Gay Marriage Acceptance or Agreement?

The topics filling the media today are all about love, acceptance and outreach. It seems that anyone who seems to take a stand that smells slightly of uncaring is accused of being a Pharisee. The book, "No Perfect People Allowed" has hit this nerve among many Ministers and they are filling sermons and blogs with strong words about accepting everyone regardless of their spiritual condition.

For example, take the case of gay marriage. Since I don't think it is a good idea to have men marrying men and women marrying women, I am attacked by some as a person that is not accepting other people. Thus, disagreement about "Agreement" is framed as an issue of "Acceptance".

Let me use an analogy. I accept persons from every nationality and culture. I am kind to them, I can enjoy their company and I would do nothing to harm them. I think immigration is a positive thing in our country and hope we open the borders to people from around the world.

Here is my lack of agreement. I do not agree that illegal aliens ought to receive the rights reserved for citizens. This lack of agreement would lead some to call me a racist and uncaring person. The ability to work in America is a privilege not a right. Citizens are supposed to receive certain benefits that aliens do not receive.

Now, back to gay marriage. I care for gay people as persons and treat them with respect. (This is a better term than acceptance.) I would do them no harm and every gay person that is a citizen ought to be treated equally under the law. However, the laws ought not be changed so men can marry men and women can marry women.

I worked among the polygamists in Asia and Africa. I respected them and taught them to care for each other. However, I would not agree to change American laws to permit polygamy. The Muslims I worked with were, for the most part, warm, wonderful people and I became friends with many of them. If they came to America I would not agree with their having four wives.

Thus, to use the term preferred by many current writers, I "accept" polygamists as persons but I strongly disagree with their sexual preferences and marital policies. In that same vein, I "accept" homosexuals but I disagree with their sexual and marital preferences.

Gary Sweeten