Of course, the Court has its critics. Many many critics. Many many critics who prefer to drink Gayhateorade, instead of the more refreshing Sanity. These critics hate two things: 1. Reason; and 2. God. Well, fine, they also hate gay people, but that seems to go without saying.
Rob Dreher, in his post on Crunchy Con, provides us with a stunning demonstration of how these critics hate reason. Dreher, using the good old institution-of-marriage argument, says that just because it cannot be shown that dude-dude or chick-chick marriage hurts dude-chick marriage does not mean that institution of marriage argument loses any force. States Mr. Dreher:
I think the most common, and superficially common-sensical, questions that comes up in discussions of this issue is, "How does Jill and Jane's marriage hurt Jack and Diane's?" The idea is that unless you can demonstrate that a gay marriage directly harms traditional marriage, there is no rational objection to gay marriage.
But this is a shallow way to look at it. We all share the same moral ecology. You may as well ask why it should have mattered to the people of Amherst, Mass., if some rich white people in Charleston, SC, owned slaves. Don't believe in slavery? Don't buy one. Similarly, why should it matter to the people of Manhattan if the people of Topeka wish to forbid a woman there to have an abortion? Or, conversely, why do the people of Topeka care if women in New York City choose to abort their unborn children? Don't believe in abortion? Don't have one.
But this is a shallow way to look at it. We all share the same moral ecology. You may as well ask why it should have mattered to the people of Amherst, Mass., if some rich white people in Charleston, SC, owned slaves. Don't believe in slavery? Don't buy one. Similarly, why should it matter to the people of Manhattan if the people of Topeka wish to forbid a woman there to have an abortion? Or, conversely, why do the people of Topeka care if women in New York City choose to abort their unborn children? Don't believe in abortion? Don't have one.
Ok, Mr. Dreher, its true; the argument: if you don't like slavery don't buy one or if you don't like abortion don't have one or if you don't like polygamist rape cults don't join one is not satisfying. But guess what else: none of these arguments are predicated on an invalidatable claim like gay marriage hurts straight marriage. Slavery is bad because its dehumanizing - that seems verified. If abortion is bad, its cuz its murder. Polygamist rape cults are bad because they're rape cults. On the other hand, Mr. Dreher argues that gay marriage is bad because it hurts straight marriage but acknowledges that there is no proof that gay marriage does hurt straight marriage. Thus, unlike with slavery and polygamist rape cults, the arguments against gay marriage have no backing - thus giving credence to the statement Mr. Dreher fallaciously rejects: if you don't want a gay marriage, Rob, don't marry a dude.
Oh yeah, the second thing that critics of gay marriage hate: God. These folks make God out to be a real bastard; the kind of bastard that doesn't want people who have spent their whole lives together to get special privileges to see each other in the hospital; the kind of bastard that would rather kids stay in an under-resourced foster care system than be raised by a loving dude-dude or chick-chick couple.
Or maybe its that these critics love the wrong God. Put otherwise, maybe its me who hates God. Maybe God is a real bastard towards gay-folk. In that case, I'm not sure how down with God I am. Judaism is based on a covenant with God; that means that there was a reciprocal agreement between Abraham and God to enter into a unique relation. Abraham could have chosen to remain pagan, but instead chose to engage with God. But, look, if God is that much of a prick, I'd rather opt out. My faith is not unconditional, nor should it have to be. To me, faith means that I can suspend reason and the need for verification in order to become inspired by something transcendent, not that I suspend reason to give into something lower. A philosopher once said that God is projection of the best parts of humanity, but to Mr. Dreher and his fans, God becomes a projection of human bigotry. If that's what God is actually like, then no thanks.
But if God is the kind of god who does things like free the slaves from oppression in Egypt, then I'm in. This God endows me with hope, not prejudiced cynicism.
The long and short of it is: Gay-marriage-bashers, stop trying to make me hate God.
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4 comments:
If you hate God than that's on you.
The Bible is clear that homosexuals are sex perverts and enemies of the LORD God. Your support of these sodomites is disgusting.
Whatever you think, you will not be able to change God's Word and will one day have to pay the price for not believing what God has written.
Leviticus 18:22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
V23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
V24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
V25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, Who is blessed for ever. Amen.
V26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
V27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
SAY THIS PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I am a sinner and am headed to eternal hell because of my sins. I believe you died on the cross to take away my sins and to take me to heaven. Jesus, I ask you now to come into my heart and take away my sins and give me eternal life.
I think that is a nice prayer, Rev. Spitz (of course, Ziek will have to replace "Jesus" with "God", since he's Jewish). But, I think you're prayer only serves to confirm what Ziek is saying - that God forgives. So, therefore, even if the verses you provide are read to unequivocally condemn homosexuality, then God surely forgives homosexuals too.
I think this sermon says a lot of great things about homosexuality and Christianity. http://www.jesusmcc.org/resource/rev_james.html
I think the most important thing it says is that once you know someone who is homosexual, you're views on the matter change. I think our hearts are the most direct link we have with God, and until you've known someone who is gay, you are not forced to reconcile your preconceived prejudices with the love the God put into your heart.
Secondly, it says that the Bible is not clear on homosexuality (look halfway down the article). I've read many other scholarly and religious works on this issue before. There was no word for "homosexual" in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. Many of the words that have been translated to imply "homosexuality" in the Bible are actually referring to same-sex rapists.
In addition to the translation problems, there are many laws in Leviticus that modern Christians do not adhere to, so selecting only homosexuality as one that we preserve seems arbitrary, self-serving, and unfair. If we were to follow all of the laws in Leviticus, then all of us Christians who enjoy bacon and ham are just as "sinful" as homosexuals.
The Bible has many contradicitions, which accounts for why there is so much diversity of theology within Christianity. Because of these contradictions, no one knows what God truly intends for Christians to believe, but the New Testament is our best guide; Jesus was our best role model. And remember, Jesus love everyone, most notably those who were shunned from society (prostitutes, lepers, etc).
He was very clear about which two laws are most important:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Homosexuals, like pork eaters, like liers, like people who are full of pride, like adulterers, are ALL our neighbors, and God has commanded us to love (not hate) them.
Hey 'Zeik,
I'm glad you raised the issue of what the harm is from gay-marriage to straight people.
I don't think the whole country is just gay bashing out of ignorance, pure gay-hate, or out of a nebulous fear that gay marriage undermines the institution of straight marriage. A few thoughts on the connection:
A lot of straights view gays as really not different except that gay men happen to like cock instead of vag or vag instead of cock. There are more meaningful differences than in the plumbing -- differences in culture and in values. This isn't a crazy conclusion, or even a conclusion that gays would take issue with. There are systematic reasons for it. Some of these reasons have to do with the gay marriage issue itself -- young men who don't expect to settle down act a little more wild than men who know they'll settle down one day, some reasons aren't related -- a bunch of horny boys together with no women to act as fun-killing wet blankets are going to act different, men who don't expect to leave a legacy (kids) are going to be different kinds of members of their community than straight men who have kids.
The point is that gays affect and change American culture, American views of masculinity, femininity and sexual promiscuity. Also of other things -- design and aesthetics, night life and the arts.
It is not crazy for a person to resist a culture shift. Its fair for a person to say, I don't want to recognize this as legitimate because it changes my culture in a way that I don't like. This view is not rampant gay hate. Its perfectly fair to exert some control over what is fringe behavior and what is mainstream; its a pretty gross overreaction to think that any time a group makes a choice to push something to the fringe its dehumanizing -- one reason why smoker's who claim they are being persecuted sounds so nuts. Do I think that gay couples should not be able to have normal visitation rights with another in hospitals, not be able to share property, not be protected by spousal privilege -- no I don't think substantive rights should be different. Marriage asks for more than a substantive right, it asks for acknowledgment and acceptance by the mainstream -- that strikes me as undesirable.
One thought that changed my thinking on the issue was wondering why the authors of the bible (heresy I know), would disfavor homosexuality. Ultimately I think it was more a question of values than one of procreation.
Misc.:
Modern gay culture does not recognize as a legitimate choice someone who is gay but would rather live closeted. In my opinion this is a very bad aspect of the community.
-FreeMealsInThePrytaneum
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