With the news that the Massachusetts Supreme Court has ruled the state must make marriage licenses available to same-sex couples in 180 days, I’m getting a lot of mail from a lot of conservative fundamentalists who feel victimized.
“Christian values are the only values I would recognize,” Bob Morehead writes. “[What makes the government qualified] to tell me that I should tolerate same-sex marriages?”
Dorthy writes, “The message in the Bible is good enough for me: one man, one woman.”
*Sigh*
Imagine that tomorrow, the following news story breaks:
(WASHINGTON – AP) As of tomorrow, receiving a blood transfusion in the United States will be a crime.
The Supreme Court today gave formal recognition to the religious beliefs of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who teach that receiving a transfusion breaks Old Testament scriptures commanding believers to abstain from consuming blood.
“It’s a shame for all those folks who need transfusions,” said Earnest I. Diot, who led the charge for a National Transfusion Prohibition Amendment. “But the Bible says what the Bible says, and, as a Christian nation, we have to recognize that the Bible is the basis for all our laws.”
To all the Christian fundamentalists out there: I know the fact that other people have beliefs that differ from your own frustrates, angers, and frightens you.
You are going to have to get over it.
This is America. Our freedom of religion and the separation of church and state exist to protect people like me from poeple like you — people who want to force their beliefs on others by making their religious convictions into law.
Take our Jehovah’s Witness friends, for example. They can preach all day long that getting a blood transfusion is a sin. They can call anyone who gets a blood transfusion a sinner. It’s their right.
Meanwhile, I’m free to draw my own transfusion conclusions. Based on my own faith, I get to decide if transfusions deserve a thumbs-up from God. My participation doesn’t conflict with the JW’s right to abstain … and their decision to abstain shouldn’t conflict with my decision to pump in a pint or two.
In the same vein (sorry, couldn’t resist!), you guys are free to holler all you like that folks like me are sinners. Shout it from the rooftops. Here: let me hand you a bullhorn! Preach it every Sunday. Who needs God? Make yourselves judge and jury and consign me, in your opinion, straight to Hell.
Meanwhile, I should be free to draw my own marriage conclusions. Based on my own faith, I should decide if my gay marriage gets a thumbs-up from God. My participation in marriage doesn’t conflict with your right to abstain from it … and your decision to abstain shouldn’t conflict with my decision to throw on a tux and order one heck of a groom’s cake.
Oh, and by the way — the fact that the government makes transfusions available to all of us (even though the JW’s don’t like it) doesn’t make the government “pro-transfusion” or “anti-Jehovah.” It means the government recognizes and supports the rights of adults to draw their own religious conclusions.
When the government extends marriage to same-sex couples — and it will — that won’t make the government “pro-gay” or “anti-Christian.” It will just be evidence that the American emphasis on individual rights has once again delivered us all from the tyranny of small minds.
I totally support same sex marriages. In fact , the law that was passed in Massachuttes, was one thing myliberal Christian family was thankful for during our turkey day dinner.