So did you hear the one about same-sex marriage and equal rights for homosexuals? You know that one already? Can you believe Al Gore fell for it? Yeah, I can too.
The creation of same sex marriage entails removal of the conjugality requirement from the definition of marriage. It necessarily involves the rejection of the opposite-sex predicate to the institution of marriage. So, endorsement of same-sex marriage is not morally neutral. It does not follow from any principle of equality, autonomy, or any other morally-neutral principle. (Homosexuals have access to conjugal marriage on terms equal to heterosexuals. Just like heterosexuals, they can marry one person, who is not a close relative and is a member of the opposite sex, who does not carry a loathesome disease, and is not currently married to someone else.)
The only rational argument to be made for same-sex marriage is that homosexual conduct adds something of value to same-sex friendships -- in the same way that conjugal sexual conduct adds something of value to committed, opposite-sex friendships in the context of marriage -- and thus deserves approbation in law, just like conjugal marriage. Those of us who defend conjugal marriage and oppose same-sex marriage are not arguing that same-sex friendships have no value, or that homosexuals are not entitled to the same rights as heterosexuals, or that homosexuals are less deserving of dignity or autonomy. We simply disagree on the moral value of homosexual conduct. We think it is beneath the dignity of all human persons, whether or not they are attracted to members of the opposite sex.
Gore, like most Liberals, refuses to engage us social conservatives on the merits of our argument, instead fighting the straw man of putative inequality. This would be insulting were it coming from someone other than Al Gore. Ever since he started performing his Chicken Little schtick on global warming, I have had a hard time taking him seriously. It's sad, in a way, to watch a former Vice President be so unintentionally comical.
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2 comments:
It was truly painful watching that Al Gore clip after the link.
Maybe I'll think it's painful when I'm done chuckling. The man is a self-parody: (close eyes and raise eyebrows to demonstrate earnestness and moral superiority)"Shouldn't we be promotinggggah the kind of faithfulness and loyalty to one's partnerrrr..."
He's either an irritating scold or a valley girl in a fat man's body. I choose to look at him as the latter. The entertainment value is practially without limit.
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