I just came across this article, and should be surprised, but am not. You see, it isn't just gay marriage that needs to be "legislated," all marriage needs to be "protected." But what exactly does the Christian Right mean by "protection."
First, read the article here:
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/world/10240201.htm?1c
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This sets off alarm buttons:
""When you talk about protecting marriage, you need to talk about divorce," said Bryce Christensen, a Southern Utah University professor who writes frequently about family issues.
While Christensen doesn't oppose the campaign to enact state and federal bans on gay marriage, he worries it's distracting from immediate threats to marriage's place in society.
"If those initiatives are part of a broader effort to reaffirm lifetime fidelity in marriage, they're worthwhile," he said. "If they're isolated - if we don't address cohabitation and casual divorce and deliberate childlessness - then I think they're futile and will be brushed aside."
Gay-rights supporters, during their recent losing battles against gay-marriage bans in 11
states, often argued that if marriage in America was in fact troubled, it was heterosexuals - not gays - who bore the blame."
While most of the article is benign, there is an undertone that comes across, especially knowing the history of those who want the government in our bedrooms.
The people who want to make marriage stronger won't take no for an answer. If they can, they will make sure to legislate their agenda, furthering laws that would make divorce harder, that would punish those who seek to get out of a bad marriage and more.
This is yet another attempt to dictate to people how to live, and further, there is no offer of a solution to the real problems of why marriages fail (many fail because of abuse, drugs, economic strains and more). Rather, this group doesn't care if people are in healthy marriages, nope, they only care that people stay married which then "protects" the family.
I find especially alarming the "cohabitation" and "deliberate childlessness" words used by Christensen. Is it now to be against the law to marry and not have children? Shall we outlaw people living together who are not married? Shall all of this be done in the name of the "family" and "moral values?"
If you had any doubt about where the Christian Right wanted to take this country, this little preview should clear up a great deal for you.