What Prop 8 is Really About

Back in late May of this year, after the California Supreme Court had deemed unconstitutional the ban on gay marriage, the LA Times issued an editorial stating that public officials who are morally opposed to gay marriage should not be allowed to opt out of performing those marriage. After all they are paid to perform marriages. They state, “Gay and lesbian couples should not be subjected to embarrassing scenes in which county workers scurry around looking for someone willing to declare them married. ” On the other hand, do we not have any regard for the feelings of the officiators? Why can’t the tolerance road be traveled both ways? Why are the opponents of gay marriage the only ones required to be tolerant?

I think back to when I was stationed on the US submarine USS Michigan while it was being overhauled and refueled in the shipyard in Washington state. My watch rotation had me standing 24-hour duty every 3 or 4 days. Naturally some of those days would fall on Sunday. However, I made it clear that I would be happy to stand duty on Saturday instead so that I could spend Sunday with my family and attending to my church duties. In other words, I was seeking obey God’s commandment to honor the Sabbath day. Was I paid to stand duty on Sunday? Yes. Were there plenty of others that had no objection to swapping a Saturday for a Sunday? Yes. So the needs of the ship were being met, and I was allowed to observe my religious beliefs.

I wrote an article about this topic back in June which outlined some of the significant issues with same-sex marriage. It is ever more timely today than it was then.

Do the majority of Prop 8 supporters want Catholic Charities to be forced to close down their adoption services because they will not allow same-sex couples adopt from them? Is this tolerance of one’s religious views?

Do these supporters really want Methodist organizations in New Jersey to lose their tax-exempt status for not allowing a lesbian couple to use their facilities for a civil union ceremony? What control does this group have over their own destiny? Do we really want this?

Do we want Mennonites to be forced to teach their children about the gay lifestyle - even if that lifestyle is against their beliefs?

Do we want to legally require all doctors to perform artificial insemination on anyone who requests it? Is this the goal of all 47.5% of those who voted in favor of Prop 8?

To quote the article I referenced in my previous article:

“Perhaps you think people have a natural civil right to marry the person of their choosing. But can you really force yourself to believe that wedding photography is a civil right?

Maybe you believe that same-sex couples are entitled to have children, somehow. But is any doctor they might encounter required to inseminate them?”

Lastly, are we hearing about an outcry in Florida or Arizona where similar votes passed? I haven’t heard of anything. I suppose gays and lesbians in those states are as disappointed as those in California - and even in Utah.