I went to sleep last night after checking up on the election coverage. My main interest? Maine's Prop 1. Maine, a place I've never been and never really felt the need to visit. I imagine it being full of tall trees, fisherman, and small towns. In all of the reading I did yesterday, I learned that it's also the home of one of the largest populations of LGBT individuals per capita on the East Coast. So ... teh gayz? They haz em. Which is partially why it blows my mind that Prop 1 passed, striking down a law that gave same-sex couples the right to marry, just like opposite-sex couples (thank you, Carrie Prejean for that ridiculous phrase) can.
This is one of the ads that was run asking people to vote "Yes on 1".
Ah, the fear factor. They'll teach it to the kids! THE KIDS!
Truth? According the to Maine Attorney General, that wouldn't happen. (Read THIS article if you don't believe me.) I don't recall the class in school where the teacher sat us down and taught us all about marriage and divorce and adultery and everything that goes with it. Who knows, maybe I slept through that bit. But even if kids were taught about gay marriage, well, I don't quite see the problem. No one is going to tell your son or daughter that they HAVE to marry someone of the same sex. I mean, that is the concern, right? That little Johnny or Susie will grow up to be gay? I have my doubts about them "learning" to be gay in school.
And then, we've got my favorite argument ... the Bible. Ah, the Bible. Here are some of the favorites of the homophobic, er, I mean ... same-sex marriage proponents:
Leviticus 18:22 - Thou shalt not lie with a man as one lies with a female. It is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 - "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
Those are the quotes that so many Christians use from The Torah. I would write out all of the quotes that Christians believe are no longer valid from The Torah, but I don't think Blogspot allows posts that long.
There's also a verse from (ta-da!) Christian Bible.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God."
Drunkards and slanderers, eh? Shouldn't there be more people out there protesting to bring back prohibition? I mean, it's tainting the moral fibers of our country!
Ok, fine, I'll hand it to them. The Bible, take your pick, does make mention of homosexuality. But, there are also these gems, all from the Christian Bible:
John 13:34 - (Jesus) A new commandment that I give unto you. That you love one another.
John 8:7 - (Jesus) He who is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.
Matthew 5:7 - (Jesus) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Matthew 5:10 - (Jesus) Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness sake. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Thanks to the writers of Grey's Anatomy for that.)
So, for those who are faithful believers in the Bible, whichever one they choose, there are options. Spelled out right there. They can be all judgey like Paul suggests in Corinthians, or, they can do as their Lord and Savior suggests and not judge others. Not cast the first stone. You know, basically, not be an ass. Not deny legal rights to people because you decided to go ahead and cast that stone, even though Jesus himself (as you believe, faithful Bible believer) told you NOT to do that. Like I tried to explain to someone tonight ... there are people who think that eating shellfish is wrong. Because it's in The Bible. (Yeah, it's in there. Also, stay away from pork and don't mix your meat and milk. And don't you dare touch a woman while she's on her period!) But if those people walk by and see someone eating crab? Or lobster? I seriously doubt they're going to walk by and start shouting Bible verses at you and telling you that you're going to hell. In fact, there weren't even any votes happening on it this year! That travesty, that no one is standing up to preserve the sanctity of the Kosher food rules. Seriously.
My opinion? People are just judgey. The same way that people didn't want integration in the 1960's. The same way men didn't want women to have the right to vote. The same way white people didn't want black people to be free. The same way the Europeans thought the Native Americans were savage. The same way the British wanted the Puritans the hell out of their country. See what I'm getting at here?
The worst part is that people hide behind the Bible and use it as their excuse for homophobia and hatred. Even though the argument doesn't hold water. Because if you want to take everything the Bible says and make it law, then women will have to throw out their pants. Any man missing a testicle won't be allowed into a church/mosque/synagogue. Children who misbehave will be stoned. Rape victims will have to marry their rapists. And my personal favorite, anyone who works on the Sabbath will be put to death. So don't even think of flipping on that light switch, sir, because it's after sundown on Friday evening.
My request to people who are anti-gay marriage? Man (or woman) up. Just say it. "I'm a homophobe!" I'll still think that you're ignorant and disrespectful, but I'll have more respect for you that people who filter their fear of the unknown through the Bible.
