We’ve all heard the statistic that divorce rates in America are almost 50 percent, even though divorce is on the decline. But a drop in the number of divorces, coupled with a drop in the number of marriages, could disrupt the institution of marriage as we know it, says a 2005 USA Today article. More than 80 percent of Americans are Christians, according to a 2003 Gallup poll. A 2004 CBS News poll stated more than 60 percent of Americans oppose gay marriage. This is one of the most disturbing and hypocritical positions around today, and I don’t understand either argument. Marriage, whether heterosexual or homosexual, should not be an issue when determining who is most suitable to run the country. The state of marriage in America is disastrous, and it’s not the fault of gay people. Even if there were no gay men or lesbians in existence – like the moral utopia of Iran, which is free from the phenomenon of homosexuality – this would still be the case. I believe all children deserve stable parents, but this doesn’t mean we should ban single, divorced and infertile parents from raising children. I am opposed to the validity of gay marriage in the Church. I believe children deserve capable fathers and mothers, and I believe homosexual acts are sinful. But I don’t believe gay men and lesbians are any more sinful than anyone else – and I can’t find any reasonable arguments to bar them from civil unions that aren’t applicable to heterosexual couples. In the Gospel of John, the Bible says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. There also I must lead…” I also refuse to believe gay people are not welcome in my church or my community. People with perverted sexual appetites are the ones destroying the institution of marriage and the nature of human sexuality – not necessarily gay men and lesbians. Whether gay marriage is acceptable in the Church is an entirely different dispute and has nothing to do with civil rights. This debate is just a distraction from more significant issues. Officials won’t debate issues like the war in Iraq – Republicans refuse to define victory, while Democrats decline to release realistic withdrawal or contingency plans. We have no solutions for the mortgage crisis, credit crunch, healthcare or immigration.                But we still fight over gay rights and abortion. We ignore solutions to the roots of these problems while electing candidates over empty politics. Above all, I’m still Catholic, and I can’t support gay marriage on religious principle. But in defense of modernism, I contest that if Jesus were alive today, Jesus would not vote.  Period.  In the same context, Christians should oppose gay marriage but shouldn’t let issues like this become the deciding factor when electing politicians.  What we need to consider when electing our leaders is how qualified they are and what solutions they use to serve the nation. And if Christians want to be taken seriously in a debate over the sanctity of marriage, then we better start acting like it. The Bible says in the Gospel of Matthew, “Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?” Christians can’t reasonably defend traditional marriage without both understanding and practicing it. I’m sure most people have heard the often misinterpreted Bible verse from Ephesians, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord.” Most people who distort this quote often disregard the rest of the passage and misrepresent its meaning. The passage in its entirety explains men are the head of the household as Christ is the head of the Church. If you read the rest of the excerpt, you’ll see that Christian husbands, not wives, are the ones called to greater service. Husbands are called to sacrifice their own existence for the sake of their wives and serve them selflessly, but they are also called to submit to their wives. Christian husbands are not expected by God to lead as masters or superiors, as is often claimed. They are expected to serve as subordinates. It would be hopelessly arrogant for me to assume this column could change your views on marriage. But if you read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and aren’t moved in any way, then nothing anyone can say to you will help you better understand or appreciate Christianity. Don’t expect me to be able to explain every detail of my faith. I can’t. But I’d rather have faith than be able to explain it. And I’d rather practice my faith than preach it. And that’s enough for me.
—-Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]