My Take on the Pope, Gay Marriage, and Sin

Been thinking a lot about the title of this post, well, not as a title but as a topic. Then the new Pope was elected, and this week the Supreme Court began to look at California's Proposition 8, and the Defense of Marriage Act. Now, I figured, was the time to get this written down.

First, the new Pope. My not being a Catholic it probably shouldn't matter to me one way or the other, but he is a very important person in the world, both spiritually and politically. Whether you care or not, the Pope does head a very large and very influential denomination, and a small country/city/state as well. He is a world leader. He seems rather humble and down-to-earth. (Foot-washing!)  I expect that he will ruffle a few feathers at the Vatican with his love of simplicity. I also expect that he will draw the attention of a few non-Catholics. Golly, maybe even get a few Christians to think more about Christ. So far the only opinion of his I’ve disagreed with is his stand on gay marriage. So far.

Which brings me to number two: gay marriage. Now I am not going into all of the reasons that I feel marriage should be strictly defined. Bestiality, incest, polygamy, and any other oddities or variations can be dealt with another time. The truth is that most people who have objections to a same sex couple are simply uncomfortable with it, and consider it to be a sin.

This brings me to number three: sin. On that basis alone we have no right to tell any adult that they cannot marry. (If we do so, then we must also make divorce and remarriage illegal.) By strictly defined Biblical terms that is just as sinful. (Polygamy is not.) Face it, we cannot legislate morality. And even if we could, whose standard do we use? As a Christian I have one set of standards or morals, and yet other Christians might have different ones. What about Muslims? I’m sure they would have far stricter rules than mine; even Jews have different sets of rules. No work on the Sabbath for instance. Who is to say which standards we should use? Most of our laws are to protect us and to provide order in a chaotic world. They are not necessarily moral definitions.

That being said, I am fortunate enough to have several gay friends, and have been around gays since childhood. Yes, there was a time I was uncomfortable with it, I still have my moments. But I have also known gay couples that have had far stronger – and more faithful – marriages than my straight friends. Where is the harm in that? Immoral? By whose standards? Like I said, you can’t legislate morality. And you can’t legislate love, either.

Maybe this new Pope is a sign from God. Maybe He is trying to tell us to stop judging everyone else’s morals and look at our own. Are you humble? Are you a servant to others? Are you truly loving of your fellow human?

I’ll leave that to all of you. I prefer not to judge others, lest I am judged by others