Watching the continuing debate on Proposition 8 in California and on same-gender marriage generally across the country, I am increasingly concerned about the role religion has played, and is playing, in these discussions. Heightened emotions are predictable, but reason is essential. Progress is possible only if people with contradictory values and opinions as well as beliefs and religions can speak with one another and learn to live together without violating the basic nature of our democracy.
Whatever an individual's point of view on the issue of same-gender marriage, surely all of us can agree that most discussions on this subject fall short of civility, often deteriorate into shouting matches reflective of hostility, fail to move the debate toward a conclusion mutually acceptable amid vastly pluralistic people, and inflict on the American public hurtful and avoidable division. Sharp divisions are ripping at the fabric of our nation as a result of seriously contradictory opinions on every aspect of same-gender marriage. We should and can do better.
My mind has changed on this matter. It changed along a pilgrimage that took me from living according to a fundamentalist Christian perspective to a Christian posture appreciative of the vast diversity of religious experiences in this nation and respect for the views of those who hold to no religion at all.
Motivated by confidence in the power of religion to affect reconciliation, and a patriotism embodied by an unwavering commitment to freedom and justice, we must attempt to find common ground on which the people in our nation can meet and, through honest, civil debate, find an honorable solution to a challenge that is splintering our nation and hurting many of its citizens. Applying the constitutional guarantees of religious liberty to this controversial issue strikes me as a means for making that happen.
The subject of marriage equality merits our best thoughts and actions whether or not we are religious people or individuals who adhere to no religion. It is my hope that we can spark new ideas and new opportunities within a constitutional frame and find solutions that are fair, realistic and legal. As president of Interfaith Alliance, I am working to shift the perspective on LGBT equality from that of "problem" to "solution," from a scriptural argument to a religious liberty agreement and to address the issue of equality informed by the rights and freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution.
Compliance with two guiding principles could be of immense help in us moving forward in this national discussion: First, government should provide basic rights, freedom, and justice to every person without regard to an individual's religion, race, or sexual orientation. Second, no house of worship should have to perform a marriage ceremony against its will, and never because of the intrusion and/or compulsion of government.
Members of a committed same-gender couple have the same right to be faithful to their moral integrity as do religious institutions that disagree with the couple's morality. Neither, however, has the right to seek to impose their particular moral values on the other, though both have the right to benefit from the government's constitutional commitment to the values of equality, freedom, and justice for all citizens.
While I am a proponent for same-gender civil marriage, I also support the rights of houses of worship to decide which marriages receive their blessings. The First Amendment ensures separation between the institutions of religion and government because both institutions of government and religion are best served by such separation.
To confuse the civil institution of marriage with a religious institution protected by the government is to seriously misunderstand marriage and its relationship to government in the U.S. Marriage in this nation is based on law, not scripture. No individual should be penalized personally or prohibited socially from enjoying basic rights and freedoms because of religious beliefs or sexual orientation unless that person's behavior inflicts harm on other people. All citizens can receive the same civil rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution without infringing on anyone's religious rights. Banning civil marriage to couples based on gender denies them access to civil rights and undermines their civil liberties.
The Reverend Dr. C. Welton Gaddy is the president of Interfaith Alliance, a national organization dedicated to protecting both faith and freedom. He is the author of Same-gender Marriage & Religious Freedom: A Call to Quiet Conversations and Public Debates.