Christians in the closet over Proposition 8

I've written about the Protectmarriage.com people before. I've been seeing a lot of them these days. I can't glance at the television without seeing a "Support Proposition 8" commercial. The last time I went to Wal-Mart I was approached by someone who tried to give me a flier in support of Prop 8. (There were a few fliers under car wipers here and there, but not many. Maybe Wal-Mart told them to stop?)

Heh. When the gentleman at Wal-Mart asked how I was voting on Prop 8, I said, "I'm voting 'No' of course. It's the only ethical thing to do!" Then I got in my car and drove away. He was busy saying something religious, but I wasn't interested.

And why would I be interested in yet another religious argument? Give me a secular, rational answer!

Seriously, what possible secular ethical argument could Proposition 8 supporters invoke that actually makes sense? As far as I know, there are no rational, non-religious arguments that make a good case for outlawing same-sex marriage. Maybe this is why I've yet to meet or read about any Atheist supporters of Proposition 8. (If you are an Atheist who supports Prop. 8, let me know!)

I've been haunting the ProtectMarriage.com website in hopes of spotting a non-religious argument in favor of Prop. 8, but all I've found are half-truths and lies. And these half-truths and lies are being used to support a religious position.

From the blog "Classically Liberal" (Who also had a problem with parking lot Prop. 8 people):

We know the Proposition 8 campaign is dominated by Catholics, Mormons and fundamentalists. That’s where the money comes from. And when they talk in their churches they invoke God and the Bible (well, the Mormons invoke the Book of Mormon and their God). When they come into the light they change tunes. Suddenly they are protecting parental choice, even if no parents rights are being violated.

For all their talk about morality they are not above deception. Why don’t their commercials tell the public the real reason they want to pass Prop 8? Why don’t the commercials say: “Vote Prop 8, put God’s law into practice.” They don’t say it because they know the public won’t buy it.

I’m open about why I support marriage equality. I don’t believe the state has the right to discriminate. And forbidding gay marriage is state discrimination since the state regulates marriage. Get the state out of marriage and it is not an issue to me. The Prop 8 people don’t want the state out -- not at all. They want state protection and the monopolization of marriage because they want their religion to have the force of government behind it.

The Prop 8 people are deceitful on numerous levels. They won’t tell the public why they wrote the amendment and what they are trying to accomplish. Since they won’t tell the truth about their real motivations they are forced to come up with alternative explanations. And to do that they resort to inventing lies, distorting the truth and scaring people.

Proposition 8 supporters are stuck hiding inside the "Christian Closet", and are afraid to come out and admit their reasoning to support Prop. 8 because it makes them look like religious jerks.

The Bible very clearly condemns "the unrighteous", including homosexuals, and labels them "worthy of death". This is why Christians support Proposition 8. Not because they care about a class of children who were forced by the state to attend a same-sex wedding. (Which didn't happen that way.) Classically Liberal documents the facts on the wedding that Prop. 8 supporters keep talking about.

Voting "Yes" on Proposition 8 is an irrational response to a hateful doctrine that traditionally puts human rights in a distant second place to religious law. But if you believe it is the Christian thing to do, then go ahead and vote "Yes". Your church will be pleased.

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Update 29 Oct

Commenter Prop8discussion linked to an argument on his website. In answer to that link, I offer the following refutation:



Hat tip to The Friendly Atheist