November 4th, 2008 will no doubt go down in history as pivotal in American history. We elected a person of African descent to the highest office in the land. A man at least as capable as all the others who've held the office. The color barrier has been shattered! I wept with pride as Mr. Obama spoke from Chicago on election night with eloquence I haven't heard from a modern president.
That pride was tempered when I learned that on this same historic night the people of California decided to write discrimination into their state constitution. On a night where one wall came tumbling down, organized religion worked to build another one.
In an ostensibly secular country what possible secular reason could be given to allow for a majority to revoke a civil right from a minority?
I've heard many...
Marriage is a God-given blessing bestowed upon a man and a woman.
No. Marriage in the eyes of a state is a civil contract. It is simply called marriage by tradition. It could just as easily be called a civil union. If that would make the religious 'wing-nuts' happy i would gladly convert my 'marriage' to a civil union. It doesn't matter a damned to me what they call it so long as it is recognized by the state.
For thousands of years marriage has been accepted as the union of a man and a woman who are we to change that.
So what? For hundreds years it was acceptable to hold people in bondage or indentured servitude with no recourse. Now it is unthinkable for most people. For thousands of years women were considered property of the their fathers or husbands. When Elizabeth Cady-Stanton agitated for women's suffrage many quoted the holy bible and shamed her for going against God's plan. Time and human morality marched on. In the end Christianity was dragged into the 20th century kicking and screaming.
Allowing same-sex marriages will destroy American culture and lead to societal breakdown!
Oh please! We here in 'librul' Massachusetts have allowed gays to marry since 2004. Guess what? The sun still rises. Crops still grow. Tides still come in and recede. Interstingly God has not decided to 'smote' us for our rebellious ways. No hurricanes, famine nor pestilence*. Life goes on.
To the those in California who are disgusted and infuriated by the passage of that disgraceful piece of legislative discrimination: Protest!!! Fight!!! Scream and shout!!! Surround those churches night and day and voice your displeasure. Never stop, never give in. Demand action. Be a thorn in the side of legislators such that they have no choice but to give you the rights you deserve.
I think it's time to TAX the good churches of California for their partisan polticking!
R.
*foot note from wifey: I forgot to include locusts. Just because it sounds funny!
All I see this doing is riling up the reactionaries and making non-theist types look like 'kill-joys'.
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