Maybe We Should Ban Inter Racial Marriage Too?

As I was reading an article indicating the Supreme Court will take up the issue of gay marriage, I kept asking myself why and who cares. Does it matter who loves whom? Should not all Americans have certain unalienable rights such as life liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

I have met lots of people who favor the marriage between two men or two women. Then there are those who tell me they have lots of gay friends and do not hate gays, yet they are against them marrying. I am not sure how you can say you are okay with your friends living together as partners and not okay with them married. Then there is the other group that is just against it, but why?

As a former classroom teacher, current events, such as this, often came up. I encouraged students to discuss these topics, but to do so with strong arguments, not just opinions. The groups that tend to be against gay marriage mostly falls into two areas. One, they were simply against the thought of displays of affection, or more pointed, bedroom acts, and two, they said it is against the teachings of the Bible.

When looking at the first argument, why are you sitting there thinking about it. "What do you want to do today?" "Oh I am going to think about two men (or women) getting it on." Really, is that how you spend your days, worrying about what two people are doing in their bedroom? That is just weird. Your argument against marriage is due to homophobia.  Because of this, maybe we should make being a doctor illegal because of iatrophobia. All you iatrophobics out there, do not worry, a movement should start soon.

To resolve the issue above, let me tell you a story. Several years back. my wife and I took a trip to Minnesota with a good friend and his partner. At one point in my trip, my friend and his partner were, making out. After an uncomfortable mile, I spoke up and asked that they stop. I do not care who you are, heterosexual, homosexual, bi-sexual, whatever-sexual, DO NOT MAKE OUT IN THE BACK OF MY CAR! Seriously, I do not need to, or want to see it. As far as I am concerned it is like watching my parents putting on a display of heavy affection. I will expand this and say in all public places. I love my wife, but I do not need to mack on her in a public place to prove it. We talked; she feels the same. We are not against two people loving each other. Go ahead, just do so in private.

Then there is religion. If you are against it because the Bible says it is wrong, please ask yourself this. Do you go to church weekly? Do you read the Bible on a regular basis? Do you truly live by the teachings of the Bible or are you one of those who attends church twice a year and calls yourself a true Christian? If you are the later, please do not use this argument. You are using that argument as an excuse to really address your feelings. If you are the former, I can understand your position.

The other part of the religious argument is the one we must address. It is probably at the heart of the issue. It is the issue of the separation between church and state. Who is making the laws, the church? Those days ended with Roger Williams and Rhode Island. Do not use a biblical argument to overturn state laws. Do not use biblical arguments to create federal laws. It is for this reason I feel the Supreme Court has only one path to take. Marriage can no longer be defined as one man and one women, but rather the union between two loving people who want to commit themselves to the other person for their life. 

It used to be illegal for different races to marry. We realized that was due to unjust fear. Let us put our fears aside, address the law from a non-religious point of view and understand this may not be resolved in the upcoming Supreme Court ruling, but gay marriage will be sanctioned in the future.