is where the line is drawn between what is morally wrong by religious standards, and morally wrong by societal and legal standards (and therefore should be restricted by law).
Regarding the protection of the “sanctity of marriage” in this country - I think that went out a long time ago. Marriage in America is just a legal status, little more. Getting married doesn’t make you committed and doesn’t automatically instill the Christian values and meaning behind the ceremony into the relationship. The divorce rates will confirm that.
Now if two homosexual people want to get married in a church and want the sanctity of marriage to include the Christian (or Jewish or Islamic) values, commitment and purpose it was originally intended to, then that might be another issue. No minister, rabbi, or preacher should be pressured to marry (and thereby condone the union of) a homosexual couple when their religion forbids it.
But I’m doubtful that a large group of homosexuals fall into that category. The fact is, that Christians/Jews/Muslims didn’t invent marriage. It’s not an exclusively religious custom. These religions have influenced it, and imposed its own symbolism and meaning into the relationship - and there’s nothing wrong with that. But we don’t have a claim on it and shouldn’t necessarily get to make the rules outside the church.
A Christian marriage should carry all the values, importance and significance that has been bestowed upon the custom. But a non-religious marriage between two people outside the church…that’s a legal thing and I don’t see the grounds on which it should be subject to the restrictions of the church.
When J and I got married, it was within the bounds of the Christian understanding of marriage. The legal part wasn’t important - it was the meaning behind the ceremony, the commitment, the lifelong union that mattered to us. And we have since had a very successful marriage that we intend to see through to the end.
But if the legal aspect matters so much to homosexuals, then I don’t really care one way or the other if they have it.
Besides, if a woman can marry a dolphin, then what do I care if she goes to a judge and marries another woman.
