Just my Thoughts- Gay marriage

At The Greatest Stories Ever Told we live by love.  No matter what our political, religious views or otherwise are, we believe that everybody deserves love, and that's the only way that we are going to change the world.

Here's my thoughts, though, on the recent Gay Marriage passage.

First, no matter what my personal views are on same sex-marriage, the fact is the that it was inevitable that it was going to pass.  Not only that, but as a heterosexual, happily, blissfully married woman, it will never personally effect me.  Heck, even straight couples say it's only a piece of paper, so is it really speaking to moral ambiguity that we allow same sex marriage?

Second, and my husband and I have discussed this before, what if you removed anything sexual from the equation.  I know it was meant to be a comedy, but look at that Adam Sandler movie I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.  I never actually saw the movie, but the premise has to apply to several instances.  How many heterosexual couples get married out of convenience, especially today in a failing economy.  If you have two best friends who have been there for each other, let's say both widows or widowers, and they want to make sure that their best friend is taken care of financially or otherwise after they pass, without the money to have a proper will written up any family member could contest an inheritance after passing and moreso, you can not leave financial retirement packages, such as a 401k or pension package to a loved one outside of a spouse.  So it just disappears when you die.  This way two men or women could get married, with sex completely inconsequential to their relationship, and know that the other will be taken care of.

Thirdly, if we are going to allow equal rights as far as same sex marriage applies, then we have to also acknowledge and protect the rights of those who don't believe in it, whether it be politically or religiously, we all have the right in the United States of America to believe and stand convicted in our faith, regardless of what it is for.  If a bakery doesn't want to make a wedding cake for a same sex marriage, it is not grounds to sue them.  Guess what! They can refuse to make a pornographic cake for heterosexual bachelor party too! Go to a different bakery.  That's what makes America great, there's always another place to go to near by if it involves a high amount of junk food. I bet there are four more right on the same street!  And to drag someone's name through the dirt just because they refuse service, no one would make a homosexual stand in a picket line to oppose gay marriage, it would be ludicrous and seen as tormentous.  The same thing as churchs.  Ministers, priests, etc should not be facing potential civil suits because they refuse to perform the ceremony.  My question is, why do you care if they don't want to perform it.  In fact, You shouldn't want them to if they are  opposed to it.  Your wedding day, male/female, gay/straight, should be all about the love that you share with the person you are marrying.  In my opinion if you and your to be spouse is getting all up in arms about something so trivial, then you shouldn't be getting married in the first place if you are allowing the focus of your wedding day to drift from the love you share to a petty fight with someone who simply disagrees with you.  That is the beauty of America.  We don't have to agree with each other.

As far as politicians go, their job is to protect and support the rights of the people they represent.  That is why we vote them into their various offices.  As such, their religious and personal views on a topic such as gay marriage should not come into play.  For instance Mike Huckabee.  I'm sorry Mike, but if you want to preach, then find a pulpit not a political platform.  Your job is not to represent God in this way, but to represent the people's interest.  And being overweight and out of shape, you can not claim to be living righteously by God.  Especially when you have no financial problems to prevent you from eating right.  (A topic I would love to discus further another time.) God says to treat your body as a temple dedicated to him.  Well, even from the Christian standpoint, if you believe that homosexuality is a sin, you don't have the right to judge if you are not living perfectly.  My husband pointed out the other day a perfect example.  Whatever happened to What Would Jesus Do?  Do you think that Jesus would be out in the streets stoning homosexual couples as they exit a courthouse or church after their wedding? Or do you think he'd be drawing a line the sand for the picketers and saying if anyone of you have not sinned let you cast the first stone?

Basically what I'm saying is this. Republican, Democrat, Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Gay, Straight, it doesn't matter. The only way we will have peace in America is to agree to disagree.  That's what our founding father's built this country on.  Everyone having a say and everyone having rights.  We've had our moments where we've delved into keeping those rights from others, but if we agree to disagree and stop being so sensitive, then everyone would get along fine.  The constitution was written to give everyone rights and the pursuit of happiness... but most people don't read the whole thing.  The pursuit of happiness as long as it doesn't deny someone else their rights.  (Obviously I'm paraphrasing) but an extreme example would be murder.  You don't have a right to murder someone because it makes you happy because that would be taking away their rights.  Well, in this case it is the same.  You have the rights as a homosexual couple to get married, but you don't have the right to attack someone who doesn't approve of it and force them to make your wedding cake.  Problem solved. Go to a bakery that does support same sex marriage, or that doesn't care either way.  That's two thirds of the options in your favor.

All I'm saying is once you have what you have been fighting for, stop looking for a fight.  Same-sex marriage was inevitable.  As one friend put it, can we just call it marriage now?  And as a comedian said Just because gay marriage is legal doesn't make it mandatory.  Let's get off our high horses and leave each other alone.  Let's choose to love one another, no matter what our differences or disagreements are, because we are all human beings with hearts, minds, bodies, and spirits that need caring for.  Let's overlook each other's misgivings and heal instead of hurt, no matter what the problem is.  And let's look at ourselves before we begin to judge someone else.

~Anna Bella Vaughan~