Church and State; A Dangerous Combination.
Thursday, April 1st, 2010Part of the 2010 Blog Against Theocracy
I’m not a native Californian. I was born and raised on the East coast and might have spent my entire life there if it weren’t for love. I ended up in California because of love.
Moving cross-country wasn’t a decision I made on a whim. This was going to be a lifelong commitment. When the California Supreme Court made it’s historic decision we were ecstatic. Marriage equality was a reality in California. We could make it legal.
We’d barely begun to celebrate when Proposition 8 reared its ugly head. While we’d be legally allowed to marry come June 16, we could easily lose that right on November 5. We tied the knot on August 9th.
Our joy was tainted by the onslaught of propaganda from clergy, churches, religious organizations and “pro-family” groups such as the Knights of Columbus, United Families International, California Catholic Conference, Focus on the Family, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Rick Warren, Traditional Values Coalition, Capitol Resource Institute, National Organization for Marriage, Miles McPherson, William Tam, and countless others.
Same-sex marriage is a violation of religious freedom! Oddly those pushing Proposition 8 cared not for the religious freedoms of those clergy, churches, religious traditions and faithful individuals who support marriage equality. Needless to say the rights and opinions of those without faith were of no consequence to them.
Then came the fearmongering and outright lies about what would happen if Proposition 8 didn’t pass. Children would be taught gay marriage, churches would be forced to marry gay couples, “traditional marriage” would be in peril, clergy would be imprisoned for preaching the Bible, etc. None of these claims were based on facts, and all of them could be easily debunked by legitimate scientific studies or news reports. That didn’t stop those who wielded the “deeply held religious beliefs” card as if it trumped everything. They smiled gleefully as they waved signs demanding our rights be eradicated.
Ultimately Proposition 8 won in California. It didn’t stop there, sadly. Some weren’t satisfied with having same-sex marriage banned from election day on. They wanted to nullify the 18,000 marriages that had taken place between June and November.
The anxiety my wife and I experienced while we waited to see if our marriage would still be legally valid was indescribable. To hear the “marriage defenders” calling for 32,00 newlyweds to be forcibly divorced was utterly surreal. It was six months of torture.
Thankfully though the CA Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, they left the existing marriages intact. We were safe, though now part of a strange marriage island that exists only in California.
Blue laws, same-sex marriage bans, “conscience clauses”, restrictions on stem-cell research, ever tightening abortion regulations, “abstinence-only” sex education, religious slogans on our money and government buildings. These are just some examples of how religion and state have mingled. The impact has included curtailing of individual liberties, government sanctioning of theism/religion, increases in hate-crimes, increases in teenage pregnancy and STDs, stifling of scientific progress, psychological trauma, and more.
Faith and religion are deeply personal matters. They can become part of one’s very identity. What is sacred to one person might be sacrilege to another. Faith and religion are, necessarily, matters that should be left to each individual to decide for herself or himself. Religion can be a perfectly acceptable lifestyle choice.
Religious freedom is guaranteed by the US Constitution. People are free to believe, or not, as they wish. Churches and religious organizations have the right to impose whatever restrictions they want on those who choose to be members.
When Church and State are mixed, however, free will is denied. Citizens are compelled to adhere to particular religious doctrines whether or not they believe in them. The chosen beliefs of some are imposed on all. This is not Freedom of Religion but its very antithesis, and it puts everyone at risk.







