Why This Christian Supports Same-Sex Marriage
By Amy McGowan
My faith is a huge part of my life. It wasn’t always such an integral part of me, but after dealing with the unexpected death of a very close family member; struggling to help a friend who was abused by her father; and then dealing with a severe bout of depression during my freshman year of college, I have come to realize how much I need Christ in my life. I firmly believe that as a Christian, I am called to share my Savior’s love and to follow the principles He laid out in the Bible. Because of this, and because my faith is not supportive of the homosexual cause, many people would probably be surprised to hear that I am a proponent of gay marriage; I also find no conflict between my faith and the issue of gay marriage. If you find this to be an interesting (or maddening) contradiction, keep reading.
Firstly, there is an undeniable separation between church and state. Regardless of a person’s person beliefs regarding a particular issue, separation has to be maintained. If there is a law prohibiting gay marriage, why not a law prohibiting spouses from having affairs with other people? Why not a law prohibiting sex before marriage? These are all moral issues, but laws are not made to enforce morality; they are created for the protection of citizens. They are not created to enforce a particular church’s beliefs; they are created on behalf of the state to both defend rights and guard the population. Therefore, even if someone was convinced that homosexuality was wrong, they would have no right to impose that belief on the entire nation.
I am also concerned that allowing government to decide who a person can marry could have very serious ramifications. Do we truly want so much power in hands of imperfect humans? As a Christian, I readily recognize the fallibility of mankind. We make mistakes every day and no one is exempt. President Bush makes mistakes, former President Clinton made mistakes, the Pope has made mistakes, Gandhi made mistakes, and so has every single person on Earth. Given the nature of human beings, does it make sense to give equally flawed men and women in our government the power to decide who can marry whom? I am convinced it would be a disastrous move to allow this kind of power into corruptible humans.
When making difficult decisions, it is always difficult to keep person prejudices aside. However, it is imperative to remain objective despite personal feelings. Because of this, I strongly encourage you, no matter what your political affiliation or religious beliefs, to support gay marriage. I do.
My faith is a huge part of my life. It wasn’t always such an integral part of me, but after dealing with the unexpected death of a very close family member; struggling to help a friend who was abused by her father; and then dealing with a severe bout of depression during my freshman year of college, I have come to realize how much I need Christ in my life. I firmly believe that as a Christian, I am called to share my Savior’s love and to follow the principles He laid out in the Bible. Because of this, and because my faith is not supportive of the homosexual cause, many people would probably be surprised to hear that I am a proponent of gay marriage; I also find no conflict between my faith and the issue of gay marriage. If you find this to be an interesting (or maddening) contradiction, keep reading.
Firstly, there is an undeniable separation between church and state. Regardless of a person’s person beliefs regarding a particular issue, separation has to be maintained. If there is a law prohibiting gay marriage, why not a law prohibiting spouses from having affairs with other people? Why not a law prohibiting sex before marriage? These are all moral issues, but laws are not made to enforce morality; they are created for the protection of citizens. They are not created to enforce a particular church’s beliefs; they are created on behalf of the state to both defend rights and guard the population. Therefore, even if someone was convinced that homosexuality was wrong, they would have no right to impose that belief on the entire nation.
I am also concerned that allowing government to decide who a person can marry could have very serious ramifications. Do we truly want so much power in hands of imperfect humans? As a Christian, I readily recognize the fallibility of mankind. We make mistakes every day and no one is exempt. President Bush makes mistakes, former President Clinton made mistakes, the Pope has made mistakes, Gandhi made mistakes, and so has every single person on Earth. Given the nature of human beings, does it make sense to give equally flawed men and women in our government the power to decide who can marry whom? I am convinced it would be a disastrous move to allow this kind of power into corruptible humans.
When making difficult decisions, it is always difficult to keep person prejudices aside. However, it is imperative to remain objective despite personal feelings. Because of this, I strongly encourage you, no matter what your political affiliation or religious beliefs, to support gay marriage. I do.
posted by LNewsEditor at 6:32 PM
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