Union for All by Paxton Sawyer

AND UNION FOR ALL

By: Paxton Sawyer

The history and concept of “marriage” is based on religion. Just because the word “marriage” was appropriated by the government, by corporations and by insurance companies does not lessen the fact that marriage is a religious rite. That fact should be understood in the ongoing debate over “gay” (the term “gay” in this article should be interpreted to include gay, bisexual, lesbian and transgender persons) marriage. “Marriage” is the union of two spirits joined to be one in the eyes of God. It is not a civil rite.

After a question from the Jewish priests, Jesus answered their question saying; “Haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one.” (Matthew 19: 4, 5 & 6)

That the government, the corporations and the insurance companies use this term to apply moral standards is unfortunate to say the least and homophobic to be accurate.

I really don’t understand why people are homophobic. Even if you think yourself so irresistibly cute that all gays will want you, you can still ‘just say no’. In any event, you have little to fear from gays. Homosexuality is not spread by casual contact. And, whatever your thoughts about your own sexuality are, you do not become a homosexual or a heterosexual until you act as one or the other. Thinking about robbing a bank does not make you a bank robber. Robbing a bank makes you a bank robber. Wondering what it would be like to have sex with a person of you same gender does not make you a homosexual. Having sex with a person of the same gender makes you a homosexual.

The debate should not be specifically over “gay” marriage. Marriage is the provenance of the church. Not of the state.

The distinction should be important to both sides of this debate.

On one hand, gays want the rights and privileges provided by law and by custom to those who are “married” in this country

Those who hold “marriage” as what it is, a religious rite, do not want their faith, their beliefs and their rights diminished.

Gays, as a group who are striving to achieve equal social and legal status, should be totally opposed to the repression or regression of the rights and privileges of any group. That gays would want to trample the rights of the religious only means that gays mean to be the thugs that they currently accuse of denying them their rights.

>Building your status or the status of your group by diminishing the rights of others has never been an admirable quality.

Equally, regardless of your religious convictions, the denial of the rights of a life partner or spouse by force of law or corporate policy or even a hospital policy is atrocious. It is not for the government or a corporation or an insurance company or hospital to determine who should love who.

Gays believe that their choice in a life partner is natural, moral and normal.

Those who are religious believe marriage to be a holy union and that their life style is natural, moral and normal. Further, the religious believe the fate of their eternal soul is determined by their following the dictates of their faith.

Who is the government, the corporations or the insurance companies or you or me to say who is correct? Your lifestyle is not harming me. Mine is not harming you. In the eyes of the law, there should be no difference.;

While the government, the corporations and the insurance companies do have the need to know who your significant other is and the presence and identity of the progeny produced by couple, the gender of the significant other is none of their business.

There seems to be an easy solution to this issue. One that protects the rights of all couples who choose to be bonded in a legally recognized union and that protects the history and the institution of marriage.

All couples, regardless of the gender of the individuals to be joined hopefully for the rest of their lives, should be united for the purposes of the state, the corporation and the insurance companies, by a civil union.

If the couple is religious and they want the union of their spirits recognized by God, by whatever name they may call God, the couple can be married in their church.

This is the practice in some countries and it makes perfect sense. Neither side is damaged, harmed nor diminished by this approach.

Each church, religion, or denomination can decide for itself what its stance is on the issue of gay marriage.

As a small hint, there would be nothing to prevent groups of gays who are believers from founding their own churches.

Both sides do have an interest in this issue as far as the power of the government, the corporation and the insurance agencies are concerned. Governments, corporations and insurance agencies rule by force. You do not have the ability to escape their dictates.

Attendance at church is optional. And, please God, will remain that way.

No one should want the government, their employer or their insurance agency to determine what morality is or is not. When the state and/or the corporations decide what is right for you, you have lost control over your own sense of morality. I would further suggest that if the government and the corporations are to be the arbiters of morality and ethics, they have an awful lot of work to do cleaning their own houses before they come knocking at my door.

The state should be in the business of promoting and protecting the rights of its citizens and the integrity of the country. Corporations should be in the business of producing reasonable profits and protecting its employees and its investors. These concepts should keep these entities busy enough that they need not concern themselves with the love lives of individuals.

By the way, if you are a Christian, the New Testament takes precedence over the Old Testament. So stoning of homosexuals is out. I think that if you read the New Testament you will find that Jesus was more about love, acceptance of the faults and frailties of humans, and dealing with people with love and patience than he was about damning and stoning people. I think there was also something in there that He said about ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone’. You might also remember that Jesus was widely criticized by the leaders of the Jewish faith because Jesus hung out with the sinners. Jesus knew that the sinners needed him. The saints were doing just fine all on their own. There is a lesson there.

Gays, you don’t want to become the same as the tyrants that have been repressing you. Build your status with honor and dignity. Be proud.

Just make the rules the same for all citizens. As Article IV, Section 2 of the United States Constitution states:

“The citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States.”

So, government, do your job. Grant the same privileges and immunities for all citizens, regardless of gender, who wish to have their union legally recognized and to enjoy the privileges and obligations under the laws regarding those unions. Civil unions for all.


	PAXTON SAWYER