“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten son, that whosoever believeth on him shall not perish, but
have eternal life” (John 3:16). It is hard to imagine that a
religion founded on the idea of unconditional love ““ a
religion I identify with ““ could be used to spread divisive,
hateful ideology.
Yet this is what the right-wing evangelical Christians have set
out to do with social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
Their message is one of repression of minority beliefs and personal
rights. It is one that will divide the nation even more than the
recent election did.
On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to hear the case
regarding the Massachusetts Supreme Court’s redefinition of
marriage. The court ruled that the Supreme Court had the right
under the state’s constitution to alter the definition of
marriage.
One of the main supporters of this appeal was the Catholic
Action League. This group, along with others groups such as the
Moral Majority and the Southern Baptist Convention, has joined
conservatives in denouncing liberals as sinners devoid of any moral
values.
They argue that the Bible defines marriage as being between a
man and woman, which justifies their call to ban same-sex marriage.
What is worse, many politicians have responded by advocating the
religious policies these groups demand. Religion now has a more
powerful voice in government ““ and that is not a good
thing.
The First Amendment of the Constitution states that
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion.” Yet many have argued that separation of church and
state is a myth because it is not explicitly stated in the
Constitution.
While “separation of church and state” may be simply
a label, the history of this nation and the First Amendment point
to the framers’ intention that the citizens of this nation
should not be forced to follow the beliefs of a religion they do
not believe in.
Politicians who fight to enact religion-influenced laws threaten
to uproot the foundation the United States was built on. Our
government cannot base its laws on religious beliefs. Doing so
would indicate that the government recognizes one religion over
another, which directly violates the First Amendment of the
Constitution. The government is meant to protect its people, not to
alienate a group for religious reasons.
My objection with such groups is that they advocate a policy
that targets a minority. Contrary to the civil rights movement that
tried to protect minority rights, these groups try to abolish them.
They attack a group that has not tried to harm them or force them
to follow the same lifestyle.
We don’t live in a Sodom-and-Gomorrah-like nation where
men bang down doors demanding to “have relations” with
other men (Genesis 19:5). If these right-wing Christians intend to
help sinners take the right path, they are going about it
incorrectly.
In all my years at religious schools, I have been taught that as
a Christian, I am called to spread the word of God, whether it is
holding Bible study at my house or answering the questions of a
curious individual.
But the most important lesson I have learned is to lead by
example ““ through my daily thoughts, words and actions.
Freely, I have chosen to follow the laws God has laid out. But I
also must respect those that disagree with my views.
Thus, I cannot support shoving unfair laws down the throats of
“non-believers” in the name of Christ with the hope of
converting them. It is an impractical and ineffective way to try to
bring others into Christianity. They must willingly change their
hearts. Laws that try to force religion on people fail because they
can never change one’s beliefs. But without creating a true
faith in the religion, it is hard to argue that these sinners could
be spared the wrath of God.
We should try to tolerate and respect each other. I believe that
marriage is solely between a man and woman, as stated in the Bible,
but I cannot deny same-sex couples secular rights simply because of
my religious beliefs. I believe that the baby in a woman’s
womb is God’s creation, and therefore should not be
destroyed. But I cannot force my religious beliefs on someone who
does not believe the same.
Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that
they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven.” If their goal is to bring the nation on a path that
leads to God, then right-wing evangelical Christians must
understand that their actions will do more to support this cause
than any ban on gay marriage ever could.
Tsega is a third-year physiological science
student.