Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Equality: Part Two

Change is scary. Acknowledging a reality that has been around since the dawn of time is scarier.

Whenever the rights of a minority are put up to a vote by the majority, it almost always yields the same results; the minority loses. This isn’t always the case, but most of the time it is. It does, however, surprise me when some states put discrimination in their constitution which is in direct conflict of both the state and federal constitutions. What is more surprising is these are usually in states where religion, mostly Christianity, plays a big part of people’s lives. Do to others what you would have them do to you… unless you’re different.

I find it amusing that the people with loudest voices who claim to follow Christ, do so in a way that is very un-Christ-like. Jesus taught us to love, yet so much speech spewing from pulpits, funerals and capitol steps is that of hate. Forgive me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that the very definition of a hypocrite? The Bible has plenty to say about hypocrites, especially Jesus, who, by the way, had nothing to say about homosexuality. It is ironic to say the least.

But still, I have faith in the people of the State of Washington that we will vote marriage equality into law. Three years ago when the same people tried to repeal the Domestic Partnership Law from going into effect that would grant same-sex couples and heterosexual couples who couldn’t get married without losing benefits the same state rights as married couples, it was easily voted in favor of the law. Of course, the ‘M’ word is now at stake and some people have a very narrow view of the word, with claims that allowing more people to get married will somehow destroy the institution. I think the ‘D’ word has been a rather strong force in doing that. If marriage is such a sacred institution then why do most of them end in divorce? It is a contract people sign into that gives them certain rights and responsibilities and is shared by both religious organizations and the state in authorizing them. And it is a contract I am willing to sign.

1 comment:

  1. I am always surprised (annoyed? angered?) by people who use the Bible to justify a narrow interpretation of marriage. Do they not recall that it also instructed men to marry their brother's widows, even if they already had one or more wives? Or that Abraham and Sarah were first cousins? And let's not even discuss Lot and his daughters.

    God made all of us. He knew us before we were born. He made a partner and helpmate for each of us, too, and He knew who they would be. Why does any human think it's their right to get in God's way of bringing two people together?

    Bah. I think I'd better go pull weeds, because I get SO worked up over this topic.

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