There have been many legislative, judicial, popular ballot and other movements, developments, articles, and opinions recently on the gay “issue” in general and on the issue of gay marriage in particular.
As mentioned by our Dennis Sanders in “Putting Aside the Bible for a While,” both “sides” on the gay issue and both proponents and opponents of gay marriage have used the Bible and other holy scriptures as a tool (sometimes a very blunt tool) to support their views and arguments.
Newsweek, in its December 15 “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage,” (More specifically, in Lisa Miller’s “Our Mutual Joy”), explored this very issue with the following “teaser”: “Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.”
Apparently, this so-called controversial article provoked a massive response (more than 40,000 readers responded to the story as of the printing date of the December 22 issue), the vast majority stemming from a letter-writing campaign encouraged by the American Family Association, which took issue with the piece.
My personal opinion of the article is that it is one of the most insightful, sensible and sensitive articles I have read on this issue.
I say this as a heterosexual who will never understand the physical attraction and sexual relationships between two persons of the same sex.
But I also say this as a human being who totally understands the love and commitment two people, regardless of gender, can have for each other.
Who are we to, socially, religiously or legally, condemn those who share such love and deny them the full rights we “straights” enjoy when we consummate such love through the act of marriage?
These are my two straight bits on this very “controversial” issue—one that shouldn’t be.
Thank you Ms. Miller and Newsweek, for telling it like it is—or like it should be.
