Religion and Politics

In a nation of evangelicals, christians, buddhists, muslims, atheists, and more, we will never have partisan politics if the politicians continue to insist on throwing religion into everything. In England, no one would vote for a person who unabashedly discussed their religious views. 

Many people understand that the last election was a religious election. It turned into a vote on abortion and gay marriage. I was especially appalled by the gay marriage issue. I couldn't believe that there were so many people out there who wanted to deny a sector of our population these simple rights that loved one's should undeniably be able to have.

AND THEN...I realized something when I was talking to a right leaning, very religious friend of mine last night. It turns out that there are many people who believe marriage is a religious institution. Being a married atheist, I had never thought of marriage as exclusively religious. These kind (and perhaps misguided) church going folk are afraid that they will have to marry gays in their church. As a firm believer in separation of church and state, I absolutely believe that churches should not have to marry anyone they don't want to. The Catholic Church won't even marry couples who aren't both Catholic--big deal. That is their right and I firmly stand behind it, even if it is bizarre or silly to me. My religious, right wing friend and I actually believe EXACTLY the same thing when it comes to gay rights. She just uses the word civil union because marriage is a religious word to her. (Although I pointed out to her that she calls me married and she knows that I don't believe in God). I think we both better understand how similar our beliefs are, but the connotation of the word marriage seemed to be a barrier we had to talk through.

A call to politicians--Please help clarify the semantics of the word marriage. I firmly believe that a vast majority of people are on the same page. Assuage the fears of the religious. Tell them they will continue to be able to uphold their beliefs in their own churches. However, people who are gay have the right to be together in matrimony--maybe not the holy kind at the local Catholic Church, but at least at the courthouse and at any local churches that are accepting of lifestyles that may not be main stream.