The Telescope

Issue Date: 3/16/09

Religion overflowing into politics

By Robin Witt

Media Credit: Joseph Bonnet

The California Supreme Court is in the process of hearing arguments about whether to uphold the public's vote on Proposition 8. I am reminded of my own conflicting values surrounding this issue.
As a Christian, I wrestled last November with how to cast my vote on Prop. 8. After careful consideration I voted in favor of legalizing same-sex marriages, a decision that did not come easily for me.
Some people might consider me a hypocrite for this. Marriage between members of the same sex is not in alignment with the Christian faith. But for the most part, I believe in a separation of church and state: Government and religion theoretically have very different roles.
The main role of government is to protect its citizens. We have a whole legal system based on this. Laws are created, refined and enforced to discourage crime and promote fairness and equity for all.
In addition, the government maintains specific agencies to protect citizens against fire, crime, acts of war and other dangers. For example, if a plague breaks out, we hear from the Department of Health. On the other hand, if a drug turns out to be unsafe, the Food and Drug Administration gets involved and so on.
One of the most important roles of government is to guarantee equal rights, including freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Practicing a certain religion or deciding not to be religious is a right and an individual choice.
Some countries require citizens to follow a certain religion. The religious laws and the laws for citizens are one in the same. Fortunately, this is not the case in the United States.
We have many Christians here, but this is not a Christian nation. This is an important distinction. Unlike in the aforementioned nations, here, I have the right to practice my religion as I see fit, but this should not come at the expense of denying others their rights.
Like countries, religious groups have specific rules for their members. Although these rules sometimes mirror American laws like in the case of "thou shall not murder" and "thou shall not steal" from the Bible, many of them do not.
Instead of the rules being for the purpose of protection, rules in churches can be an opportunity for members to grow in their faith. Sometimes these practices seem to be at odds with personal rights.
For example, some churches do not allow priests to marry while others do not allow women or people who are gay to be in leadership positions. In the church I attend, the pastor will not marry a couple if they are already living together.
While I do not agree with all of these practices, I respect the rights of churches to maintain traditions, creeds and disciplines that enable members to practice their faith in a way they feel is authentic.
I do not know what the outcome of the California Supreme Court hearings will be, but I am confident at some point we will legalize same-sex marriages just like we granted women the right to vote.
My hope is that we can move beyond judgment to promote equal rights while still honoring individual beliefs.

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