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Yesterday, New Hampshire legislators protected marriage equality by rejecting two bills: HB1590 and CACR28. HB1590 would repeal same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, and CACR28 would amend the NH Constitution to recognize marriage as only between a man and a woman. While both bills were defeated, it makes one wonder why other people's unions should be such a cause for concern. The chief proponents of anti-gay propaganda-the religious right-seems to think that their views must be imposed upon everybody, completely disregarding what the U.S. Constitution says.
Conservative Christian organizations hold fast to their belief that we are a Christian nation, and that the word of God, as they interpret it from the Bible, should be enforced in the U.S.. It is true that Christianity has positively influenced both Americans and our history in countless ways. But what the religious right fails to realize is that this nation was never meant to be an enforcer of religious doctrine. And while it's true that the U.S. has enforced religious laws in the past, the Constitution strongly indicates that laws made on a religious basis are invalid.
The first amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof [.]" These words established one of our most cherished and fundamental rights--to believe what we choose and to worship as we please. However, it is important to note that our founders also initiated the separation of church and state. Our government cannot--and should not--approve or disapprove of religion: this policy is necessary to promote equal and fair treatment of all citizens. Putting these historic facts into the context of the marriage issue, the critical question is: by prohibiting gay marriage, is our government endorsing and/or rejecting religious ideology?
The answer to this question seems to be: yes, our government is endorsing religion by prohibiting gay marriage. The argument pushed by those who oppose these marriages claim that by allowing them, we are destroying the American family. And just where do these groups draw their definition of the American family from? The answer is nearly unanimous: the Christian Bible. Of course, there are other factors, namely homophobia, ignorance, and adherence to "tradition."
The religious beliefs of homosexuals also comes into play. Our government cannot restrict how people practice their beliefs, and this means that a person can decide to accept homosexuality in their religion. Taken to the extreme, homosexuals could legally create their own religion that considers homosexuality completely acceptable. And since our government "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," a ban on gay marriage can become an infringement on citizens' religious rights.
Of course, these answers alone are not enough to validate gay marriage. Many of those in opposition to it claim that they are acting for the good of the country, to save America's families from this corruption. This is not an invalid claim. If an offender says that the first amendment gives the right, in the name of religious belief, to steal or murder, he is nonetheless punished for his crime. The restriction of government from accepting or rejecting religious ideology is no excuse for allowing harmful behavior. So we now have another critical question to answer: does gay marriage pose a threat to the American people's well being?
Despite what the opposing organizations say, there is scant evidence that homosexuals (and therefore their unions) are harmful to anybody. This can be most clearly seen in the few states that have permitted gay marriage. Their social structure has not been decimated or reduced to barbarianism. Like most of us, the majority of gays and lesbians live decent, law-abiding lives, and are not interested in destroying the meaning of family. Rather, they simply want to be accepted and treated fairly in our society, just like everyone else. It is unfortunately true that there are some radicals who behave just as the anti-gay marriage groups claim, antagonizing people and acting hostile toward the traditional ideas of family. It is important, however, to remember that they are in the minority, just like the civil rights advocates who favored violence were a minority to those who favored peace.
With the religious organizations and the gay rights advocates refusing to back down from the fight, there is no clear end to this struggle. While their concerns are understandable, religious groups are violating individual rights by trying to ban gay marriage and causing grief for an untold number of couples. We are in the middle of a movement against prejudice, the third major civil rights movement, and creating progress will be no easier than in the previous two. America will have to decide whether we prefer homosexuals to stay locked in the closet or to come out and get some fresh air.
