Being a devout ( church going ) Catholic, I am perplexed by why so many of us Christians are against the idea of gay marriage. What’s wrong with gay people getting married?
1) It ruins the sanctity of marriage – The sanctity of marriage? Does that even exist? How about we protect the sanctity of marriage by reducing our divorce rates first. Or better yet, protect the sanctity of marriage by being good, financially responsible, and loving parents. Obviously as a country we are not doing that with all the foreclosures, childhood obesity, and school shooting we are living with everyday. Sorry, but gay people can’t ruin the sanctity of marriage anymore than straight people already have.
2) Marriage is a commitment between a man and woman – I think being a man, or a woman is about a lot more than having a penis or breasts. It’s about committing to the responsibility of either bringing home the bacon, nurturing the family, or both. In today’s society, there are numerous examples of role reversals in nuclear-type families. The “man” stays at home to take care of the kids, and the “woman” goes to work. So in practice, the definition of “man” and “woman” has been greatly redefined. Should we stop people from living happy, fulfilling lives because we are unable to update our vocabulary?
3) It’s a sin – Not washing your hands before dinner is a sin. Please……….. “Let those who have NOT sinned throw the first rock”. Jesus taught us to show love and compassion to a prostitute, a tax collector, and a thief. Gay people are not prostitutes, tax collectors, or thieves, yet so many of us are ready to stone them to death. I don’t know what version of the bible you are reading, but God has always taught me to have compassion for everyone.
To sum it all up, the simple fact is, this is a matter of Church and State. Religion, of any flavor, should not enforce rules and edicts on people of the State.
If your religion, like mine, doesn’t favor homosexuality, then you have the responsibility to your faith of choosing the right path. But don’t go around forcing your fellow neighbors to adopt your beliefs. If you want to live in a society where religion tells the government what to do, move to the Middle East.
Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar.” Marriage, outside of a church, is a property of the State. If gay people want to force you to let them marry inside your Church, then you can get mad all you want, but that’s not what they are asking. Most gay people are just asking for some respect.