Saturday, January 9, 2010

THE CONSERVATIVE CASE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

This is an excellent article by Ted Olson who, along with David Boies, is seeking to overturn Prop. 8 in federal court this coming week. The following is an excerpt from this article that I urge you to read in its entirety:

Many of my fellow conservatives have an almost knee-jerk hostility toward gay marriage. This does not make sense, because same-sex unions promote the values conservatives prize. Marriage is one of the basic building blocks of our neighborhoods and our nation. At its best, it is a stable bond between two individuals who work to create a loving household and a social and economic partnership. We encourage couples to marry because the commitments they make to one another provide benefits not only to themselves but also to their families and communities. Marriage requires thinking beyond one's own needs. It transforms two individuals into a union based on shared aspirations, and in doing so establishes a formal investment in the well-being of society. The fact that individuals who happen to be gay want to share in this vital social institution is evidence that conservative ideals enjoy widespread acceptance. Conservatives should celebrate this, rather than lament it.

[For the full article, see here.]
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2 comments:

James Hipps said...

Which makes me wonder what the true motivation behind the bigotry is.

Jerry Maneker said...

Hi James: Beyond the unconscious motivations of which I recently wrote, it seems to me that there is a reactionary mind-set among many people whereby were it not for their homophobia they would seek another group viewed as "safe" to persecute. Hence, exclusionary rhetoric and the irrational "justifications" used to seek to prevent acquisition of equal rights used by many clergy who falsely appeal to the Bible devoid of context and even knowledge of the relevant Greek words they translate to be in accord with their own preconceived prejudices. One of the articles I wrote on this issue some time ago is one that you might find of interest. It's located here. Best wishes, Jerry.