Homosexuality, Marriage, and Religion Write-OffMay 05 '05 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Two people making a lifelong commitment -- what's not to like?
(Optional) What are your spiritual beliefs or religious affiliations? Leaning Jewish/Taoist. What is your sexual orientation? Gay or lesbian -- I use them interchangeably. How do you see your own religious/spiritual views as influencing your opinion of sexuality? Not having been raised in any particular religion, I don't associate sexuality with sin. (Required) How do you define marriage? In two ways. Privately, it's a lifelong commitment between two people who love each other. Publicly, it's a legal status conferred by the government. While many people have religious ceremonies, I consider that a personal choice, not an intrinsic part of marriage. What thoughts or reactions do you have to these two pictures? (all completely safe for work, home, etc.) 1. http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2004/03/10/ba_knight01.jpg 2. http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2004/02/13/ba_gaywed_01_lm.jpg Happy sighs and a flash of recognition, as I know exactly what those two couples must be thinking and feeling. I'm guessing that the two women in the second picture have been in a relationship for a long time, which makes the moment even sweeter. How does one of Christian faith reconcile these two pictures? Is one "right" and one "wrong"? What reactions do you have to seeing these signs? 1. http://www.sushiesque.com/photos/boston_common_031104/dscn1373.jpg 2. http://www.sushiesque.com/photos/boston_common_031104/dscn1419.JPG I am not an expert on Christianity, but I would think that the bigotry and mean-spiritedness exhibited in picture #1 has no place in that religion or in any other. Black, white, brown, yellow, gay, straight, bi, transgender, men, women, we're all on the same planet. To deny any group of people just because they're "them" and not you is just not a nice thing to do -- and ironic, considering how Christians were persecuted themselves early on. Picture #2 is much more to my liking. Why do you think the topic of homosexuality is so polarizing in religious communities? I think it all has to do with education, or lack thereof. There is also the denial thing again -- the ability, if you want to call it that, to stick to one's black-and-white view of reality and to ignore all the other colors of the spectrum. Strong religious belief can be a wonderful, sustaining force, but you shouldn't believe any one thing to the exclusion of everything and everyone else. Should the government be in the business of defining marriage? Why or why not? Well, yes, I think they should be in the business of defining marriage. In fact, they should make the requirements a lot stricter, like instituting background checks and verrrrrrrry long waiting periods for actors and musicians, so that we don't get all these celebrity breakups. *rolls eyes* Seriously, no, they shouldn't be, and anyway this is not what we're paying our government officials to spend their time on. Would you support the legalization of gay marriage? Yes, I supported it in my state (Massachusetts) and everywhere else. If you answered no, what are your fears behind its legalization? If you answered yes, what are your fears behind it remaining illegal? No fears here, not even of the so-called backlash. People in this state have had almost a year to see that the sky won't fall in. It's only a matter of time. Would you support government-sanctioned civil unions between homosexual couples? Only as a steppingstone toward full marriage rights, and not if it came with a definition of marriage as been between a man and a woman. Such a status would be no better than second-class. Do you see any way of bridging this current divide in our country over "wedge issues" like gay marriage or abortion? Or should we even be trying? I do see some hope of bridging the divide ... it seems that people under 30 are much more open to gay marriage, at least. GLBT folks and their allies need to keep a dialogue going and to keep standing up for equal marriage rights. What do you see America's view of homosexuality and gay marriage being in 100 years from today? What will those future Americans think of us in 2005, as they look back? There will probably be pockets of resistance (just as there probably is to interracial marriage), but for the majority of folks it will be no big deal, and they'll wonder why it took us so long to see the light. Final thoughts or ideas: At the end of this month, my wife and I will celebrate our one-year anniversary of getting legally married. I would not trade that for anything in the world. Writeoff info http://www.epinions.com/content_4325744772  |
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