Regarding the “separation of church and state”, the letter Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 was not to “a friend” but to the Danbury Baptist Association. In it he wrote: “…make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.”
Religion can draw such a subjective experience that no real controls can be administered. There would be too much left to interpretation, perhaps leading to arbitrary rulings. Not to mention that these days there are way to many religions to keep up with, and some are incompatible with one another. Muslims have beliefs, too. Unitarians. Jehovah’s Witnesses. The government wouldn’t be allowed to discriminate. We are not technically a Christian country. So I see this separation of church and state as more protective than prohibitive or insulting. In other words, worse things could happen than gay marriage.
Gay marriage is an interesting topic. I’ve never really known what it feels like to be homosexual, but I’ve had many homosexual friends who were some of the kindest and most honest and authentic people I’ve known. I attribute this to almost injured aesthetic, to a humility attained through suffering. No one would ever choose that kind of suffering, in my opinion. They risk their lives, jobs, reputations, etc. It would be far easier to live as a heterosexual. Some do, and probably feel miserable, like they’re living a lie. I can only speculate.
Regarding homosexuality obliterating the human race due to their lack of procreative abilities, I strongly doubt it. Only about 10-20% of the population is homosexual, and not all will marry. Homosexuals would have to outnumber heterosexuals for humans to die out, and even if that were a real threat, I’m fairly certain homosexuals would remedy the situation. No one wants to be obliterated.
So should they marry? Will it hurt the Christian community? Is marriage sacred or merely a social institution?
I know what the Catechism says, but before Biblical records, when there were Neanderthals and the like, did they marry? Were Adam and Eve individuals or are we to take the Hebrew meaning of the names into account? That of “Mankind” and “Bearer of Life”? So when did marriage begin? And what was the custom? How was it officiated? Was love and opening/offering up that love to God enough? I don’t know.
Regarding natural law… In the animal kingdom, sexuality is quite fluid (the Bonobo monkeys are one of many thousands of examples). Sometimes I wonder whether humankind has evolved (or devolved in the opinion of some) and is slowly becoming as much of a sexual spectrum. Everything moves toward a greater state of entropy, so it would make sense, if that were the case. I’ve wondered the same thing about the rising prevalence of autism, whether this is just an unfortunate move toward chaos.
Anyway, back to marriage… I think all people deserve the same legal rights and protections, and if marriage provides rights and protections which are unavailable to homosexuals who by law cannot marry (those can may lose the right), I tend to see this as denying them rights. It no longer becomes a religious topic, but a legal one. Marriage provides rights otherwise denied (to visit a dying spouse or inherit property, etc.). So when I think of denying someone the right to marriage, I first think of what they lose as a result.
I do not believe that homosexuality is a choice. Whether or not one acts on these urges might be a choice, but I can empathize, and I feel sad for those who feel they have to deny themselves the opportunity to marry someone they love. Love does indeed happen within homosexual unions. I’ve always wondered what God thinks about that, and why God would allow for such a deep love to arise despite these sexual differences/incompatibilities.
I recently heard Christopher West speak on the Theology of the Body, and something he said really stuck with me. He said, “The Devil has no clay. He can only reshape what God has made.” But if God creates a man or woman who are gay, or a baby with a parasitic head, or a two-headed person, or a baby with Down Syndrome, or a brilliant autistic savant who struggles in life, aren’t these creations His will? Does he have some mysterious plan in mind when these things happen? Is it to test the rest of us?
I realize this sounds like the beginning of multiple threads. I suppose it is and I’m sorry. Just stream of consciousness. I don’t expect an answer or response to so many thoughts/questions. Just sounding off here.
Thanks.
