Young Americans for Liberty – Ole Miss Chapter

What do Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire all have in common? In the midst of such nationwide uproar, each of these states has passed laws legalizing same-sex marriage. Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are not currently allowing it within their state, but they have passed legislation putting a date on when the marriages can legally begin to be performed. So what is Mississippi to do about the issue of same-sex marriage?

Well, we have a few options. Either we can repeat our hardened stance against allowing equal rights towards people who are perceived as different, or we can be the first southern state to allow the practice. Mississippi has some bad history when it comes to issues such as this. Our state was definitely a huge obstacle in the civil rights era. Our very own campus played a major role in the movement. Looking back on it now, aren’t we still ashamed of the violence shown towards a black man who simply wanted an education?

This movement among the gay community, as well as those that support their efforts, is the same civil rights struggle that has been waged since man began believing his ways of living were correct and must be followed by all. It saddens me that people use the Bible as an instrument of hatred in this struggle for equality. This practice of using the Bible as a weapon has only served to hurt the Christian religion and repel many who might be transformed by its true teachings. Throughout history the Bible has been used to support bloody inquisitions, crusades, genocide, denial of equal rights towards women and African Americans, the murder of women accused of witchcraft, and even to support the KKK. Does our state really want to be able to claim another addition to this list?

Obviously Jesus’s teachings say nothing about homosexuality. Even some of the Bible’s more seemingly condemning passages about homosexuality have been falsely translated. Christians pull mostly from the Old Testament to support their crusade against gay marriage. However, let’s look at some of the other Old Testament passages that we Christians violate on a daily basis: Deuteronomy 22 orders the stoning of new brides who are not virgins and spouses who are unfaithful; Leviticus 18 orders the execution of a married couple who have intercourse during the woman’s period; Deuteronomy 25 order a woman’s hand cut off if she grabs a man’s genitals while that man is in a fight with her husband. The Bible also says that sex with a prostitute is acceptable for husbands but not for wives. Christians don’t, and shouldn’t, support these passages.

Let’s look at the New Testament for acts Christians don’t follow. In Mark 10:1-12 divorce is forbidden and remarriage of those who are divorced is forbidden. Do Christians support this command? Obviously not, considering the percentage of divorce in America is higher among Christian couples than it is among Atheists.  If Christians really were supporting the “sanctity of marriage,” divorce would be illegal as well. Obviously, these gay marriage bans are purely a case of the majority suppressing the minority.

People also try to use children as a weapon against homosexuals. They say that the best upbringing of children comes from a straight couple, who I’m guessing are good Christian followers as well. This argument falls far short of logic. It is professing to know the ideal situation for a child to be raised in. If a man and woman are the ideal prototype for raising children, what should we do about single parents? Should we take away their children? Is it ideal for a child to be raised by an alcoholic or drug addicted straight couple? If not, where are the people protesting the marriage of drug addicted couples?  

I could go into the passages of the Bible people use against gay marriage and offer an argument against their anti-gay interpretation. However, I find this unimportant. The Bible is obviously not a work condemning homosexuals or their way of life. The Bible teaches love and leaves judgment up to God. However, if you would like a truthful interpretation of these hotly debated passages, I would suggest reading Rev. Mel White’s article What the Bible Says – And Doesn’t Say – About Homosexuality at soulforce.org.

I am begging Mississippi to stand up for liberty this time around. We should be the southern state to champion the cause of same-sex marriage. Can we please show the world that the Christian religion preaches love and acceptance? Let’s make it clear that in America all men are created equal and they are endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.