Greetings! We interrupt this lack of blogging to add my voice to the conversation about Amendment One in NC. Note the following as you begin to read this:
- This will be relatively short and sweet
- This is NOT intended to address the idea of “gay-marriage”, but the Amendment itself.
- Others perhaps smarter and more verbose than myself have shared more eloquently, and I have linked to them below.
- Thanks for reading!
I plan to vote NO on Amendment 1 because I believe Amendment 1 is un-necessary at best, and harmful at worst:
1) Regardless of what one thinks of “gay marriage” etc., heterosexual marriage is currently the only union recognized by law. Gay marriage is not. So what’s the point?
2) I do NOT think ANY State or Federal constitution is the place to address this issue. This is not what constitutions are for. Constitutions are for limiting (giving boundaries to) government and protecting the rights of the people, NOT ensuring that certain people do not have certain rights.
3) It makes me extremely nervous — especially as a Christian — that a State would officially declare a sub-status of citizenry for any reason. However the Amendment might be worded, the net effect is that GLBT citizens will be officially given a “less than” status, i.e. you henceforth have LESS rights than the rest of us. This is not only inappropriate but has other dangerous implications (i.e. what other “amendments” could be passed?)
4) Regardless of one’s moral-spiritual-religious convictions about homosexuality or gay marriage, this is a *civil rights* issue, NOT a moral-spiritual-religious issue. The spiritual issue is a Church & Kingdom issue, NOT a legal or constitutional issue.
5) Lastly, one of my biggest fears: Whatever the intentions of the Amendment’s sponsors or its actual verbiage, a successful passage of the amendment will ultimately communicate judgement and condemnation to the GLBT community — from the State, from “conservatives,” and from the Christians who sponsored the bill and put signs in their yards (and in front of their churches).
Other items for your consideration are below. Thanks for listening! Let me know if you have any thoughts below…
From Steve Knight at Knightopia.
From Kathy Baldock at Canyonwalker Connections.