In a Christian nation...

The misguided prejudice of many people in this country astounds me. I have already made my case against Proposition 8's ban on gay marriage. But after reading this article, which presents gay marriage as a microcosm of a larger schism within the Republican party, I browsed some of its hundreds of reader comments. The article casts the fight over Prop 8 as reflecting a brewing contest between moderates and the religious right.

There certainly were several fundamentalist-sounding comments, quoting Bible passages to argue the uncouthness of homosexuality. But these people are not swayable. It is useless to tell them, as many have tried, that the Bible also teaches fierce opposition to many other things that are widely practiced today (and are overlooked or even accepted by society). More troubling are comments like this:

If i were gay I would push for civil unions and be happy with that. As long as we are a Christian nation the gay lifestyle is never going to be socially acceptable but that doesn't mean they should be mistreated either. Remember gays are treated much worse in Islamic and Hindu countries. And everyone can't always have everything that we want.

This is not a particularly hard-line stance, but it does reflect several unfortunate sentiments. First, it assumes that Christianity and homosexuality are mutually exclusive. Gay people can have religious beliefs too. Sure they don't necessarily spend their lives advocating for discrimination against their peers (which, sadly, many do). But actively working to worsen the lives of others is not a central tenet of any religion I've ever heard of.

Second, the idea that the United States is "a Christian nation" is misguided. The founders were, in fact, quite explicit about the separation of church and state. Religious freedom is written into the Bill of Rights. Yes, the large majority of people in America are Christians. But this should not have any influence on policy. On a related note, referencing mistreatment in "Islamic and Hindu countries" is also misleading. Many countries are run by theocratic principles, but their policies do not speak for entire faiths. The problems in these countries are often rooted in their fundamentalist dictators, whose human rights violations are abhorrent by any standard. Anti-gay sentiment is not an inherent reflection of strong religious beliefs; it is a result of bigotry.

Finally, I take issue with the statement "everyone can't always have everything that we want." I have always kind of hated this sentiment, ever since my dad used to play the Rolling Stones to "teach me and my siblings a lesson" about greed and humility. But this line implies that the asker is seeking something unreasonable. Gay people are not looking to change anyone's life but their own. They want the same privileges enjoyed by every other U.S. citizen. This is not the nagging request of a petulant child. It is the longing of a repressed minority for an equal shot at the American Dream - the same desire that has motivated civil rights movements throughout our history. That there are legitimate channels for this equality to be achieved speaks to the wonder of our country. That it has not yet been granted demonstrates just how far we have yet to go.