The one with gays and bible thumpers

I just do not understand how someone can preach love, tolerance and acceptance and declare all people to be God’s children and then turn around and suggest that the act of declaring two people of the same sex to be legally married a “cheapening” of your own marriage.  If it is true that legally allowing two people of the same sex to marry each other takes away from my own marriage, I simply missed the memo.  I had no idea that the act of any two people on this planet, declaring their love, devotion, support and complete acceptance of each other, could cheapen my own marriage.  Frankly, to those who stand by this creed, go to hell.  You know nothing about my marriage and if gay marriage cheapens your own marriage, maybe you need to consider looking for another partner.

Marriage, in my humble opinion, is a contract made between two people, not the whole world.  I stood in front of my friends and family on July 15, 2000 to enter into a contract with John.  I did not enter into a contract with every Dick, Harry and Sally around the world.  I did not agree to any fine print noting that if Jane and Sue marry or if Wayne and Harold marry, all of a sudden my marriage is worth less.  I never agreed to value my relationship with John any less because of any act that could ever be committed by any person in any country or planet at any time ever.  Seriously, give me a break.

Further, I have to ask, how is it a cheapening of anyone else’s marriage to have two people of the same sex marry but it is not a cheapening of marriage to have a divorce rate of 50% among straight couples?  Seems to me straight people don’t quite have things straight themselves.   How about the birth of a child out of wedlock?  Should we cheapen that child’s value as a human being because their parents didn’t follow the rules of religion?  Should we automatically deny that child a free education or decent health care because their birth was cheapened?  Gimme a break.  Of course we shouldn’t.

And furthermore, I heard a fantastic argument last night from none other than Jon Stewart.  Religion is the most extreme form of a lifestyle choice that I can think of.  People consciously make the decision to belong to one religion or another.  They consciously make the decision to act as a Christian or a Muslim or a Buddhist.  Religion is a lifestyle choice.  Many will disagree but I do not believe for a second that people choose to be gay.  Science confirms my position so there’s no use in arguing that point.  Now, given the fact that people choose to belong to a particular religion as part of their lifestyle and homosexuals do not choose to be gay as part of their lifestyle why should we discriminate against gays and not religious people?

I do not believe that gay people, in committed relationships, should be denied the same benefits and rights given freely to the rest of us.  If Michelle becomes so ill she must be hospitalized then her committed partner Lacy should be able to visit and make decisions for Michelle if needed.  If Jerry and Kurt made commitments to each other, have lived together for a good amount of time and act in a manner that is strikingly similar to any other straight married couple, then for Pete’s sake, let them have a family health insurance policy like the rest of us.  A gay person’s choice of employment, their vegetable selection at the store and their choice of dentist affect my life NOT AT ALL.  Their choice to take part in a loving committed relationship affects my life NOT AT ALL.

Maybe the most frustrating part of this entire debate for me is the continual preaching that we are all God’s children.   I interpret those words to imply that we are ALL children, ALL on the same playing field, ALL loved by our all-knowing Father and therefore are ALL on an equal playing field.  Why then, do many (not all) religious people insist on supporting inequality?  If homosexuality is truly a sin, let your Father deal with it.  Stop poking at your brothers and calling your sisters names when your own Father tells you he loves ALL his children equally.

I understand that murder is wrong.  I understand that theft is wrong.  I understand that slander is wrong.  I understand that rape is wrong.  I understand that we cannot accept behavior, in our society, that my hurt or injure someone else.  I just fail to see where two people, who love and honor one another, getting married can ever hurt myself or anyone else for that matter.  I don’t have to agree with every action taken by every other person on this planet.  However, I do believe that if I want the ability to make my own decisions and choose how to live my life, I need to let others make their own decisions and live their own lives as well.

This entry was posted on Wed, Dec 10 2008 at 22:37 and is filed under Vanessa's Ramblings. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.