Volume II No. 31
 02-23-04
 The Gay Marriage Debate
 author: Vance Cureton
 © Copyright 2004

 Republicans must be wishing upon a star that the proponents 
 of the "Homosexual Agenda" keep tossing fuel upon a fire that 
 can only damage the prospects of the as yet undetermined, 
 Democratic nominee who will challenge George W. Bush this 
 fall.

 Despite the presence of the so-called Log Cabin Republicans
 { Gay } in the party of Abraham Lincoln, the people on the Far 
 Right are hardly sympathetic towards anything that has to do 
 with the homosexual crowd. Not that all homophobes are 
 card-carrying Republicans. The people on the left, just generally, 
 don't feel as personally threatened { at least publically } by 
 those in society who are sexually-oriented towards members 
 of the same sex.

 It is simply a way of viewing the world. Shades of gray, versus
 black-and-white. Anything outside of the narrow mainstream 
 bugs the hell out of Conservatives. This pertains to religious 
 philosophy, movies, music, fashion. etc. -- Liberals shrug and 
 say. "I might not be personally into that. But live-and-let live."

 So now we have the great Gay Marriage debate in this country
 that had been quietly humming along almost unnoticed in the 
 background of the Iraq War and the Democratic Presidential 
 primaries. Massachusetts made some noise and sort of poked 
 through the silence, and now San Francisco has blasted "GAY 
 MARRIAGE" right onto the front pages of practically every 
 newspaper in the U.S.

 If we can all get beyond our own personal preconceptions for 
 the next nanosecond. The Gay Marriage debate is really simple.
 This debate is about what God wants. And whether the state
 should abide by God's law.

 Christians for the most part. { even those on the left } believe 
 homosexuality is a sin. Most major religions also concur on 
 this point. Thus the debate centers around religous doctrine 
 and whether such doctrine should be the deciding factor as
 to whether or not gay marriages are to be recognized and 
 authorized by the state.  Afterall the proponents of gay marriage 
 aren't even demanding that such marriages be performed inside 
 synogogues, churches, or what have you. -- But downtown 
 at city hall.

 [ editors note: we have declined to mention civil unions in this 
 article because such unions are in fact psuedo-marriages and 
 are most likely to be declared as such by future court decisions,
 however distant... ]

 The most vocal homophobes and other Gay-haters by whatever 
 name, believe America is a "Christian" nation. And thus, Christian 
 doctrine should rule. In their view, Gay Marriage and the people 
 who desire to make such marriages legal, are not only morally 
 repugnant but are an affront of the highest order to most God-fearing
 Americans of faith. 

 If these arguments as to what is morally repulsive sounds familiar.
 -- They are.

 In most instances simply substitute the words kike, nigger, gook, 
 wetback, redskin,etc, for the word "gay" or homosexual. And those 
 old arguments that were used to dehumanize and strip away the 
 dignity of the offending "other" just plug right in.

 Much has been made of the similarity of the struggle for Gay civil
 rights to the struggle of African-Americans to be regarded as full
 citizens and not second-class citizens. The similar struggle to 
 overturn laws banning interracial marrages are also a part of that 
 history. And finally, marriages between people of different religions 
 or social backgrounds were once discouraged { if not by written law } 
 but by rigid social custom and tradition. Such socially inconvenient
 marriages were a real scandal in Victorian times.

 Whether in fact, the moral uncertainity about homosexuality is equal 
 to the once upon-a-time presumed racial inferiority of black people, 
 is irrelevant.

 The essential argument remains the same. 

 Is it in the best interest of the state to sanction a behavior or an 
 activity, or grant a right to those that most of the citizens of the 
 state believe are socially undersirable and immoral ? But, whom 
 should nontheless be afforded under the graces of the United States 
 Constitution equal protection under the law.

 The Supreme Court has on more than one occasion decided "yes."
 Despite the reality that some of the more fundamentalist sects of 
 Christianity still discourage interracial marriages and marriages 
 between people of different faiths. Banning interracial marriages
 by rule of law, was not only on some level fundamentally unfair. It
 was also unconstitutional. 

 So now we have a rising chorus in some segments of society for 
 a constitutional admendment to ban Gay Marriage. Thus, doing an
 end run around any activist judges { er...that's what G.W. Bush 
 would say } who might actually be disturbed by the the inherently 
 unfair manner in which Gay people are treated by current laws around 
 the land.

 Beyond all doubt, Gay Marriage is an extremely difficult issue. And 
 many people in this country will never equate the Gay Rights debate 
 with the questions that once raged around the subject of racial inequality.

 Homosexuality is a sin. Case closed.

 But in a secular society, the law is presumed to be clear of the undue
 influences of religion. -- As so often in the past, religion has chosen
 doctrine over scientific truth. 

 As recently as three centuries ago, learned men were convinced that 
 the "mental" sickness that we know of today as tourette's syndrome
 was caused by demonic possession. Afterall, what other explanation 
 could there have possibly been? 

 Modern science has revealed this idea as nonsense.

 A behavior has been explained by routine scientific investigation. 
 As a result of this people who suffer from the "barking disorder" 
 are no longer shunned and feared as they once were.

 The pyschiatric community today no longer classifies homesexuality
 as a mental illness.This is a fact. And there isn't an honest medical 
 professional anywhere who will profess to know with absolute 
 certainty what causes homosexuality. 

 Theories abound, of course. Hundreds of books have been written
 about the subject. Some based on religious doctrine. Other's based 
 upon scientific study. But a definitive answer one way or another
 is beyond our present-day medical understanding. And is it fair 
 to decide a critical "civil right" based only upon the teachings 
 of a religion? What in the world would happen if a constitutional 
 admendment banning gay marriage were passed and then 100 years 
 into the future science proves there is a strong biological component 
 involved, and homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice. Would society
 just do a collective "never mind!"

 So, once again we are left with this uncertainity. Homosexuality 
 is forbidden by most religious faiths. Those who openly practice 
 such behavior are slandered socially and viewed as completely
 without personal morals. Unclean is not too strong a word. And 
 this is an important consideration in any society where people of 
 different backgrounds already struggle to find common ground.

 But how far can a supposedly secular state go in denying equal 
 legal standing to those who are believed by so many citizens to 
 be sinful on a moral basis. But, who are in regards to civil law, 
 without fault.

 To be human is to live and to grow. Human societies have evolved
 and adapted to many different influences over the millenia. Some
 good. Some not so good. We have matured as a species. However 
 reluctantly. And however much superstition, tradition, and fear of 
 change would hold us back.

 Slavery is despised. But there are those around who still seek financial
 gain from this denial of the most basic of human rights.

 It is because of our evolution as a species that modern day slavers
 must live in fear of the law and do their dirty enterprise in secret. 
 The same goes for the economic and sexual exploitation of young
 children and of the social underclasses that would have been routinely 
 ignored by authorities in the 1700's and the 1800's.

 Change occurs slowly. But it does happen.

 And human beings are creatures of change.

 Perhaps a simpler analogy to the debate over Gay Marriage is the
 debate about capitol punishment. Most of the civilized world is 
 rapidly moving away from the acceptance of capital punishment 
 as a means to deter violent criminal acts. Or as a means of dealing 
 with individuals who present a clear and present danger to society.

 What has changed to make this so?

 Religious doctrine continues to be debated and questioned in the
 face of obvious injustices. Age-old cultural traditions are being 
 challenged as never before. { genital mutilation of females in 
 Africa and the Middle East, for example }

 Modern men have never been as free to judge what is right and 
 wrong for themselves. By virtue of their own experiences and
 acquired knowledge. And not only in relationship to the traditions 
 and societal prejudices of those long ago, dead.

 The Bible says that a criminal can be put to death. 

 But is this the only alternative for modern society? Securing 
 a criminal behind bars for 40 years or more, will never be as 
 emotionally satisfying, nor provide the same amount of "closure" 
 as an execution might.

 But, then again, it is not about "them." { the criminal } Is it?

 It is about us. The law-abiding citizens of the land.

 When we no longer shamelessly close our eyes to the in-humanity 
 of state-sponsored murder. We proclaim loudly that we have risen
 above our humble beginnings. No matter how much the animal part 
 of our being wriths in anger and disgust. Lusting for a more visceral 
 accounting of an injustice.

 In other words, there is an important concept in play that goes far
 beyond the need for societal revenge. It is about our growth as a
 species. About the kind of world we will fashion for the generations 
 of human beings yet to come.

 The Gay Marriage debate that is going on in America right now. 
 Is about that growth.
 

 ReadingPost.Com
 © Copyright 2004

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