Posted on October 17, 2003 in Morals & Ethics
A great many of us who support same sex marriage are appalled by the recent victory of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Members of the Christian Right are also shocked by the ascension of Ahnold, which may give us an unlikely political ally in the days ahead.
What has happened is that the amoral, unethical Right has revealed its true intentions: to pleasure itself with excessive money. It is not interested in Christianity, but in using certain issues such as abortion to get Christians to vote for it. Yet, when conservative Christians such as Alabama Governor Bob Riley attempt to shift the tax burden off of the poor and onto the rich, wealthy Republicans abandon their “brethren”.
What can the Left offer to conservative Christians? First, the right to practice their religion as they see fit. We don’t insist that churches institute same sex marriage: we seek secular institutions which promote stable, lifelong relationships and protections for weaker partners. We don’t demand that Christian hospitals perform abortions: we only call for the right of choice.
We stand for freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and association. We stand for the right of individual conscience. We join our conservative brethren in condemning the mistreatment of other human beings as mere sexual objects or chattel. We join them in seeking relief for the poor. If you go down the Beatitudes, you will find that our program more closely reflects Christ’s message than the agenda of the Right. So here is an invitation: help us fight hedonism and greed. Help us focus on the central message of Christ which is to live responsibly and compassionately towards others. Feed the poor. Cloth the naked. Condemn the accumulation of wealth and the mistreatment of human beings. We are more your party than they are. We aren’t asking that you like abortion. We’re asking you to recognize that Christ did not hector sexual sinners. We’re asking that you join us in going after the major sinners of our society, the ones who disparage the blessed of the Beatitudes. Go down your checklist: it’s on the left that you will find peacemakers, people persecuted for righteousness sake, the poor, etc. So what are you doing there, among the enemies of Christ?
This thinking inspired by a conversation that I had with Nurse Ratched. I say that it is time to stop being on the defensive regarding Christianity. It’s time to celebrate diversity. It’s time to include conservative Christians in our new United States.
Also see Lynn’s indignation about the reasons why Andrew Sullivan is leaving the Catholic Church. (It’s buried in Amy Welborn’s comments.) Also Camassia has some things to say on the subject. The Christian Left is ready to take repentant sinners. Also gays and lesbians who are not necessarilly living in sin. Heterosexuals, too.
Agnostics like me won’t mind the diversity either.