Nov. 4, 2008 was a day of elation. An intellectual, progressive senator was elected U.S. President, becoming the first African-American to lead our country. State referendums eased restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. Pro-life measures were defeated. Marriage was restricted to the union of a man and a woman ... wait, what?
On a day that saw the U.S. support the best ideals of human society, the passage of Proposition 8 in California made this country take one leap back after several steps forward. How could a country that prides itself in the inalienability of basic human rights turn a resounding blind eye to the rights of a large segment of its population?
America seemed to be nearing the end of the long journey towards social equality, but the denial of right to the homosexual community proved otherwise. The main driving force behind the ban on gay marriages has been the religious community.
Thousands of protesters made their case known outside Mormon churches in Los Angeles, Utah, and New York. Politicians must recognize this is a serious warning sign that an infringement upon the separation of church and state is taking place.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not the only religious organization to support Proposition 8. The Catholic fraternity Knights of Columbus supported the measure, and the leading website for the bigoted movement was run by Ron Prentice of the California Family Council, whose stated mission is to protect and foster Judeo-Christian principles in California's laws."" This a direct threat to the separation of church and state, but the most pressing issue is the basis of these ""Judeo-Christian principles.""
The most commonly quoted sources for these principles can be found in the Bible. Leviticus commands that men ""do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman."" The commandments within this scripture also require the sacrifice of a lamb after childbirth in order to cure the uncleanliness of the mother, and also outlaw clothing woven of two materials as well as tattoos. Farmers are prohibited from planting their fields with two different crops, mildew can be cured by dripping bird's blood throughout one's house and another lamb sacrifice is required to cure itches and rashes.
Why is it some practices are allowed to adapt to modern times, while others are not? Gay marriage has been acceptable since the dawn of civilization, as revealed through the 1964 discovery of a 4,500-year-old Egyptian tomb containing two married males lying side-by-side for eternity.
Religious leaders across the country are misleading their congregations to believe same sex-marriage is unacceptable. Bishop George McKinney, the director of the Coalition of African-American Pastors and board member of the six-million-strong African-American Pentecostal Church, advertises on his website that ""Courage is God's people doing God's work God's way, even when common sense tells us to avoid, to evade or to escape."" The attack on common sense is blatant, and ""God's work"" is all too often defined by the religious leaders themselves.
The passage of Proposition 8 may have been a victory for the Christian Right in the short term, but its long-term effects will be devastating. A recent study by the Barna Group, an evangelical research firm, found persons under 30 years old have a far more negative view of Christianity than their counterparts did ten years ago. One of the most eye-opening results was that nine of the 12 most common perceptions of Christianity held by non-Christians were negative.
I am not a religious person, but I do recognize the positive moral framework that religion has helped develop within the human psyche. If religion is going to have a place in the future, its tenets must be malleable and come to terms with modern times.
Tom Hart is a senior majoring in political science and history. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
