Fred M. Fariss

The President of the United States took a public stand on homosexuality and same sex marriages. By his declaration he made the issue both political and religious. It was religious because he mentioned it in his statement of declaration. He is so biased in his position that he appealed to congress to pass a law to amend the U.S. Constitution. The President has aligned himself with the right wing faction of Christianity in the United States. 

With his statement, the President violated two outstandingly important principles in our society – “equal under the law” established in the U. S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights – and the separation of church and state. The issue is the same as the racial inequity that existed in the United States until a law of racial equality was established in 1954. The fact of the matter is that the President is guilty of violating the U. S. Constitution and failing to respect the oath that he took to become the President. Because he is the President, he cannot allow himself to be persuaded by personal opinion and religious conviction. If he cannot handle this situation, then he needs to resign from the office of President. His responsibility is to uphold the Constitution and the rights of all people whom he serves.

People in America want to forget that our forefathers came to these hallowed shores to enjoy the freedom of government and religion. The form of government was declared in the Constitution to be a democracy. The form of religion was to be whatever a person was persuaded in their own mind. The form of religion was not declared to be Christianity! Many Americans have not caught on to the awareness of this actuality – that Christianity is not our state religion. Through our form of government we are not to impose onto other people our doctrine and morality concepts of our religion. It is the responsibility of our government to protect us from this invasion of our right to personal and private conviction even when it embraces our religious concepts that are in contrast to Christianity. If we do not want to respect this principle, then we indeed need to amend the U. S. Constitution and declare Christianity as a state religion.

People are not aware in America that if over a period of time  the numbers of adherents to another world religion were to gain a majority in our country that it could not only influence our social and moral way of life but it could change our form of government. For example, Islam is both a totalitarian form of religion but also a totalitarian form of government.

Religion wants to explain what and how of everything. The more right wing any religion is, the more moralistic it is. The moral dimension in religion is not just to establish reasonable and practicable principles, but also to establish power and control over people in the name of God. Most religions tend to lean toward totalitarianism.

In many right wing religions, fear and guilt are used to control the people to adhere to the moral code of that religion. The greatest fear most people have is they will not go to Heaven when they die. Fear and guilt are a great whipping post to keep people in line.  “You cannot do so and so, and go to Heaven.”

If the President is going to call for a constitutional amendment on same sex marriage, then to be consistent and honest, he will need to call for a constitutional amendment on divorce. In the Gospels, Jesus is never quoted as saying anything about homosexuality, but he sure did say a lot about divorce. If we are so concerned about saving marriage, the family and society, why has not religion called for a constitutional amendment on divorce? In some churches, one can get an annulment of the marriage even after children are born to the couple. Does that not make the children bastards?

Jesus said that if anyone gets a divorce and remarries, he or she is living in adultery. Later on, it is said that those who practice adultery will not inherit the Kingdom of God. So, here we have it, we are told. Homosexuality and adultery can keep you from entering the Kingdom of God.

How many of our congress persons are divorced? How many in other levels of government and religion are divorced? If they have re-married, Jesus said they are living in adultery. There are probably more remarried people in the United States than there are homosexuals! It is said that our divorce rate is at fifty per cent of all our marriages.

Apparently, it is acceptable in the United States, for remarried divorced people to live together in adultery. Which is a contradistinctive attitude toward same-sex marriages. There is a willing and accommodating choice to practice that, which is openly and clearly forbidden by the Bible. It makes it so convenient for everyone.

Much has been made out of the issue that the break down of marriage, which ended in divorce, has caused the destruction of the family, the instability of society and the corruption of our morality. Jesus set the limits on marriage. It is a one-time opportunity for everyone. If you don’t make it work, you are out of luck. According to Jesus, there are no second chances for remarriage and be in the Kingdom of God.

Here is a grave question: Why have the government and religion skirted around the issue of marriage and divorce? At the same time they ride herd on the issue of homosexuality. They use the Bible as their word of authority from which they choose selected verses to support their position. If we are going to be moral about these issues, let’s go the whole nine yards and include divorce, which is more destructive than homosexuality.

If Islam were to become the majority in population, we could change the constitution to mandate polygamy. Then the aspiring young men could blow themselves up as martyrs and get themselves many virgins in Heaven. I don’t know of another religion that makes that kind of offer. 

Every politician who is divorced and remarried and votes to amend the Constitution about same sex marriages, is a hypocrite, dishonest and doubled minded. If the amendment might pass into law and go to the states for ratification, it is equally true that whoever votes in favor of the ratification of the law and are divorced and remarried, will be as guilty of hypocrisy, dishonesty and doubled mindedness.

“Jesus said: “Judge not that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”

This article is not about the pros or cons of homosexuality or divorce. It is about honesty, fairness, equity and love.

© 2004 Fred M. Fariss All Rights Reserved