Words Matter

Let me start the bonfire right from the beginning. I am against legalizing gay marriage. It is not that I am against gays. Like with most families, the are a part of our lives and I wish them no harm. 

The only thing that I begrudge them is the word "marriage". I have a reason that I am sure some will disagree with and others will take my side. My reason is that "marriage" is a religious rite that goes back to Biblical times, and has always been the union of a man and a woman. For almost two centuries churches controlled marriage. If it were not blessed and recorded by a religious body, it was cohabitation. To many of us the religious aspect of this discussion is of extreme importance. 

It is true that in recent years, civil authorities have taken control of marriage and even offer civil ceremonies. But to many of us the word "marriage" has a religious definition that government should leave as settled in the annals of history.

Many of us have no problem with a civil union for gays that equals marriage in all aspects. The only problem is the use of the term marriage. I understand that some will see this as "swallowing the camel while choking on the flea". Sometimes  the nature of religion requires us to think this way. Words really do matter.

We are at a period in history where the Biblical faiths of Judaism and Christianity are taking a beating. We stand with the Muslims on one side wanting to kill us all and the secular progressives on the other wanting to bury our faith in laws, regulation, and political pressure. It is not like these two religions have not been set upon before in history by the haters and the ignorant. We have survived and will continue to. 

It is unfortunate that the political climate in the United States today has our leadership separating us into groups and pitting these groups against one another. Rich against poor. Young against old. Black against white. Religious against atheist. They, the politicians, will deny this. They will say all the soothing words. But read the news. Look at what is happening. In my lifetime, I have never seen this country so disjointed.

As I have said many times and will say again, we must regain control of our country before we lose it altogether.