A Hope For Bridges, Not Walls

I commend the tens of thousands who came out, with passion and commitment, to support Prop 8, California's anti-gay marriage measure on the State's Nov. 2008 state ballot, for a one day rally in San Diego, the Sunday before the election. I question whether a mass gathering of like minded people on a bright day in a receptive city compares favorably (as some have claimed) to the sacrifices of anti-apartheid demonstrators in South Africa, of abolitionist leaders in the United States during slavery or of the civil rights fighters in the Southern US in the 1950s and 60s. Prop 8 is the kind of approach that typifies rendering to Caesar. It is a calculated effort to change a law to accomplish a goal. Jesus never called anyone to change one of Caesar's laws, or the laws of the Jewish leadership in Israel, for that matter. He was truly a revolutionary, and His way confronted while explaining that something more than the point of confrontation needed to be changed. If the evil in this world comes from principalities and powers, shouldn't the effort to deal with these evils be conducted in the realm of God's spirit, where such warfare is waged?

For those at the rally in San Diego, was it only the challenge to bring legislative change that created the zeal to demonstrate, resist, and revoke existing human edict? For, in the end, God's law does not need to be validated by man's law. The eagerness to make human law of God's law is an over assessment of the importance of Caesar's law. That law needs the light of God much more than God needs secular approval. Scampering along, yapping at the master to let us jump on the bed or couch is not a model I like much. The only model of secular change that appears to hold some semblance of how God works is found in long term, non-violent, persecuted protests like those of the American Civil Rights Movement and Gandhi's resistance in India. Both were centered in religious faith; both called for fundamental change regarding human rights. Both were vigorously attacked by opponents to change. An untold number of protesters were killed. The movements called for personal change of everyone involved in the struggles as much as legislative adjustments.

There is nothing noble or generous regarding Prop 8. It reverses law that allowed loving couples to marry. Defining marriage as a union between a man and a women is certainly a society's right, but if it is built on an unrealistic concept of what family is, it is just plain foolish. Family is mostly not Mum and Dad, brother and sister, dog and cat. It is more likely divorced, hyphenated parents, blended siblings, pet iguana. You can vote for how you want things to be or how they are. "Want things to be" regarding homosexuality brings together the haters and the doctrinaires, and anything that pushes you together with the haters should make you reconsider your doctrine. But those of you who have read this blog know that I support homosexuality and marriage. My greatest hope is that loving homosexual partners will have the opportunity to be married, and that they will take it. Not allowing them the right to be married is a nasty repudiation of something the society supports on all other levels. Perhaps Civil Union agreements and Church weddings can mute the pain while efforts are made to dismiss this law.

The pro-life movement is not Prop 8. It has the staying power of abolition, and a great amount of moral support throughout the world. The movement, however, lost some of its moral"higher ground" when abortion sites were turned into confrontation zones, where outraged defenders of the unborn turned nasty against the poor women whose lives had reached the point of making an unbelievingly difficult decision. If you don't win the hearts of those you are trying to convince, you have to win politically.

Christians hardened those contemplating abortion with hurled vials of blood and beakers of aborted fetuses. Each person who entered a clinic and had an abortion realized when they came out, that those haranguing people going in were not people they wished to share their pain with coming out. Whoever the victim is in the abortion debate, it is certainly not the demonstrators outside the clinic.

I believe God's model regarding abortion is two fold: silent, non violent, all night prayer vigils in police/community designated areas near abortion clinics, and the most comprehensive health/sex education push the world has ever known. Condoms, and other forms of birth control, should be given away like Halloween candy. There should be graphic illustrations on condom wrappers of how to properly use the device. The entire population should be told, in slick, Hollywood ads on MTV, VH1, pay channels and Network TV that smart, sophisticated, successful people don't get pregnant unless they choose to. If people don't like abortion, the best way to minimize it is to make it an unattractive option. The "Choice" part of pro-choice needs to be moved back to the point of intercourse, because abortion is the worst result of an irresponsible decision. Let's do away with the "I didn't know" defense and bring responsibility back into the equation.

And let the Church re-define its position and pray for right choices and to become a support group for people looking for emotional fulfillment in an idealized baby. Let the love of God so envelope those who are forced to that most awful choice that they, and their circle of friends, see that God's love promotes right choices and forgives wrong ones. There has been little grace in the Abortion debate. Pro Life folks are outraged that innocent blood is being shed; pro-choice people are adamant that their right to rule their own bodies be revered.

Once dialog goes, the lawyers move in. Law rules the day, and if the Church wins, it has lost because it won by making Caesar the final arbitrator. Not what the fish expected when it gave up its coin to pay Imperial taxes. Not what any person desiring unity in love outside of secular law can be joyful about.