marriage is primarily a religious institution and that god does not condone gay marriage.
Exactly. And no church should be forced to marry a couple when it goes against their doctrine. However, when a church extends beyond its own fences to impose its religious belief on others- as in the case of Mormons and Prop 8- they are going to incur reaction, which sadly may be violent.
It isn't as if this is anything new in religions which have regularly decided who gets to do what. PLymouth CHurch of the Brethren won't allow strangers to take Communion, unless they are vouched for by a member, and Catholics can't marry someone who was married in the Church previously and divorced, although they get around that with their liberal use of annulment.
(In fact, Newt recently converted to Catholicism by having his second marriage annulled. I am sure his second wife was thrilled to find out she wasn't married all those years.)
But the issue isn't about religious doctrine or your side issue of whether a child grows up believing it's perfectly fine for Sally to have two daddies (which it is, and no child will be damaged by hearing this in age-appropriate literature). Do you remember how shocking the first mixed couple shows or commercials were to the prejudiced? Now it's accepted and normal, and no child is being scarred by reading a story that has a black daddy and a white mommy, but boy, it was sure considered the end of civilization when it started.
I grew up Catholic in a small Southern town where Catholicism was considered a non-CHristian cult, a secondary, lower class religion, so I experienced some of that sort of 'not good enough' attitude. Some of the fears surrounding JFK's election now seem obviously absurd. (In the Pope we hope). For the most part, this sort of battle is fueled by ignorance and the omnipresent hatred of "the Other", and sometimes the state has to assist in the battle when it is based on that concept and ultimately unconstitutional. Let the churches choose whom they marry, but don't let them dictate outside their membership. |
