Vote Them Out

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I've been reading about New York passing the same sex marriage bill.   What really bothers me is the process.  I'm not against gay people.  All people have dignity.  I don't agree with same sex marriage, but that's not what disturbs me about the states that are passing same sex marriage.

What disturbs me is that it's not the will of the people.

That's one big, fat reason, to oppose the same sex marriage bill.  Others could be Genesis 2: 24, and the Catechism Article 7, 1604.  But I don't have to quote anything religious.  It's just not right for state legislatures to oppose the will of their constituents and vote on redefining traditional  marriage.  Marriage!  The backbone of civilization!  The state is changing society.  It is trying to redefine traditional families.  How do you define social engineering?

Why don't politicians put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot?  It's not put to the people because same-sex marriage would never pass.  So why do the state legislatures vote it in?

Money.

The Huffington Post states that well-funded gay-rights supporters helped pass the same sex bill.

 "The passage of historic legislation legalizing same sex marriage in the state of New York last Friday was owed in large part to a compelling political motivator: money."

Remember this, everyone.  Your representatives are not representing you.  They vote where the money is.
VOTE THEM OUT.

Map:
Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in the United States

  Same-sex marriage¹

  Unions granting rights similar to marriage^1,2

  Legislation granting limited/enumerated rights¹

  Same-sex marriages performed elsewhere recognized¹

  No specific prohibition or recognition of same-sex marriages or unions

  Statute bans same-sex marriage

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage and some or all other kinds of same-sex unions

¹May include recent laws or court decisions which have created legal recognition of same-sex relationships, but which have not entered into effect yet.
²Same-sex marriage laws in California are complicated;

The Times Are A-Changing

Have you ever watched the McLaughlin Group?  If you're not a usual viewer and you have just meandered onto the show, it might seem like everyone is hollering at each other.  Well, oftentimes I am reminded by that at my own dinner table.  Often I am reminded of that in the cafeteria, at work.  Heck, just friends and I in a restaurant, can go at it.

This is especially true when the subject is religion.  It doesn't matter what religion; we can all be Catholics.  But when the subject is immigration, gays, health care, traditional Masses, Liturgical Dance, BXVI, or how to receive Communion, you'd think you're experiencing the McLaughlin Group.


In Beyond the God Gap by Jim Kessler and Robert P. Jones, PhD in the Huffington Post, I read where it's normal to holler at the dinner table.

It's time to drop all divisive language and rethink the way we talk about opposing views.  Stop vilifying the liberals/conservatives.  LISTEN instead of shouting.


These old "god gap" assumptions we encountered in our pasts were not atypical. Public conversations about religion and politics continue to fall into well-worn ruts based on stereotypes: evangelical Christians march monolithically to a right-wing tune; mainline Protestants are no longer relevant; Catholics in the pews affirm all official church positions; and the non-religious are moral relativists. But as we have discovered through research and in our own lives, the truth is more nuanced and interesting. And understanding this truth is heartening and essential not only for anyone hoping to make progress on specific issues such as gay and lesbian rights, abortion, and immigration reform, but also for anyone working to foster a more civil dialogue throughout the country.

Today, Kessler and Jones assert, are four religious groupings: white evangelical Protestants, white Mainline Protestants, African American Protestants, and Roman Catholics.  They are finding differences of opinion in all groupings.  More vocal gay and lesbians are shifting opinions.  More immigrants are adding a new dimension to all churches.  Hispanics are changing the Catholic Church.  

Yesterdays conservative is today's liberal.  Not quite.  But there is change happening.  It's time to rethink our stereotypes and listen with open ears and minds, and hearts.