Hi um… stupid question.

Why are we supposed to care so much about “traditional marriage”. Like why is that a voting issue? I have many many many complicated feelings and thoughts about homosexuality, gay marriage, and the Church’s teaching on the subject, but I don’t get why it’s a voting issue. If you just read the bible and the catechism, and really paid attention to papal/episcopal statements and encyclicals, the “gay issue” makes up a FRACTION of what the Church talks about. It is mentioned in passing. Sure, recently Timothy Dolan was very vocal about the issue because of timeliness. But from a big picture perspective, the Church itself doesn’t really focus on homosexuality or gay marriage that much in compared to the many other things she holds forth about. But you wouldn’t know that from listening to Catholics in the public sphere.

The other day I posted something about the “5 non-negotiables of Catholic Voting” something that I believe linked back to Catholic Answers. The fifth “non-negotiable” (based on no official documentation from the Church) is that the candidate cannot be a supporter of gay marriage. Why is that even on there? Seriously. What the hell. Not even delving into the fact that nowhere on that list were torture, war, health care & other social programs mentioned, WHY would being against gay marriage be a “non negotiable”?? The position is usually motivated from compassion, so it is at the very least good-intentioned. 

Why isn’t it like number 20 (tops) on our list of things we care about? (Please don’t misunderstand me as saying gay people should be number 20 on our list of things we care about, because I don’t think that at all). Why is it the second thing that’s mentioned? I was at a conference back in October, and for some reason (not sure why) it attracted a rather conservative ilk. One of the speakers said something along the lines of “We are Catholic! We are pro-life and pro-family!” (in the context of being happy/proud to evangelize our Catholic faith). 

Not only was I like, “that’s it?” but I thought, “if you had to choose two things (which you didn’t), what made you choose those?” Why not “We are pro-life, and pro-justice!”

Or better yet, “we are pro-love, pro-life, pro-justice, pro-peace, pro-eros, pro-person, pro-joy, pro-earth, pro-creation, pro-sense, pro-intellect, pro-body, pro-work.”

Notes

  1. durnesque-esque reblogged this from awkwardbutaccurate and added:
    You know, I’ve had...similar question...whole thing became...
  2. stine-key said: I think it’s supposed to be an indicator of the general state of marriage and sexuality in the country, but gets turned into JUST gay marriage. I don’t have a problem with legal gay marriage, as long as religious groups are afforded their rights.
  3. getmetoanunnery said: It’s such a silly thing. and at this point, I really can’t take anything Catholic Answers says seriously. We weren’t always this conservative, and I wish we’d go back to the pro-justice in all forms Catholicism.
  4. awkwardbutaccurate posted this