"The Marriage Obsession"
There have been a lot of people that write Op-Ed pieces that I’ve been reading for the last two years or so (Maggie Gallagher being the worst of them… I often feel like I should self-flagellate every time I read her stuff while loudly reading scripture in Latin…), and I often finding myself wondering, “Okay, so you’re Catholic/Baptist/Closeted Gay/Right-Wing Republican, we all get it, okay?!”
I mean, really… how, in any way does two men or women that love each other getting to have the same privileges as you do when it comes to tax breaks, medical insurance and all that change, in any way, your life?
Step away from the Party Line and your Church of choice and ask yourself, “Is this really a problem to me, or am I just being a sheep? Should I have to think about this for myself for once? Gee, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought for myself since I singed up for my first Primary Election…”
To me, this really isn’t a religious or political issue… it’s narrow, ignorant and intolerant self-interest in the guise of being something important when it isn’t. It wasn’t that long ago, if you recall, that it was illegal for a Black man to marry a White woman, and since we stepped away from that steaming pile of bullshit disguised as a constitutional issue, shouldn’t Gay Rights and Marriage finally be addressed?
And when I say, “addressed”, I don’t mean polling people for their opinion on it… reason being? Polls don’t mean shit… look at the polls that say that 30% of Americans still think that Bush is doing a bang-up job?! Where are they polling these people?! Even in the fairly conservative city that I live in, the Bible-Thumpin’, Jesus-Lovin’, TeeTotallin’, Ah-Do-Declare-Scahlett-Republicans are saying, “Okay, I admit, Bush was a bad choice, but look at his competition?!”
Yeah, it must have really sucked having to chose between a genuine combat-tested Vietnam vet and career politician and a Southern Christian Lawyer politician with integrity versus Darth Vader and his sidekick: The kid from Deliverance (who was all coked up and drunk in the Reserves during Vietnam if you recall)… yeah, one hell of a hard to choice to make.
I swear… there are times when I think people get drunk before they vote…
Moving back to the issue of Gay Marriage, you can genuflect all you want when the subject comes up, but really, this is a human rights issue. Many people may scoff at the idea, but when it all comes down to it, Gay people are Human Beings, and deserve to be treated as such. If you don’t like it, that’s tough… I don’t like the fact that religious extremists stand out in front of Abortion Clinics holding signs saying that “Abortion is Murder!” and displaying pictures of dead fetuses or waving banners that have “God hates Fags!!!” emblazoned them in front a courthouse… but you know what? As much as I despise people that put their own beliefs ahead of common sense and other peoples’ life choices, I accept it as their right to do so and brush them off.
So when it comes to possibly bruising another person’s religious ego in the spirit of fairness and tolerance, I would gladly do so, since the Conservative Religious groups in this country have been given far too much leeway and breadth when it comes to stuff like this. If your Church/Mosque/Temple tells you to go out there and insult and berate people for whatever reason, I believe that we should tax the shit out of it like we do everything else in this country.
You wanna get involved in American Politics, Religious Institutions? Then you’ve gotta ante up like the rest of us, otherwise, you can take all those banners and picket lines and shove ‘em up your ass, since no one really cares what you think but you. Just look at the people that you elect? They only pay lip-service to you, and do what they want once they’re in office, all while telling you, “I believe in Family Values and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!” while you applaud just because he said a few words… just like your Pastor/Priest says to you in church, while nothing whatsoever changes for you.
So, you have a problem with Gays getting married?
Well, why don’t you do what Jesus would do: Accept and Forgive. Last time I checked, those are the central tenet of Christianity, not hate and bigotry… but I’ve been wrong before… prove me right, just this once.
I mean, really… how, in any way does two men or women that love each other getting to have the same privileges as you do when it comes to tax breaks, medical insurance and all that change, in any way, your life?
Step away from the Party Line and your Church of choice and ask yourself, “Is this really a problem to me, or am I just being a sheep? Should I have to think about this for myself for once? Gee, I don’t know, I haven’t really thought for myself since I singed up for my first Primary Election…”
To me, this really isn’t a religious or political issue… it’s narrow, ignorant and intolerant self-interest in the guise of being something important when it isn’t. It wasn’t that long ago, if you recall, that it was illegal for a Black man to marry a White woman, and since we stepped away from that steaming pile of bullshit disguised as a constitutional issue, shouldn’t Gay Rights and Marriage finally be addressed?
And when I say, “addressed”, I don’t mean polling people for their opinion on it… reason being? Polls don’t mean shit… look at the polls that say that 30% of Americans still think that Bush is doing a bang-up job?! Where are they polling these people?! Even in the fairly conservative city that I live in, the Bible-Thumpin’, Jesus-Lovin’, TeeTotallin’, Ah-Do-Declare-Scahlett-Republicans are saying, “Okay, I admit, Bush was a bad choice, but look at his competition?!”
Yeah, it must have really sucked having to chose between a genuine combat-tested Vietnam vet and career politician and a Southern Christian Lawyer politician with integrity versus Darth Vader and his sidekick: The kid from Deliverance (who was all coked up and drunk in the Reserves during Vietnam if you recall)… yeah, one hell of a hard to choice to make.
I swear… there are times when I think people get drunk before they vote…
Moving back to the issue of Gay Marriage, you can genuflect all you want when the subject comes up, but really, this is a human rights issue. Many people may scoff at the idea, but when it all comes down to it, Gay people are Human Beings, and deserve to be treated as such. If you don’t like it, that’s tough… I don’t like the fact that religious extremists stand out in front of Abortion Clinics holding signs saying that “Abortion is Murder!” and displaying pictures of dead fetuses or waving banners that have “God hates Fags!!!” emblazoned them in front a courthouse… but you know what? As much as I despise people that put their own beliefs ahead of common sense and other peoples’ life choices, I accept it as their right to do so and brush them off.
So when it comes to possibly bruising another person’s religious ego in the spirit of fairness and tolerance, I would gladly do so, since the Conservative Religious groups in this country have been given far too much leeway and breadth when it comes to stuff like this. If your Church/Mosque/Temple tells you to go out there and insult and berate people for whatever reason, I believe that we should tax the shit out of it like we do everything else in this country.
You wanna get involved in American Politics, Religious Institutions? Then you’ve gotta ante up like the rest of us, otherwise, you can take all those banners and picket lines and shove ‘em up your ass, since no one really cares what you think but you. Just look at the people that you elect? They only pay lip-service to you, and do what they want once they’re in office, all while telling you, “I believe in Family Values and Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior!” while you applaud just because he said a few words… just like your Pastor/Priest says to you in church, while nothing whatsoever changes for you.
So, you have a problem with Gays getting married?
Well, why don’t you do what Jesus would do: Accept and Forgive. Last time I checked, those are the central tenet of Christianity, not hate and bigotry… but I’ve been wrong before… prove me right, just this once.
posted by Todd Tobin at 8:46 PM
5 Comments:
This is one issue I am proud of Canada for changing...
I am proud that there is gay marriages here... not only are their marriages but they are legal.
It took a while and many of the same arguments were heard.
Still to this day some people don't agree with the governments decision to change it, but that goes for an controversial decision...
I agree that letting gays and lesbian's have the same rights as you and me is the right thing to do....
Well said Todd! Thanks!!!
Hey you two.
I finally decided to write on this topic because I have many close friends that that are Gay, as well as my Uncle that I lived with for three years who I love dearly.
No one need thank me for what I wrote, as there are people out there such as Godwhacker that have had the balls to stand up for themselves and openly state that they are Gay, which a good chunk of our society deems to be evil, just on the basis of who they love.
I am merely a person that has seen and lived with Gay men and women since I was a kid, and saw people that I thought of as "good people" insulting and chastising them openly and for all to see just because they are made uncomfortable for a few moments.
I love the Gay community because I view Gay men and women as the bearers of culture, as class and culture tend to follow Gays as the generations march on moreso than their more "Vanilla" or "Breeder" Human Beings.
Hopefully, some people will take what I said as an honest declaration for a group of people that don't deserve the treatment they get, and are from all countries and all skin tones.
In my life I would like to see Gays able to marry without the compromises of things such as "Civil Unions" and all that garbage legislation that was designed and worded for the comfort of Homophobes.
Oh, and I'm sorry it's been so long since I responded to any of your comments, guys... I'll try to be better about that in the future.
You were absolutely right shmamber. This blog was worth reading.
I'm also with you in taking pride in Canada's decision on this issue. We still have a long way to go, but at least we're closer than some.
I'm a Christian and totally for gay marriage. First off, the Bible is clear that religion and politics shouldn't mix-God told the Israelites that they'd just screw themselves by having a government, and they didn't listen to Him. And then when the Israelite kings decided to enforce an official religion, it just led to blasphemy anyway. Jesus said "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and render unto God what is God's"-making it clear that the two spheres of religion and politics ought never be mixed, and that blasphemy and bad government is all we get when they are.
(Also, I don't think the Bible is really clear one way or another on homosexuality-the anti-gay crowd takes five verses WAAAAAY out of context and runs with them.)
But yeah, part of this whole separation of church and state should be taxing the churches like you would tax any other organization. The IRS can basically dangle the revocation of tax-exempt status in front of churches anytime they speak out against evils-like the war in Iraq. That's not good for church, nor is it good for state.
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