Yesterday the supreme court of California decided that it was unconstitutional to ban gay marriage. California will now be the second state to allow gay marriage.
Of course this has been the law for several years now in Canada and so far there have been no reports of a general collapse of society as a result. I figure that the sign of a civil society is the ability to hold differing views for the benefit of a greater good. While our citizens are fairly evenly split on gay marriage I talk to many who were and sometimes still are opposed who concede that tolerance, if not acceptance, makes sense. There is legal protection and fundamental issues of fairness in same-sex marriage that are important, regardless of personal viewpoint.
Of course this has been the law for several years now in Canada and so far there have been no reports of a general collapse of society as a result. I figure that the sign of a civil society is the ability to hold differing views for the benefit of a greater good. While our citizens are fairly evenly split on gay marriage I talk to many who were and sometimes still are opposed who concede that tolerance, if not acceptance, makes sense. There is legal protection and fundamental issues of fairness in same-sex marriage that are important, regardless of personal viewpoint.
When we had our discussion and vote at St. Paul's I didn't expect that everyone would agree, any more than we always agree in our household. The art of compromise, mutual respect, and a willingness to "agree to disagree" are essential to healthy families, congregations, communities, countries.
The question in the U.S. now is whether same-gender marriage will now become an election issue. This is fascinating because race is already an issue, and in some states laws existed which prohibited interracial marriage until relatively recently. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/politics/16gay.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
At the risk of anthropomorphizing the deity, don't you wonder if God is laughing or crying or a little of both?
The question in the U.S. now is whether same-gender marriage will now become an election issue. This is fascinating because race is already an issue, and in some states laws existed which prohibited interracial marriage until relatively recently. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/us/politics/16gay.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
At the risk of anthropomorphizing the deity, don't you wonder if God is laughing or crying or a little of both?
now THAT'S funny!
ReplyDeleteI think cartoonists are among the most clever and insightful people around.
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