Gay Marriage and Why BOTH Sides Miss the Point

Frankly, this issue ticks me off for a couple of reasons. It is meant to divide people and hurt others, from both sides. (I.e. people attacking the Miss California candidate for expressing her opinion) So often these debates don’t even look for a solution, they just turn into a circle of “You love sin, you’re going to Hell you pinko liberal” and “You’re a religious nut, why don’t you go hunting with Dick Cheney.” This doesn’t help anything and rolls over the problem. Also because, namely the Right, thinks that disagreement is equal to damnation and equates opponents to murderers and rapists. (You know the whole Sodom and Gomorrah stuff?) Even tonight, just before I wrote this, someone I don’t even know implored me “Not to die tonight,” implying I was going to Hell. Let’s get through the Sodom and Gomorrah junk before I express my views and solution: Let’s be careful not to equate what was going on in these two Biblical cities and America. First, those were places where God could LITERALLY find no good. I know there is bad stuff in this world, but there’s also a lot of good stuff going on in America too. If you would like proof, I'd love to invite you, just for a few things to click HERE or HERE, to see that we are not and will never be Sodom and Gomorrah.Second, those folks were at the point of breaking doors down to rape people. America is not, and will not ever be there. We’re a nation of laws and most importantly, rights that protect people, no matter what you believe.

Let me state my background. I’m a Christian first, bar none, no apologies. Anyone who would like to question my faith, I really don’t care. I recall certain Jewish leaders doing the same thing. That being said, if America makes laws that don’t coincide with what my Lord says, I really don’t care. Remember, I’m a Christian first, and last time I checked, even the president of this land will one day be forced to bow at the knee of THE King. Second, I believe in equal rights for all, even if I don’t agree with them. America was founded on the belief that all men (and women) were created equal with certain inalienable rights. Nowhere in the Declaration do I see distinctions of creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. I see the same respect from my Savior. Certainly, Jesus hated sin. So do I. However, I don’t recall Jesus attempting to make sins illegal in the Roman Empire. He had bigger fish to fry, and so do I. Jesus made it clear his mission was to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10) His last command to his followers was to do the same, and to teach others to obey his teachings, not force them making it the law of the land.

Now that there is that background, I’ll state my opinion and solution. The reality of this debate, and why so many neo-conservative Christians, as well as pro-gay marriage liberals miss the point is they argue about the definition of marriage. The problem with this is inherent. One of the first premises of debate is to agree on what is acceptable as fact. Without that, understanding can not be made. Neo-cons look to the Bible for their definition, which is perfectly acceptable. However, pro-gay marriage couples don’t always accept this as fact, killing the debate before it starts and turning it in to the equivalent of an ideological squabble.

The core of what this debate should truly be about is equal rights, not about whether I or anyone else believes homosexuality is right or wrong. Since America’s first sentence, equal rights was the striving goal. Though our country has failed over and over in this struggle, the continual effort of our land has been to spread the equality for all. This means not only protecting one’s ability to perform his/her way of life, but also protecting one from being coerced into living another’s chosen way of life. Oftentimes, this means we disagree on issues. For example, I think multiple body piercings are gross. Those ear gauge things literally make me sick to my stomach. Heck, I can even come up with reasons why I think it is wrong for people to have them. I must respect their right to practice their way of life however, even if I disagree. This takes form in many issues, from the Pledge of Allegiance to school prayer to, you guessed it, gay people wanting to be married.

The reality is that almost all gay marriage opponents deplore the idea because they believe it to be sinful. Since homosexuals disagree with the premise of “sin,” the debate will go nowhere. Therefore, both sides will also disagree on what “marriage” is. Is marriage something ordained by God, or is it simply a joining of two human beings who care for each other for the sake of insurance, medical, and tax reasons. (No, this isn’t what I think marriage is) The mistake made is that the State is dabbling in some believe is a religious issue and what others believe is a purely secular issue.

So how do we solve this issue by giving everyone equal rights under the law, while still respecting what each group inherently believes? Here’s how: you look at what both sides desire and see how to give each group what they want. Homosexuals aren’t seeking the Judeo-Christian God’s blessing on their relationship; they want equal rights. Most Christians, though they may disagree with homosexuals having marriage rights, aren’t looking to make being gay illegal; they simply want the preservation of what they believe is a sacred institution blessed by God. Solution: Take the definition of marriage out of the hands of the U.S. Government and give it back to God Almighty who ordained it in the first place. My solution is that the United States government pass the Domestic Partnership Initiative, which replaces the term “marriage” with “domestic partnership” throughout federal law. If churches wish to grant “marriages” then that’s fantastic. (That’s what I want one of these days because that’s what my God ordained) This legislation, already introduced in California by the Attorney General, is intended to provide equal rights to all without offending or intruding on those who believe marriage contains religious significance. This bill also prevents the prevailing fear among the religious community that a pastor be legally required to perform a “marriage” to gay couples whether he believes it correct or not. This bill in my opinion empowers people of faith with the definition of marriage they truly believe in, rather than trying to mesh Godly truth and U.S. law.

Let me again reiterate, I’m a Christian, end of story. Whatever law my country makes, whoever is elected to the highest office in the land, and however much I may hate what either may do, my God reigns supreme without their permission, no matter what they say. When Jesus said to “render to Caesar what his Caesar’s and God what is God’s,” that wasn’t just about money. It involves our FULL allegiance and our trust. My trust is in God, and frankly I don’t really care what my country has to say about that or what laws they make giving others more rights or so on and so forth. Rather than complain about homosexuals trying to change the definition of marriage, let’s take the term out of the argument, since that is what God talks about. My hope is that this bill passes in California and soon becomes federal law, because I am sick and tired of Christians fretting more about whether gay people call themselves married, and not focusing on souls that just might be open to hearing about a Savior.