Repeating what we said in the previous blog: On March 4th, 2011, the Pew Research Center Poll found that “Americans were opposed to gay marriage by nearly 2-1 a decade ago, the latest poll showed 45 percent in support of it, with 46 percent in opposition.” Hence, for the last several decades, the cause for gay-rights is steadily winning the minds of the American people. As stated previously, the entertainment industry has long been an unabashed advocate for the moral legitimacy of homosexuality. However, the institution which has even a greater impact on the minds of the youth is public education. As we have seen, the social agenda of favoring homosexual unions in public schools as the moral equivalent to heterosexual unions is a national phenomenon. And in many schools, it is every bit as important as teaching math or reading. Indeed, in terms of winning the majority of people to same-sex rights, what the entertainment industry began the public schools will finish.
The wide acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage will pose an even greater threat to the moral fabric of American than legalized abortion. What Roe versus Wade was to the human dignity of the unborn, the sanction of same-sex rights is to the dignity of every human being. In other words, the pro-choice ideology changed what some people believe about the unborn, but the belief that same-sex marriage is the moral equivalent to traditional marriage will change what people believe about every human being.
Nevertheless, what people believe about human nature and human sexuality does not change the truth of either one. Just as the DNA molecule contains information about the individual prior to his birth- information that cannot be changed or manipulated by the individual himself -so too does human nature come with pre-existing laws independent of what the community or State believes or says about it. Indeed, human nature is not a blank sheet of paper upon which we can write whatever we want without consequence. Instead, human nature has been given to mankind by God with instructions; its called the natural or the moral law. A child thrives, for instance, when he or she is loved as opposed to being ignored or hated. We cannot will it otherwise.
The point is we can no more redefine marriage than we can redefine human nature. But let there be no doubt, if same-sex unions are regarded as being equal to a marriage between a man and woman, then people will take it to mean that human nature is a blank sheet of paper upon which they can write whatever they want; which is to say people will live by their own rules. The result of which can only be dysfunction for the family and social disorder for society
One of the revolutionary contributions Christianity made to civilization is that it presented the human person- as if from the hand of God himself -with instructions, that is, with certain moral absolutes ingrained in its very nature. With the preaching of the Gospel people came to understand that they were created by God, created for God and created in the image of God. As such, the Divine Architect of human nature had something definite to say about it; something quite independent from what was commonly believed up to the time of Christ.
Let the historical record speak for itself. Compare how Christians treated women, children, the sick, the disabled, the imprisoned and even slaves; compare their services to their pagan counterparts. You will find, in fact, there is no comparison. It's not even close! The early Christians invented charity and in many cases carried out their Christian service even at the expense of their own lives. The dignity of the individual person, no matter what his social or political status, demanded recoginition in the Church. This was a stark contrast to even the most civilized parts of the world. Therefore, the Catholic Church has an impressive 2000-year resume of lifting up the lowly. But her Christian duty to love the individual person did not necessitate the approval of immoral acts and lifestyles. A distinction was always made between the sin and the sinner. The sinner was to be loved at all costs; the sin was to be opposed at all costs.
In any case, the approval of same-sex marriage or even homosexuality itself will have a counter revolutionary effect on how we view the world. As I said before, if the union of man and woman (especially in wedlock) is the very image of God through which we understand God and ourselves, then the legitimacy of the same-sex marriage or unions will alter our perception of reality. As with ancient pagan civilization, human laws and human relationships will be arbitrary, unjust and oppressive. That's right! If traditional marriage and the nuclear family is not venerated as exclusively superior to all other partnerships and lifestyles then anything goes.
What Catholics can do on the next blog-
