Stop Trying To Be Jesus

Until last week, I was of the opinion that if gays and lesbians could at least be granted the same rights as heterosexual married couples, it didn't matter what their union was called. No longer.

It is time for Democrats to take a firm, all-or-nothing stance on the gay-marriage issue, and that means dropping the "civil unions" language from the argument and stating in firm tones that two men or women must be allowed to, in the eyes of the government, be married. This does not mean forcing churches to marry homosexuals; far from it. It means, however, that according to The Supreme Court of The United States, separate but equal is not the same as equal; therefore, a homosexual couple wed by a justice should not only be afforded the exact same rights as a heterosexual couple, they should also be "married." Otherwise, I believe this will begin with "civil unions" and end with insurance companies and lawyers finding ways around paying in full on various policies and wills because the gay couple in question is not actually "married."

Additionally, the notion that this union must be called anything but "marriage" as to not offend the sensibilities of religious Americans is, in and of itself, offensive. Even assuming that, in the eyes of these folks, gays are evil, there is no excuse for voting to treat them like second class citizens in the name of Jesus. In Matthew 5, Christ says:

"But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you."

This translates roughly to, "be as accommodating as possible while you are on Earth, even to people you feel are doing wrong, and I'll straighten things out in the afterlife. Don't try to do my fucking job for me."