I am not going to repeat the legal reasons that this supreme court ruling was bad. I want to focus on something more emotional, and far more common.
It is no secret that I have vehemently opposed gay marriage. In response to the points that I have made, I have been told the following:
- That I "probably don't have a lot of gay friends"
- That I have a phobia of homosexuals
- That I am a bigot
- That I am hateful
- That I don't understand the Bible
- That God just wants people to love each other (and that sin does not exist)
- That I might be gay myself if I am "threatened"
- That I am fighting against "civil" or "human" rights
- That I am encouraging (or even inciting) violence
- That I am being judgmental, and therefore will burn in hell
The list is not comprehensive, but it never ceases to amaze me how many accusations are made about any person who believes in traditional marriage.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled that individuals have a right to be married, the question I have for gay marriage advocates is whether they plan to extend these rights to everyone. (This is a rhetorical question, I don't want you to tell me about it, I want you to actually open your mind to the consequences of "love" "winning.")
Take for example the polygamous group. (Now before you say that this is a straw man argument, and no one is advocating for it, read this article) So if seven people decide that they are in "love", how can a person say that they should be denied the right to marry? Obviously not because we adhere to a standard of traditional marriage. If you are opposed to polygamy, let me suggest the following reasons:
- That you "probably don't have a lot of polygamous friends"
- That you have a phobia of polygamists
- That you are a bigot
- That you are hateful
- That you don't understand the Bible
- That God just wants people to love each other (and that sin does not exist)
- That you might have polygamous desires yourself if you are"threatened"
- That you are fighting against "civil" or "human" rights
- That you are encouraging (or even inciting) violence
- That you are being judgmental, and therefore will burn in hell
Take for example the biological brother and sister that have fallen in love, but that the state will not issue a marriage license because they are related. If marriage is a right, then who are you to say that being related should deprive a person of this right? If you still disagree that incestuous relationships should be able to have legal recognition in the form of marriage, may I suggest the following reasons that you believe this:
- That you "probably don't have a lot of incestuous friends"
- That you have a phobia of incest
- That you are a bigot
- That you are hateful
- That you don't understand the Bible
- That God just wants people to love each other (and that sin does not exist)
- That you might have incestuous desires yourself if you are"threatened"
- That you are fighting against "civil" or "human" rights
- That you are encouraging (or even inciting) violence
- That you are being judgmental, and therefore will burn in hell
Take for example the man that has fallen in love with his pet dog. They would like to make their love officially recognized in the form of marriage. Who are you to say that the dog doesn't love its owner. I have spoken to many vegetarians who insist that animals have all the same feelings that humans have, and that the most important of those feelings is love. Who are you to say that this type of relationship is "not natural." For thousands of years the majority of civilization believed the exact same thing about homosexuality (and many still do.) Just because Leviticus 18:23 says "Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion" doesn't mean anything. After all, the Bible also forbids eating pork or women speaking in church, so you can't accept everything in the Bible... right? Certainly this form of "love" may not be traditional, but the man has a right to be married, and if you try to discriminate against the form of his love, it can only be because:
- That you "probably don't have a lot of animal-loving friends"
- That you have a phobia of human-animal relationships
- That you are a bigot
- That you are hateful
- That you don't understand the Bible
- That God just wants people to love each other (and that sin does not exist)
- That you might have bestiality desires yourself if you are"threatened"
- That you are fighting against "civil" or "human" rights
- That you are encouraging (or even inciting) violence
- That you are being judgmental, and therefore will burn in hell
Take for example the forty-year-old man that has fallen in love with a twelve-year-old boy. The boy says that he is happy with the man, and who are you to say their relationship is taboo? Of course, the boy may not be an adult, to which traditional marriage relationships typically are limited, but tradition is not the basis for love anymore, right? It's only love. Nothing else matters, right? And who are you to say that the boy is not capable of being in love? If young people are not capable of love, then are you advocating banning relationships in high school between students who are under the age of eighteen? No more "cutest couple" in the year book, right? Your "girlfriend" or "boyfriend" is not allowed. There are no gay teens, right, since they are too young to understand or participate in sexual activities, right? Or perhaps you truly believe that "love" should win? Perhaps the pedophile is just another "non-traditional" relationship that has been negatively stereotyped by society. No? Then perhaps you say this because:
- That you "probably don't have a lot of pedophile friends"
- That you have a phobia of pedophilia
- That you are a bigot
- That you are hateful
- That you don't understand the Bible
- That God just wants people to love each other (and that sin does not exist)
- That you might have pedophilia desires yourself if you are"threatened"
- That you are fighting against "civil" or "human" rights
- That you are encouraging (or even inciting) violence
- That you are being judgmental, and therefore will burn in hell
If you are a gay marriage advocate, you may be tempted to let me know about how these ideas are totally different than those of gay marriage. You may be tempted to shout "slippery slope" or "no one is going to advocate that" or "straw man" or whatever else makes you feel better about the fact that you believe (as I do) that there should be some discrimination in who we permit to marry. Please, before you begin sending me messages about how awful a human being I am... consider for just a moment that perhaps gay marriage advocates are not so very different from the traditionalists, cake bakers, and people of faith that many of them tend to demonize.
If the reasons for why you might be opposed to bestiality, pedophilia, incest, and other unnatural relationships are not accurately represented by the bullet point lists... then consider for a moment the possibility that the reason I am opposed to homosexual marriage may not be accurately represented by these things either.
Additionally, if you have thrown "traditional marriage" out the window as a valid reason to discriminate against other unorthodox types of unions, consider for a moment the actual reasons that you are opposed to them. Examine why you believe that some types of unions are not good, and should not be condoned by society.
It is my earnest hope that perhaps, in the moment when you struggle to define why it is OK to discriminate against some marriages, that you will see that advocates of traditional marriage are not the demons they are painted to be.
