The issue: Arguments are arising over the same-sex marriage discussions in the Supreme Court.
Our take: The controversial issue over legalizing same-sex marriage should be approached out of love and respect.
An event of historic proportions is taking place- the Supreme Court is hearing and deciding on cases regarding the constitutionality of Proposition 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage, and the Defense of Marriage Act. These cases have the court entering into uncharted waters, and the rest of the country entering into a media frenzy, in the worst possible way.
We are not writing to argue for or against gay marriage, or to shove our opinions on the matter down the throats of our readers. Avid Facebook and Twitter users are doing a bang-up job of that already. What we would like to address, however, is how we think this type of argument should be handled, regardless of the position one chooses to take.
This is one of those high-priority cases that generates a lot of strong opposing opinions. It’s OK to have differing opinions. It’s not OK to try and force those opinions on others. So much of the conversation revolving around these cases is backed by hate and disdain for anyone whose values and ideas don’t match others’. As Christians, we are the worst offenders.
We are called to approach any and every argument out of love.
If one is attacking another individual’s character or personal views because they are not on point with his or her own, or one’s Facebook status reflects an under-informed and over-opinionated political agenda, he or she is lacking in love. If one thoughtlessly use the term “gay” derogatorily, he or she is lacking in love. If one is throwing the Bible at every person that advocates for same-sex marriage, or dismissing the Bible as irrelevant, he or she is lacking in love. The door swings both ways, and we all need to step back and reevaluate our approach to such a sensitive situation.
It’s time that we all closed our mouths and opened our minds. It’s time to do less talking and more listening. A conversation has two sides, both of which deserve to be heard. Until we can learn to confront this issue with an attitude of love, that cannot be accomplished.
