September 23, 2008

The World Has Turned On Its Axis: Seventh-Day Adventists for Marriage Equality

The last thing I thought I’d find was a group of Seventh-Day Adventists supporting marriage equality. But here they are, at Adventists Against Prop 8:

We urge Seventh-day Adventists in the State of California to vote “no” on Proposition 8, a ballot initiative titled “Eliminates Right of Same-sex Couples to Marry,” on November 4. We also urge the Seventh-day Adventist Church State Council to rescind its support for this Proposition.

We believe that this Proposition, which would amend the California State Constitution to define marriage as only “between a man and a woman,” breaches the spirit of religious liberty, separation of church and state, and non-establishment of religion that Adventists have long cherished. By supporting this Proposition to define marriage from a religious perspective, many, including the Church State Council, are in danger of imposing their particular religious, theological convictions upon the general public. …

At creation, God sanctified two institutions that have stood the test of time — the Sabbath and marriage. God meant that both of these would represent lasting covenants of faithfulness and love that would continue throughout time. Seventh-day Adventists have championed both of these institutions, but have also stood firm on the principle that we serve a God who does not coerce the conscience. …

In 2008, we are testing our commitment to religious freedom, and in particular whether we are willing to apply this same standard to the second institution of creation, marriage. There are many people in society who practice forms of relationships that are not compatible with God’s intention at creation, including co-habitation before marriage, pornography, sexual relations outside the bounds of marriage, adultery, divorce, and a host of other issues. We have have wisely not advocated legal action against those who practice such behaviors because we recognize that we serve a God who does not coerce the conscience, even though these issues drive nuclear families apart. …

You know, these are the testaments I value most: from the devoutly religious who recognize and honor the difference between their deeply held religious beliefs, and foisting those beliefs on the rest of us. They come to their position not despite their beliefs, you see, but because of their beliefs.

I don’t mind a whit if anyone disapproves of my being gay (as Frances Maude said, it’s like disapproving of rain), as long as they agree to leave me in peace to live my life as I see fit, without interference. (In return, I will — and do — support and defend their right to worship their god in any way they see fit.)

While my marriage hardly “drive[s] nuclear families apart,” I don’t mind that they believe that, and I’m not going to try to argue them out of it, because they are not going to use their beliefs to hurt me.

For that, these Adventists (like the Mormons over at Signing for Something, which I read almost every day) have my gratitude — but more importantly, they have my respect.

Posted by: Sapphocrat

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