 |
Divorce a
larger threat than same-sex rights
From
timesunion.com (Albany, NY) May 17, 2007
|
| |
|
The Rev. Joe Roof's letter (Same-sex
laws won't redefine church views, May 4) condemning Gov. Eliot Spitzer's
legislative recommendation to enact same-sex marriage in New York state is yet
another example of a Christian religious leader missing the mark. New York
has a long tradition of treating gay and nongay parents as fully equal in the
eyes of the law.
In New York, gay people can adopt, be foster parents, be guardians and provide
care to children in every way that heterosexuals do, without regard to sexual
orientation. My partner, our daughter and I consider our stable family
unit of more than 16 years to be one based on love and respect.
We consider shared family values and the stability of marriage to be extremely
important, and we know many other gay families who share our views and who
demonstrate Christian principles of love, true brotherliness and forgiveness in
their daily lives.
For Christian ministers to preach that same-sex marriage is an imminent threat
to their altars or to the marriages of heterosexuals is nonsense. Stable
gay marriages and families do not threaten the institution of marriage.
But there are other forces in society that do pose such a threat.
A majority of Americans condone divorce. According to the National Center
for Health Statistics, 43 percent of U.S. marriages end in divorce. Among
major Christian faith groups, Baptists have a divorce rate of 29 percent, the
highest percentage reported among all Christian denominations.
Members of the Baptist clergy concerned about threats to marriage might well
consider chastising the divorced and separated members of their own church
rather than publicly protesting the proposal to extend civil marriage rights to
gays and lesbians.
PETER MANSON
Slingerlands
|
