Gay Marriage
Gay Marriage in Short
*To read the policy in full, see further below
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We believe the societal template should be: “One Man / One Woman.”
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People who describe themselves as gay, lesbian, bi-sexual… shouldn’t be discriminated against in the work place, on the street, in the military…
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However, our administration would be unequivocally opposed to gay marriage, civil unions… or other legal recognition of same sex partner co-habitation (that included a sexual relations component) for such things as attendant tax benefits, survivor benefits, and so on.
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I believe homosexual sex acts are counter to God’s Natural Law, which is clearly spelled out, for instance, in the Bible (some examples: 1 Timothy 1: 8-10; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11). 1 Corithians 6: 9-11: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t fool yourself. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery… or practice homosexuality [that is, engaging in the sexual act]…”
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During a talk on Separation of Church and State at Greensboro College in North Carolina, I said: “Laws reflect God’s laws, or not -- that simple.” Blue Laws restricting business on Sunday have been giving way to commerce, as Gay Marriage laws are giving way to cultural shifts in this sociological area. (However, just because the culture is shifting, doesn’t mean it’s right.)
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In Princeton, New Jersey, we met with Loretta Yin, a lawyer and “traditional marriage” advocate. She pointed to research indicating gay sex acts are “not natural” and cause a variety of physical problems.
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There is no “gay gene.” And until 1973 (the same year abortion was made legal), the American Psychiatric Association classified homosexuality as a “disorder.” The premise was that homosexuality was born of family dysfunction. For instance, when a boy is repeatedly rejected or abused by his father (and/or male peer group), he starts to spend more time with his mother (and/or girls) – beginning to develop a: sense of the feminine.
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There is significant data to show Reparative Therapy (to reverse a homosexual orientation to a heterosexual one) works in some cases. And there are a number of organizations designed to help reverse “unwanted homosexuality.” Our administration would point to some of these models, with the hope of replicating them more throughout the country.
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For others, we would point to models like “Courage,” which is a support group to help those who continue to be afflicted with homosexuality stay chaste. At a stop in Ocala, Florida, we met with Fr. Patrick O’Dougherty who facilitates a Courage group. He said it is often easier for homosexuals to be chaste if they have the support of their contemporaries. (There is also now a support group called “EnCourage” for family members of the homosexual.)
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While homosexuality is currently being viewed in a good number of circles as a “civil rights issue,” in my opinion (and the opinion of many others), it is not. As opposed to, say, equality for Blacks, equality for women… the crux of this issue is societally condoning (rewarding), or not, specific sexual activities that are counter to God’s Natural Law.
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Renowned psychologist Eric Erickson writes that a child has to traverse a series of developmental stages in his/her maturation process. And both parents, with their attendant gender (male/female) traits, are keys to child’s optimum ability to traverse these developmental stages. Because of this, our administration would not promote adoption by same sex couples.
Gay Marriage
Subjects covered below include: 1) Overview; 2) Opposed to Gay Marriage, Civil Unions…; 3) Contrary to God’s Natural Law; 4) Anatomically Incorrect; 5) Viewed as a “Disorder”; 6) Reparative Therapy; 7) Civil Rights Issue?
1)Marriage / and Other Gay Issues [Overview]
I believe the societal template for marriage should be: “One Man / One Woman,” period.
However, I also believe that those who describe themselves as “gay,” as “lesbian,” as “bi-sexual,” and so on, should be treated with the utmost respect, compassion and sensitivity. These people should not be discriminated against in the work place, on the streets, in the military… (The latter is a major tenant of my Catholic faith.)
2)Opposed to Gay Marriage, Civil Unions…
Yet to go back to societal constructs, our administration would be unequivocally opposed to gay marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships… or any other legal recognition of same sex partner cohabitation that would be rewarded with attendant tax benefits, survivor benefits, and so on.
This would send a message to youth, for instance, that that kind of lifestyle was “normal.”
And speaking of youth, our administration would be opposed to homosexuality being taught as just another “acceptable lifestyle” in public school curriculum.
In fact until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in its psychiatric manual as a “disorder.” (This was the same year abortion was made legal.)
Because cultural winds have shifted, doesn’t mean the fundamental principal (or “diagnosis” in this case) has changed. And in my estimation, it hasn’t.
3)Contrary to God’s Natural Law
From a spiritual angle, the Bible (for instance) is crystal clear that gay sex acts are wrong. The Catholic Church teaches that these sex acts are unequivocally “disordered” and contrary to God’s Natural Law.
I’ve heard it said that you could no more “repeal the Law of Gravity,” than you could repeal God’s law around “One Man / One Woman.”
And, again, the Bible would back that up.
For instance, the following are two New Testament passages:
1 Timothy 1: 8-10 notes: “Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine…”
And 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11 states: “Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality…”
Now it wouldn’t take a Biblical scholar to ascertain from these passages (and there are a number of other passages like these in the Bible as well) that gay sex acts are wrong – from a Christian perspective.
Some will argue that the principal of Separation of Church and State should apply here.
During a talk at Greensboro College in North Carolina, I said that civil law reflects God’s law – or not. That simple.
This means civil laws can be driven by, say, Christian principles; or they can, say, be driven by secular principles – or for that matter, they can be driven by, say, other religious principles.
And this has been the case throughout American history, I continued.
As an example, so-called “Blue Laws” prohibited certain commercial activities when public, in part, advanced Christian aims. And the Blue Laws were a byproduct of limiting activity on the “Sabbath,” in line with the Third Commandment.
And we allowed for this, because that’s what the majority wanted within the context of our democracy. (Since the 1960s, most of the Blue Laws have been repealed in favor of commerce and in line with a cultural shift where, simply, a majority of people now don’t believe in limiting much activity on Sunday.)
But because a majority believe this now, doesn’t mean it’s “right.”
And while acceptance of gay lifestyles is gaining in popularity in America (26% swing in the past 10 years), this doesn’t mean this particular cultural shift is right either.
In fact, we don’t think it is. And Loretta Yin would agree.
Ms. Yin is a lawyer in Princeton, New Jersey, and a staunch “traditional marriage advocate” who has fought hard against the homosexual agenda to redefine marriage in her state. (However recently, New Jersey became the fifth state in the nation to extend some rights of marriage – tax benefits, and so on – to gay couples. Notably, 31 other states have also blocked similar initiatives.)
4)Anatomically Incorrect
On a stop in Princeton, I interviewed Ms. Yin.
She said many studies point to an array of physical issues as a result of unnatural sex acts, such as the gradual development of gastro-intestinal problems. And Ms. Yin said studies also show that simple anatomy indicates gay sex acts are just not “natural.”
For instance, Dr. John Diggs, who is affiliated with the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, writes that although anal intercourse is tremendously common for gay men “…human physiology makes it clear that the body was not designed to accommodate this activity. The rectum is significantly different than the vagina with regard to suitability for penetration. The vagina has natural lubricants and is supported by a network of muscles. It is composed of mucus membranes with multi-layer stratified squamous epithelium that allows it to endure friction without damage…
Conversely, the rectum is an ‘exit only’ passage. With repeated friction and stretching, it loses its tone, which leads to tears and leakage – common among homosexual men.”
Or put another way: The parts don’t fit, well.
What’s more, for those of us with a belief in God, we would then have to allow that God made an anatomical mistake in the physiology of this.
I’m betting God didn’t.
5)Viewed as a “Disorder”
As mentioned earlier, in a good number of circles homosexuality is viewed as a “disorder.” In fact until 1973, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in its psychiatric manual as a “disorder.”
In the “nature / nurture” argument, there are strong indicators homosexuality is often born of varying degrees of dysfunction.
For instance, Dr. Rick Fitzgibbons (a psychiatrist and principal contributor to the book: Homosexuality and Hope, writes: “In women, a weak feminine identity leading to same-sex attraction disorder can be caused by mother conflicts, peer rejection, or poor body image.”
Dr. Fitzgibbons also notes that a girl’s relationship with an abusive father can also be a precipitating factor to women choosing same-sex relationships – because they simply don’t trust men (the father being an archetype).
Concurrently, in a paper for the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, Julie Harren, Ph.D., writes that when a boy is repeatedly rejected (and/or abused) by his father (and/or male peer group), he starts to spend more time with his mother (and/or girls). So at a time when he is craving masculine input and seeking to understand himself in terms of his male identity, he instead receives feminine input and begins to develop a sense of the feminine.”
As a counselor, I co-facilitated a group for gay men with addiction problems. Time and again, personal stories matched what was described in the last paragraph, to varying degrees.
6) Reparative Therapy
While there has been a lot of debate around whether people can reverse their homosexuality, there have also been a significant number of people who have, indeed, changed their gay sexual orientation to heterosexuality. Ms. Yin referred to the website www.peoplecanchange.com
People Can Change is a non-profit (non-religious) educational, support and outreach organization that is best known for its “Journey Into Manhood” weekends. The mission is to support men seeking to transition away from unwanted homosexuality. They note there have been some success stories with their work, as there have been for any number of similar organizations.
Dr. Elizabeth Moberly has also had success in this area. She is a British research psychologist and theologian. Moberly is also the author of: Homosexuality: A New Christian Ethic.
We met with Ms. Moberly in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. She said the focus of some of her work was to help a person restore their gender identity. And she said she had a number of successes as the director of Psychosexual Education and Therapy Program for BCM International.
For those who remain homosexual (for whatever reason), one of the options is: celibacy. In fact, the Catholic Church teaches that’s the way to go. And within the Catholic Church, Courage support groups for both homosexual men and women have started up for those who want to stay celibate.
At a stop in Ocala, Florida, we met with Fr. Patrick O’Dougherty who facilitates a Courage Group there. He said the Bible is clear, as is the teachings of the Catholic Church, that homosexual sex acts are both wrong and serious sin. What’s more, Fr. O’Dougherty said it’s often easier for people to stay celibate if they have the support of their contemporaries.
7)Civil Rights Issue?
While homosexuality is currently being looked at as a “civil rights issue” in many sectors of society, in my opinion, it’s not. Yet opponents of gay marriage are being billed as “prejudice,” writes Jimmy Akin for This Rock Magazine.
Unlike such issues as equality for Blacks, equality for women, and so on, I see the crux of this issue being condoning (or not) sexual activities, and unions, that are, again, antithetical to God’s Natural Order. That simple.
Also, marriage is a partnership between a man and woman designed for bonding and the procreation of children. However, society has now bent to allow for the adoption of children by same sex couples in some states.
On a stop in Colorado, I told a newspaper in Cortez that our administration would be opposed to same sex couples adopting children because exposure to both sexes is vital in a child’s maturation process. For instance, psychologist Eric Erikson writes that a child/youth/adult has to traverse a series of developmental stages (infancy, early childhood, identity vs. role confusion, young adult…). And both parents [and their attendant gender traits] help determine how well a child traverses these phases.
Again, different inputs from both a mother and father figure are key to a child’s optimum healthy development. This has been a societal archetype – forever. To tamper with this – the way society currently is – is a mistake.
While our administration would be a big proponent of adoption (including lobbying to make the process a lot more user friendly), we would simply not promote adoption by same sex couples.
Note: There is no “gay gene.”