I believe gays should be allowed to get married and enjoy
all the rights and privileges that come with it, including adopting children. And
the fact that THIS is the big issue
everyone wants to get all fiery about – when children are starving and human
rights are being violated all over the world – baffles me. There. I said it.
(My mom should be calling any minute now…)
I know that The Bible
says homosexuality is a sin, and I’m not going to argue with anyone about that.
I’m certainly no Bible scholar, so if you tell me that’s what it says, I
believe you. Personally, I do not
think being gay is a sin at all, but even if I’m
wrong the question then becomes… SO WHAT?? We all sin. Your sin just looks different.
I’m not here to argue morality with anyone. We all have
different values, and that’s fine. I’m not going to change your mind, and you’re
not going to change mine. No one ever altered their entire value system after
reading one blog post. So I’m talking about the legality of gay marriage. What is moral and what is legal are two
very different things, and last time I checked there was supposed to be some
sort of separation between church and state. At least in theory.
The Bibles says that sex before marriage is a sin, as are cheating
on your spouse, lying, and getting divorced. All sins, yet all are 100% legal.
The law doesn’t state that a couple can’t get married if they’re not virgins on
their wedding day. The law doesn’t render your marriage null and void if you lie
and cheat. The law allows you get divorced and married again. And again and
again, if you want to. You can roll through a drive-through wedding chapel in
Vegas and marry a hooker you just met, and a man dressed like Jesus can perform
the ceremony. Yet, gay marriage is considered a threat to the institution of
marriage??? (You can’t see it, but I’m
putting my hand up, rolling my eyes and giving my “what-EVER!” face.)
Two people who love each other madly and who just happen to
be the same gender are accused of “defiling the sanctity of marriage” if they
want their union to be legal and enjoy the same rights as straight married
couples. And the Vegas insta-couple – whose marriage will surely end in
divorce, if not some CSI-like murder
investigation – have more rights than a gay couple. That’s just sad and
embarrassing.
When Hubs and I got married, no one questioned whether it
should be allowed. We both had been married before, both marked with the scarlet letter “D” across our foreheads. Our wedding was on a beach, not
in a church. My friend, Laura,
got ordained online and performed the ceremony, not a man of the cloth. Not a
single Bible verse was recited or referenced. Not once did anyone mention God
or tell me I had to start obeying my husband. (Yet I know God was present,
despite the lack of holy fanfare.) And our marriage is
perfectly legal and no one had to vote on it simply because we’re a straight couple.
I know that homosexuality goes against many people’s values
and what many churches teach. However, this is supposed to be a free country,
and we can’t go around signing our own values into law just because that what makes us the most comfortable. Are we really
going to let the church decide the laws of our country? If so, which church?
My mom told me a story about a conversation she had with
some members of the Ladies Guild in our church many years ago. Long story short,
all the old women agreed that abortion was wrong and should not be allowed
under any circumstances, not even in the instance of rape. Their thought was
that if God allowed a woman to get pregnant from a rape, than it was not up to
her to second guess God’s will… unless, of course, she was raped by a black
man. Then, well, yes, she could go ahead and get that abortion.
Um… WHAT THE F**K??!!
Okay, I know that’s an extreme example and most Christians do not share these these crazy,
racist beliefs. In fact, many churches even support gay
marriage. So I'm not trying to slam any religion here. But I hear stories like that, and I’m pretty damn thankful that the
elders of that particular church are not the ones deciding the laws for the rest of us live by. So when
it comes to the law, I’m less interested in what The Bible says and more
concerned about what The Constitution says.
There was a time when people of different races couldn’t
marry. There was a time when black people were slaves. There was a time when
women couldn’t vote. Yet over time, our country has evolved and become more
accepting of different people and lifestyles. Those in power have learned to
relinquish a little bit, giving power and voice to others besides just old,
white, Christian men.
Don’t get me wrong, as a nation we still have a long way to
go, and I hope we advance in the right direction by respecting lifestyles that
maybe different from our own, and that the U.S. Supreme Court legalizes gay
marriage.
I welcome all comments
on this controversial topic. Even you totally disagree with me, I want to hear
what you have to say. However, any comments that are hateful, hurtful, rude or
in any way disrespectful will be deleted without a response. You can say what
you need to say and still be nice. Basically, don’t be a jerk.
