Mark Twain said that, if there is a heaven, it’s apt to be mighty crowded with hypocrites. Writing in the L.A. Times on social conservatives who go after gays because they’re easier targets than divorce and single parenthood, David Boaz shows why Twain was right.
Social Conservatives’ Cop-Out
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6 Comments for “Social Conservatives’ Cop-Out”
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Really?
If you go to the Focus on the Family website, you can find entire sections on the need to reduce divorce and single parenthood.
In contrast, going to gay-sex marriage websites seemingly has a lot of whining about how evil Christians are, but nothing there about the necessity of reducing divorce or single parenthood. Indeed, websites that express the values of the gay and lesbian community, such as Beyond Marriage, openly state that divorce should be unlimited and that single parenthood is just as good as any other type.
posted by Aubrey Haltom on
@NDT,
I haven’t visited this site in a while, and when I come back I find another post about Beyond Marriage from you. I guess I have a few questions for you.
Did you actually read the Beyond Marriage statement? Which, btw, is from 2006. And hardly expresses the “values of the gay and lesbian community…”
If you applied your logic consistently, since one site can represent the “values of the …community”, your blog could represent the values of the community. Heh, with that logic, NDT, everybody agrees with you. So you have no reason to criticize the community… đ
I don’t support Beyond Marriage, had never even heard of them prior to your posting from a year or two ago. But your characterization of their statement is not even accurate.
(And they don’t represent the total community, any more than you do.)
Btw – I am married to my husband (we have been together for 24 years, married for 6), with a young son soon to be 5.
I haven’t spent a lot of time speaking to the necessity of reducing divorce; probably because most of the time spent in that arena has been concerned with the necessity of marriage.
And Boaz’s article noted re: the Family Research Council, there are sections on divorce and single parenthood, but they are dwarfed in number by sections on homosexuality.
So a question for you – do you believe in marriage equality?
I noticed you refered to your ‘partner’ as your “husband” in some older posts on your blog. Was that a legal statement, or just a manner of speech?
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
If you applied your logic consistently, since one site can represent the âvalues of the âŚcommunityâ, your blog could represent the values of the community.
Actually, Beyond Marriage is a consolidated website, representing the views of literally hundreds of gays and lesbians and gay and lesbian organization.
And if they don’t represent your views, why are you defending and spinning for them? Feel free to post what you think was misstated and defend it.
So a question for you â do you believe in marriage equality?
What is “marriage equality”?
Everyone who meets the required standards — of age, with consent, not already married, not of blood relationship, and of the opposite gender of the person they intend to marry — may marry in the United States. That seems perfectly equal to me.
What you are talking about and demanding, on the other hand, is for the “right” to marry whatever sexual partner you desire. In that case, “marriage equality” translates to allowing pedophiles, polygamists, incestuous, and other such couples and groupings to marry the objects to which they are sexually attracted. After all, the Fourteenth Amendment, on which the “marriage equality” argument is based, only talks about “persons”, and says nothing about allowing any restrictions based on age, previous relationships, blood relationships, consent, and whatnot. Since any law that does not contain restrictions spelled out in the Fourteenth Amendment is unconstitutional, according to the “marriage equality” supporters, these restrictions are also unconstitutional.
I noticed you refered to your âpartnerâ as your âhusbandâ in some older posts on your blog. Was that a legal statement, or just a manner of speech?
It’s a manner of speech. He is my husband, and I think of him that way, and he thinks of me that way. That’s all that matters.
posted by Jimmy on
Indiana’s state house just went back to the GOP and the leaders are social conservatives. Guess what? They’ve reintroduced the bill to change the state constitution via amendment to ban same-sex marriage. There certainly isn’t any legislation being put forth to make it harder to get a divorce, which would protect many many more marriages.
What they once again arrogantly fail to understand is why voters put them in power. Not willing to take on those tasks, they instead choose to pursue culture war issues which keep the money coming in from the usual suspects. They fail to recall why voters took power out of their hands the last time they had it.
“but nothing there about the necessity of reducing divorce or single parenthood. ”
Marriage equality is inherently pro-marriage. LGBT people have not historically been open participants in this institution, so no one asked us when it came to making the rules. Those already in the institution are the ones who determine these. The general consensus of those current participants doesn’t seem to be all that hostile toward divorce; so, it’s not really the duty of LGBTs who wish to participate in the current cultural understanding of what it means to be in a modern marriage to say there should be less divorce.
As to single parenthood, once again, marriage equality calls for more marriage, not less.
posted by Carl on
More promises from Tim Pawlenty to defund DADT repeal.
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2011/02/07/pawlenty-dadt-2-2/
posted by Houndentenor on
Conservatives can’t make too big a deal out of divorce because most of their leadership not to mention their favorite media blowhards are divorced, many serially so. Add to that the ones who have been caught soliciting sex in a men’s room, trying to hook up on Craig’s List to cheat on the wife, or who are widely known to be closeted homosexuals, and on and on…. well they know what a glass house they live in with regards to divorce and fidelity.