Conservatives Speak on Gay Marriage (updated)

Conservative Author Cal Thomas may be getting an inkling.

To those on the political and religious right who are intent on continuing the battle to preserve “traditional marriage” in a nation that is rapidly discarding its traditions, I would ask this question: What poses a greater threat to our remaining moral underpinnings? Is it two homosexuals living together, or is it the number of heterosexuals who are divorcing and the increasing number of children born to unmarried women, now at nearly 40 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

Most of those who are disturbed about same-sex marriage are not as exercised about preserving heterosexual marriage. That’s because it doesn’t raise money and won’t get them on TV. Some preachers would rather demonize gays than oppose heterosexuals who violate their vows by divorcing, often causing harm to their children. That’s because so many in their congregations have been divorced and preaching against divorce might cause some to leave and take their contributions with them.

Ya think? Yes, I know it is said that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, but the hypocrisy of opposing gay marriage and fidelity while overlooking straight divorce and infidelity--teh stupid, it burns.

Meanwhile, Catholic-now-Orthodox gay-phobe Rod Dreher (he really is phobic in a rather hysterical way; he imagined in the wake of Prop8 someone would attack HIM in deepest darkest Texas!!) admits it too as hebemoans,

It is increasingly obvious that the US Supreme Court is going to have to rule on this matter soon. It is an untenable situation for a same-sex couple to be married in Vermont and Massachusetts and Iowa, but not in Texas, Nevada and Montana. I believe SCOTUS will constitutionalize gay marriage, and that being the case, it might be better for my side if it gets done sooner rather than later. If done sooner, there might still be enough backlash left in the American people to get a constitutional amendment passed erecting a high barrier or protection around religious institutions.

But the most ridiculous reaction I read today was someone complaining that Christians would all be fired from their jobs for disagreeing with gay marriage (I'm sorry I can't find the link). Aside from the fact that lots of Christians are proSSM, I had to laugh. Because, you know, all those Catholics who disapprove of divorce can't get jobs and are being prosecuted for preaching against contraception. Yeah, right. SPARE ME.

So, this meme continues that gay marriage is actually an assault on the poor beleaguered Christians, conveniently avoiding the fact that (for example) the anti-divorce, anti-contraception distinctly mediaeval Roman Catholic church is prominent and active and in no way marginalized and provides evidence that there is already a bright line between the civil square and the religious sanctuary. Not to worry Mr Dreher. You keep your church out of my life and I'll keep my life out of your church.

Still, this claim that their civil rights are under attack by MY marriage, continues and do not for a moment think this is done. Quoted in the LA TImes, Brian S. Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, says a new ad campaign

which he said would eventually include more than $1.5 million in airtime, would "highlight how same-sex marriage undermines the core civil rights of those who believe in the simple truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman."

And what about my core civil rights? Keep their faith in the church, and everyone is fine. But depriving me of marriage is no different than, say, a Jewish demand that we all cease to eat pork, or a Mormon demand that we all abandon caffeine, or a Catholic demand that we outlaw cotraception, because to do otherwise affects their "core civil rights".

It's long past time to address this foolish, lying argument forcibly. This is how they won Prop8, this and the argument that those Awful Homos would teach their children that being gay is ok! We know what to expect, and we have to immediately take them up.

(updated again)
(Crossposted at DailyKos and Streetprophets)