Obergefell v. Hodges, My Catholic Prospective
As a Catholic, I support the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges legalizing gay marriage. I support this decision not with trepidation but with complete enthusiasm. This reaffirms what I hope will continue to be true, that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. Now with that seemingly controversial statement out of the way, some may ask how I can call myself a Catholic, let alone a Christian, after saying that. The answer is simple: I grew up hating gays without realizing it and once I learned to love, my entire perspective changed.
To prove my point I ask: what have I, as a Catholic, given up by being for gay marriage as it relates to the Obergefell decision? Some would say my faith, but they could not be more wrong. The church teaches, and I still believe this, that marriage in the eyes of God can only be between a man and a woman (Catholic Herald). Others would point to my understanding of sin. Again, I would counter that I have not changed my understanding of sin as it comes to this matter. I still believe that intercourse outside of the Christian definition of marriage is a sin, including intercourse between those of the same sex (Catechism No. 2390).
I would argue the only thing I have given up with this decision is hate. I no longer use the phrase “love the sinner; hate the sin” as a cover for the unjust elevation of homosexual intercourse above the many other sins of lust that are found in society. I no longer focus on one group and lay at their feet the blame for the current weaknesses we see in the family relations in society. I gave up discrimination as a tool to win a moral argument when I accepted I am just as much of a sinner as anyone else.
At the same time I have gained so much. I accepted the fact that we created a civil institution called “marriage” that has nothing to do with my religious conception of marriage. This is not because of the LGBTQ community but primarily due to the action of society at large (i.e. heterosexuals). In fact, if any sin is primarily responsible for the “weakening” of marriage as some on the right would claim it is divorce and remarriage. Divorce is what fundamentally separates the religious institution form the civil institution, and the first nail in the proverbial coffin was the passing of the first no-fault divorce law in the United States by Governor Ronald Regan. Nonetheless, none of these facts endanger the Catholic institution of marriage. It will stand on its own through time, as it has, and nothing we can do will hurt it. The civil institution is now fully separate and as such it must not discriminate.
But discrimination is happening. I do not see outrage when two atheists marry, I do not see the outrage when non-Christians marry, I do not see outrage when someone divorces and remarries, and unfortunately, I do not even see the outrage when children marry which is a true offense against civil society. (Economist) We see all of this yet have no trouble seeing the humanity of those involved, loving them, and seeing the love they have for each other, but when it comes to gays the perception for some changes. I will no longer follow suite, and instead have gained a new love for by brothers and sisters in Christ who identify as gay.
Stated another way, I no longer wish to be an obstacle in the path of the divine love but instead wish to be an active participant. I want to walk with my fellow sinners in all of their frailty and faults both inside and outside the walls of the church. I hope with complete sincerity that all of us claiming to be Christians no longer see gays as a group to be defended against but instead a group worthy of loving and supporting. I promise to do my part to support them in fighting all forms of discrimination and welcoming them into the Church. While I still believe they have sin in their lives that they must overcome in order to get to heaven, it is the same challenge I face, and I for one would enjoy the company of any fellow sinner trying to make that walk. I will become my brother’s keeper so they will know that they do not walk alone.
