WELCOME RELIGIOUS VOICES IN DEBATE: David Benkof

Ever since the Massachusetts Supreme Court narrowly held that the state must grant marriages to same-sex couples, defenders of the Goodridge decision have argued that its impact is only on civic marriage, and thus religious defenders of the traditional definition of marriage have nothing to fear and should get out of the way.

This reasoning is not only flawed, it insults the millions of Americans whose traditional faiths call on us to defend marriage as a central institution in society defined as a union between a man and a woman.

The idea that people's religious beliefs should not influence their stances on our nation's legal institutions goes against important American traditions. For example, many outspoken advocates for the abolition of slavery were members of Protestant churches. A century later, the Quakers played a key role in coordinating conscientious objection to the Vietnam War. And Martin Luther King boldly quoted the Book of Isaiah in his "I Have A Dream" speech, calling on our leaders to live up to the highest expression of our founders' beliefs.

Religious Americans have every right to participate in the national debate about marriage without being forced to cite civic reasons. Religious teachings are sufficient cause to get involved in the political process and take a stand on a public issue--especially with marriage, which is not just another public-policy issue. Rather, marriage is a rare building block of society that already has a firm definition rooted in our nation's religious heritage and is not up for negotiation. Perhaps the only good analogy is to the week. Our week has seven days for no other reason than the Judeo-Christian belief that God created the universe in six days and rested on the seventh.

The final outcome of the same-sex marriage debate will only represent the views of our nation's entire populace if traditionally religious people are encouraged to take a stand based on their beliefs just like everyone else.
posted by Eve at 6:56 PM VOTE

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