Gay marriage.
So much distress over two small words. Why does this cause fury and outrage in so many people?
As far as I can see; religion. “Sanctity of marriage” is an excuse frequently raised in arguments over gay marriages, and it holds a distinctly religious ring. God said marriage is between a man and a woman, and therefore it can not be otherwise. Doesn’t that seem slightly stale? A book nearly two thousand years old tells us how to do things, and that’s how they must be done.
I realize that to most people, the Bible is not just a book. In fact, I agree; it holds too much power to be considered just a book. But keep in mind two things. First of all, this book, even if it is the word of God, was written by men. This means that they must have translated it in their mind, at least, into a form they could comprehend. Perhaps vague ideas that God wanted to convey were unknowingly altered into something that made sense to the writer. On top of this, the books of the Bible were not originally written in modern English. There is a significant chance that specifics were lost in translation or edited out, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Also, bear in mind the fact that the Bible has been edited and censored. There are parts they don’t want to public to acknowledge, because it would contradict the image people have of Jesus and the Lord. I do not mean to condemn the Bible or religion here, just to point out that a literal interpretation may not be the best course of action at all times.
Another reason (one of the few) against gay marriages that I have heard comes from the American Family Association. Head here for an absolutely infuriating article on why gay marriages are going to be the downfall of the United States as we know it.
If you don’t want to take the time to read the article, let me summarize for you:
President Bush is not in favor of gay marriages because they are a sin. He states that everyone is a sinner, but marriage must be kept as a union between man and woman. Gays and lesbians are, rightly so, angry at this statement and the insinuations he makes that they are sinners, as well as the fact that he’s bringing religion into politics.
A member of the Traditional Values Coalition follows this up with a statement that Bush’s views are a bold move when “the courts are conspiring with anti-family extremists to undermine our nation's most vital institution.”
A member of the Family Research Council states that “we cannot mount a true defense of marriage if we are willing to give away all its privileges to counterfeit legal arrangements bearing another name.”
The article continues and states a few more times that gay marriages are sinful, then a member of the Campaign for Working Families wonders how we are to “deal with the political demands of the radical gay-rights movement.”
The article concludes by stating that 60% of citizens oppose same-sex marriages, and same-sex marriage advocates are pushing it upon the nation by using activist courts. Another member of the Traditional Values Coalition wraps up the article with a bang, declaring that “The founding fathers never thought they'd have to explain [and define] in the Constitution what marriage is ... but I guess in these sad, dark days of our culture, that's necessary.”
Does any of that ignite your fury? Make you angry? Irritate you in the slightest? If not, you need to wake up and grow a conscience. There is not a single shred of evidence to support their claims that gay marriage is wrong. They prattle on about religion and families, and never once do they back themselves up with credible evidence.
Their one excuse is that it is sinful and that it will tear apart the family structure.
That is an opinion.
I refuse to believe that there is anything wrong, evil, or sinful about two people in love. Who are they to tell people who to love? Who are you? The constitution gives every American citizen the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, yet they dare to contradict their own words by setting restraints on who is allowed to be happy with whom. What is wrong with this picture?
Another thing about that article that infuriates me is its constant reference to “family,” as if the entire idea would be swept aside if one man were allowed to marry another. I have a perfectly loving family, and it would not be affected in the slightest if my neighbor were to come home one day and announce that he had married his friend John. It would not affect the state, the surrounding cities, or my own small town, let alone the entire country. My family would still be loving and effective, as would everyone else’s. They would continue to teach values and caring and considerateness, as they have always done.
The only thing that is going to tear families apart is hatred and discrimination taught by homophobic people. Think of the terrible jokes young children make at school, when their parents aren’t there to supervise. Phrases like, “That’s gay!” “Queer!” and “Fag!” (*shudders* I can barely even type it) are commonplace. They can’t even comprehend homosexual love at that age, and yet they are already condemning it. Where do they learn this?
Society? Their parents? Other children who have learned it from their parents?
It is a hard wave to stop, but something must be done. A step in the right direction would be same-sex marriages. What could make it easier for a child to understand than a wedding ring? Seeing married homosexuals as commonly as married heterosexuals would make it easier for their minds to grasp. If those two are the same as Mommy and Daddy, how can it be bad? This is the message we should be sending to today’s youth. Tolerance, love, and understanding, instead of hatred, bias, and self-righteousness.
A friend of mine summed it up as well as I could have:
“Their message is destructive and offensive -- and they're not 'helping to save the family,' they're destroying chances of one ever forming! This kind of thing divides people, and as we've all seen and felt -- ticks people off.
It's hate.
That is the message they're sending. I mean, I only realized this just now, but it makes me so mad! Not only is there not real reasoning in what they say, they also have to contradict themselves a million times over and say things purely derived from their bias and intolerance for those that really have done nothing more than a straight person has or could to harm them. And they never want to hear the other side of the argument even when I, at least, am willing to hear their opinions and reasoning out. If you don't have someone challenge your beliefs, how sure can you be of them? There is no reason for this kind of thing. It's hate, pure and simple.
And I guess that's what makes me angry the most.”