A Crusade Against Same-sex Marriage

Desertenews.com reprinted a press release from Bishop William Weigand of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento and former bishop of Salt Lake City. In his press release, he condemned protests of the passage of California’s Proposition 8, a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

In his press release, Wigand decried “bigoted attacks” against supporters as being “shameful and ignorant” and directed towards a “small part of the” population. He criticized the bigotry exhibited by opponents to Prop 8 in calling supporters of “traditional marriage intolerant.”

He called upon “supporters of same-sex marriage to live by their own words – and refrain from discrimination… and to exercise tolerance of those who differ from them.”

What?

I encourage the bishop to take a dose of his own medicine. Is he the pot or the kettle? Does the commandment to “love one another” only apply to those he agrees with? Christ was a masterful grass roots political activist who chose to spend time with the sinners rather than the pious because He understood that changing people came through love unfeigned and patience and kindness, not through bigoted, intolerant attacks.

I supported the ban on gay marriage in Oregon, but only out of a feeling of obligation to be obedient, however, I didn’t go out of my way to sway others to agree with me. The state has no business in marriage. Their presence in the institution is driven by revenue, control, and tracking financial agreements between two people. The church may now have a different role in the institution of marriage, but true religion has as its fundamental principle morale agency, and morale agency allows a person to make a decision based on their own value system as they understand the gospel they subscribe to, if any. Who are we to tell them they are wrong? Even when we believe we are right, we must appreciate that they feel as convicted in their beliefs as we do in ours. We may think we are right, but everybody can’t be right, and only God knows for sure who’s right. Religion is big enough to allow everyone to practice their religion how, when, and where they choose. Government should only intervene in matters of criminal matters and health and safety issues.

The church I attend attracts the likes of Orin Hatch as well as Harry Reid. Considering the spectrum, it’s clear that God has made room for each of us to follow the dictates of our understanding as directed by the Holy Spirit. Removing the freedom of another person to choose for themselves is bigoted, intolerant, and is closer to the plan of Devil than the plan of God. True Christianity loves the sinner and employs charity, love unfeigned, faith, patience, and long suffering to encourage them to align themselves with the desires of a loving God. God causes the sun and rain to fall on the sinner and saint alike. Using the political process to advance our values and morals may be the status quo, and our values and morals may be shaped by our religious views, but making the ban on same-sex marriage about religion is inappropriate.

Condemning the actions those we first condemned is hypocritical and we need to use this opportunity to examine our beliefs and morals and ask if our actions are consistent with the desires of a loving God and if it is appropriate to use religion to wage a crusade against difference.

I call upon supporters of traditional “marriage to live by their own words – and refrain from discrimination… and to exercise tolerance of those who differ from them.”