Disclaimer: These thoughts and options are solely from the author. They do not reflect the values or beliefs of this publication. This publication nor any religious organization endorse these opinions. Any content provided is for reading pleasure, there is no intent to discredit any individual or lifestyle. Kayla Kennedy is an established Hampton University journalist; these are her thoughts.
I remember the night of June 26, 2015, seeing the colorful lights beaming on the white house. At the time I wasn’t sure what was really going on but this moment changed the future for thousands of Americans.
I now can look back to recognize the significance of the moment. At this moment, the love of so many couples were legally recognized by the United States President, the Supreme Court, and the government. They no longer had to relocate to form the legal bond above all others. Just like any other couple, they could enjoy a decent, legal wedding in all 50 states.
Fast forward 5 years later and strong opposition still exists. After years of bans, law changes, and a supreme court ruling, there are still so many citizens denouncing same-sex marriage.
The Republican party is keeping the same platform from 2016, maintaining its opposition to the supreme court’s redefinition of marriage. There are also multiple cases of companies refusing to serve same-sex weddings. Even a case of a legal clerk refusing to approve a marriage license of a homosexual couple.
As a Christian in today’s society, I have my own opinions and reasons for supporting or disagreeing with each of these scenarios.
Before getting into them, I present my general same-sex marriage opinion as a Christian base on the law and bible.
The words “judge not” appear in many places the Bible tells us not to judge others. This addressed in Matthew Chapter 7, Luke 6:37, and James 4:11-12. James 4:12 reads, “There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”
As a Christian growing up, I was always reminded that God gave us free will to make our own decisions but it was up to us to follow God’s word or not. So in our mature age why don’t we remind ourselves of that?
I know what my beliefs are and I personally do not believe in a same-sex marriage, the bible clearly states the consequence. Yet, it is not my place to judge or make decisions for someone else. Others may not even believe in my religion so why must it impose on their lively hood?
Whether we admit it or not, the United States was based, in one way or another, on the foundation of Christianity. Also, Christianity still has a hold on a lot of our conservative leaders, the evidence is in their rulings.
On the contrary, the constitution calls for the separation of church and state. This can be found in the first line of the first amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”
Therefore, banning same-sex marriage on the basis of the definition of marriage in the bible is illegal.
Now to get into some specifics, President Trump’s election campaigns have clearly stated his distaste for Congresses’ block on same-sex marriage bans. This could be simply because he disagrees with everything done under the Obama administration or because he tends to side with the conservatives.
Nonetheless, this position is outdated and should have been removed from his 2020 campaign. Society is now in a more accepting space and as I mentioned in my general arguments, is just not the government’s place.
There was a case the made it all the way to the supreme court in 2018, Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. The case was brought forward in the acquisition of discrimination. The owner of the Masterpiece Cakeshop refused to serve a gay couple a wedding cake because of his personal religious beliefs.
The supreme court decided the “Commission did not employ religious neutrality, violating Masterpiece owner Jack Phillips' rights to free exercise, and reversed the Commission's decision.”
Yet they left the question of the right to deny on religious grounds open for future cases.
Mentioned earlier, the bible rebukes same-sex marriage so lots of ministers refuse to perform a same-sex wedding. This should be within their right to stand on their beliefs and instead, refer the couple elsewhere.
A law to protect a private owner’s beliefs could be put in place to protect conservative business owners. This way, you are providing the freedom to business owners and same-sex couples.
On the opposite side, there have been numerous cases of law clerks refusing same-sex licenses because of their religious beliefs. In that profession, personal beliefs should not obstruct the law. Individuals carrying out actions such as these should find another job where they are not blocking the law.
The issue of same-sex marriage is more complex than what is present on the surface. It impacts business owners, clergy, couples, and society as a whole. But at the end of the day, we can’t be stuck in time without moving forward.
Our world is changing. Whether we like it or not, social norms are evolving. We cannot be stuck in our conservative ways, blocking the happiness of others. Let people live their lives and in the end, God will judge.
Reference
Kentucky clerk who refused gay marriage licenses can be sued. (August 2019) NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/kentucky-clerk-who-refused-gay-marriage-licenses-can-be-sued-n1046306
King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Republicans will call for a ban on same-sex marriage and rally against trans rights in outdated election platform. (June 2020.) Pink News. Retrieved from https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/06/12/republican-platform-2020-gop-donald-trump-same-sex-marriage-trans-conversion-therapy/
U.S. Const. amend. I.
We all Want Equality. (Feb 2019.) Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/02/19/all-we-want-equality/religious-exemptions-and-discrimination-against-lgbt-people
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