Why I Believe in Marriage Equality

I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus, an imperfect woman overwhelmed by the grace and mercy of my Savior. I find myself unable to even begin to express my gratefulness for his unfathomable love, for answered prayers, for my anchor in the storms that life throws at me. I believe in Jesus and, yes, I believe in marriage equality.  Since I've had about a million messages after putting the equality symbol on my Facebook profile, I thought I'd share with you just a few of the reasons for my support of the reversal of DOMA.

#1--To me, this whole issue is a civil rights argument.  It is not a religious one. In the United States, we are free to express our opinions (yes, even Christians can express their opinions and believe me...they do!). We are free to worship or not worship. We are free to choose Jesus, Allah, Buddha, Atheism, Wicca, Agnosticism, indifference.  In this country, you have the right to have a religious belief that states that same-sex marriage is wrong. You also have the right to have a religious belief that states that it is not wrong. This to me is the foundation of religious freedom. We do not live in a theocracy.  (If perhaps you'd like to try living in one, there's always Iran.) Marriage equality in no way takes away your religious freedom or your right to interpret the Bible any way you see fit. It merely asks for freedom to believe a different way and to act on those beliefs.

#2--There are some serious lies and misconceptions out there about the gay community.  I don't know any other way to say this except to just say it...there is no radical gay agenda!!!!!  Gooooooood grief. Gay people don't want to destroy the institution of marriage or the family.  Really, they don't.  They are simply asking for the right to marry the person they love, to have rights under the law of the United States.  They aren't asking you to change your religious beliefs.  (***Reality check***Let's be honest, heterosexual couples, Christian or otherwise, have done a pretty good job of doing some damage to the institution of marriage. I'm pretty sure the divorce rate is over 50% now.)

#3--In the US, many things are legal that some religious people prefer to not engage or indulge in.  Take alcohol, for instance.  Everyone over the age of 21 can legally drink, but many religious people believe it is sinful.  That's ok...then don't drink.  The same could be said of dancing, pot smoking, divorce and many other things. Remember that whole freedom thing?  Yep, it applies here.

#4--Did I mention this is a civil rights issue and not a religious one?

There is so very much more to this issue, but I have nothing more to say today as I am feeling a bit weary. And sad. There is a lot of darkness in this world, full of child sex trafficking, victimization of women and children, crimes of racial prejudice, starving families, wars, famine. So much heartache and sadness, loneliness and grief. We like to talk a lot about the dark, about the enemy--Satan, about the evil abounding in the world. Well, I think we need to remember to not blame the dark for the absence of the light. We are the light in this world.  We are supposed to go in the dark places and bring with us the furious love of the Father. Don't blame the dark for the absence of the light.  Go be light.  Love like the Father. Love with ferocity.

"The Father’s love for the Prodigal was a furious love that was not moody or capricious; it knew no seasons of change. The Father’s love had a single relentless stance toward the prodigal: He loved him. He didn’t just love him a little – he loved him with ferocity." Brennen Manning