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| Actor Tyler Labine (right) as a gay psychiatrist on NBC's New Amsterdam |
The ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ is a bill being debated that would formalize into federal law - the 2015 Supreme Court decision (5-4) in ‘Obergefell v. Hodges’. The court ruled that same sex marriage is a constitutionally protected civil right. That decision struck down all state law that forbade it.
Ryan Foley of The Christian Post specifies what this new legislation would do – if passed:
The measure would codify (that decision) …into federal law and formally repeal the unenforced Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman at the federal level…
(And it) would require all states to give "full faith and credit to any public act, record, or judicial proceeding of any other State pertaining to a marriage between 2 individuals, on the basis of the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of those individuals."
How fast this nation is descending into an amoral abyss! DOMA was actually supported by then President Bill Clinton who is a Democrat. He enthusiastically signed it into law in 1996. Now all Democrats and even some Republicans reject that notion – favoring a new ‘morality’ that sees DOMA as discriminatory – disregarding entirely a clearly stated biblical value they supported not all that long ago.
That being said - congress did amend the ‘Respect for Marriage Act’ - exempting religious individuals and institutions from being forced to perform same sex marriages - since not doing so would be a violation of their religious liberty.
Critics of the bill say this amendment does not go far enough since there would be cases where an individual’s religious rights would still be violated. I tend to agree with this view. But that is not the point of this post. Which is to show just how far down the ‘rabbit hole ‘ of amorality we are going. At what seems like warp speed!
First - I will reiterate my views about homosexuality in order to be clear that my views have nothing to do with homophobia. Which are as follows. Regardless of whether it is nature, nurture or a combination of both, I believe that it is virtually impossible to change who people are attracted to. Those who have same sex attractions will probably be that way for the rest of their lives. Trying to change gay people into something they are not - probably causes more harm than good.
There are reasons why we have undergone this sizable moral shift in attitude. One reason is the fact that the mainstream media universally favors marriage equality - implying that anyone against it is homophobic and cruel.
However, a far greater influence is the entertainment industry where the concept of sexual mores does not exist. Their influence is incalculable. In recent years being gay is almost celebrated as superior to being straight. Gay couples are portrayed living the same way straight couples do. Usually with better values. Including greater fidelity to their marriage partners. The idea being to normalize gay couples to the point of not seeing any differences at all between being gay and being straight.
Almost every drama or comedy series on broadcast television (which still has far more viewers than cable and other media platforms) has a gay married couple portrayed as having the same lifestyle as staright couples. Usually with the same everyday issues confronting them both. And when at their jobs away from their marriage partners – they are indistinguishable from their straight peers - other than having better values.
When influences of that magnitude portray homosexual lifestyles equivalent to heterosexual lifestyles, it is virtually impossible for viewers not to see them that way. And in truth I’m pretty sure that they are quite normal in that sense.
But all that ignores the elephant it the room. Sexual intimacy is one of the most important facets of any marriage. Sexual intimacy between people of the same sex is never seen or portrayed in detail - or even discussed on broadcast television. When that facet of marriage is removed from the portrayal of a gay marriage - of course their lifestyle will be seen as normal. However, from the perspective of the bible, gay sex is forbidden and a serious violation of its values. Especially when it is between 2 gay men. And sex is almost by definition an integral part of any successful marriage.
No religious person who believes in the bible could ever accept gay marriage in all of its facets as normal. And yet that is exactly what the American people are asked to accept as the law of the land. Promoted by a willing mainstream news media - and bolstered by their enthusiastic accomplices in the entertainment industry.
Which is why I have always been against gay marriage. And still am. Despite the current trend that considers people with my view to be homophobic.
Well, most of us are not homophobic. Those of that are - shouldn’t be. I firmly believe that every human being needs to be treated with the dignity demanded by virtue of being created in the image of God. Being gay is not a sin. Acting on one’s illicit sexual desires - is. This applies to all of us. Gay and straight alike. But in the case of a gay marriage it is almost impossible to conceive of a marriage that does not include sexual intimacy. Which usually entails forbidden sexual acts.
This is why I am so disappointed in how rapidly this country is descending into an amoral abyss that treats any form of consensual sex– whether gay or straight - to be perfectly fine.
I certainly understand why gay people want to be treated that way in everything they do - including in the bedroom. I don’t really blame them.
So for me the entire matter is a moral tragedy. It is a tragedy for those who act on their illicit desires and knowingly violate the moral code of the bible. And it is a tragedy for observant Jewish gay people who must deny themselves from acting on their natural desires. Desires for which they have no other outlet. I get that. I feel tremendous empathy for them because of the emotional trauma they must constantly go through.
Life may not often seem very fair. But that’s life. Defying God’s law is never a legitimate option for believers.