Political Conversation: Oxymoron?
I don’t talk about politics much, but this week has been a bit unusual.
- Sunday, the vice-president said “[M]en marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact rights.”
- Tuesday, 1.3 million people in North Carolina voted that “[M]arriage between one man and one woman [should be] the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized.”
- Wednesday, the president said, “[I]t’s important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.”
Busy week on both sides.
I hate that the majority of states have laws like North Carolina’s. I hate that President Obama only made a statement because he was backed into a corner. I hate that fundamental human rights are a political issue in America, not in 1776 or 1863 or 1919 or 1963 but 2012.
But something else is bothering me.
I hate that the nation is treating this like a stupid playoff game.
And that didn’t even register until I read what my friend Amy had to say. (Amy’s amazing: more about her.) Because she was so much the opposite of that.
See, we deeply disagree. I believe that gay marriage is ethical, moral, a positive force in society, and in keeping with my beliefs as a Christian. Amy believes I’m wrong. But whlie she and I disagree profoundly, we can discuss it respectfully.
Why is this not the way the national conversation is going?
Whether for you this is about civil rights or the sanctity of marriage, it’s a big deal. It matters. So why aren’t we acting like it?
Why does any issue that becomes political devolve into shouty sloganeering?
Thank *you* for reminding me that we’re called to be part of a responsible discussion, not just sit on our own opinions. It’s the hard way, no doubt, but you never shy away from that, and you influence your friends to do the same!
You know, this is why I blog. Because even though my voice might be wrong, I still have it. And letting others understand that there are people really struggling about this and not just being bigoted makes it worth the angst of putting so much of yourself out there. I don’t know where I’m going to land on this one but it feels good to be having respectful conversations about it.
I think the whole point is there’s a whole lot of us that care a whole lot about others and that’s why we really, really want to make sure we love others well and *still* love God and do what is pleasing to Him. We’re all just trying to figure out how to do that. Thank you for grace for the space to wrestle.