04 March, 2004

I am still trying to wrap my brain around the controversy over same-sex marriages. Yes, I know, this is a horse I am beating to death, but there is just some things that do not make sense to me and I can't help but think that the more I write about it, the more it may help me to understand it all.

I was watching Bill Maher today (one of my favorite political comedians) and he said a few things tonight on the Larry King show that finally made sense. He said (and I am paraphrasing because Larry King doesn't keep transcripts): people keep using religion as a reason against same-sex marriages and yet, Jesus never said one word about gays, but he did speak out against divorce, something the Republican party knows plenty about since many are divorced. He also said: if homosexuality was so important, you would think it would have made the Top Ten Commandments, but instead they go to the laws in LEVITICUS which also say it is okay to own slaves and that anyone who works on a Sunday is to be stoned. They are picking and chosing which laws they want to follow.

Again, those were paraphrased and please forgive me, Mr. Bill Maher, if I didn't get your quotes exactly word for word, but I do believe I got the essence of them.

This is a point that I have been trying over and over again to get across to people. Marriage is the UNION of two consenting adults who love one another and want to make a life-time committment to one another. Religion should not even be a factor, but should be okay for those who want a religious wedding. Personally, I was okay with a civil wedding before the Justice of the Peace with no religious overtones in my ceremony. Furthermore, every minority in this country, but especially the black community should be championing behind this issue. They know what it is like to be treated as subhuman and to have to fight for their civil rights and equality. Every woman in this country should also be championing behind this cause because they also know what it was like to be treated as less-than-human as they watched their husbands, fathers, and sons vote in every election, but were told that women were not smart enough to cast a vote.

If people would set aside their religious beliefs and use their common sense and decency as human beings, they would see that this is the right stance in America. No one should ever be faced with discrimination in this country. No one should have to die to fight for their equal rights. And no one should be denied their civil rights just because they are different from the mainstream. We, the United States, are supposed to be the model of democracy in the world. By denying a portion of our population the same rights as others in this country, we are promoting discrimination and hate, not democracy!

+ posted by lorianna66 at 1:01 a.m.

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