Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Rick Warren on gay marriage

Evangelical Rick Warren on gay marriage (video at link): "I have all kinds of natural feelings in my life, and it doesn't necessarily mean that I should act on every feeling.... Just because I have a feeling doesn't make it right."

He uses this as an analogy: "Sometimes... I feel attracted to women who are not my wife. I don't act on... just because I have a feeling doesn't make it right. Not everything natural is good for me."

Not exactly the same thing, is it? As a heterosexual, he's allowed to fall in love and find a significant other and marry. He can have that important human connection in his life without people telling him he's a sinner. Sure, by his lights he's not allowed to sleep around, but he has bonded deeply with another person and formed a family group. He has intimacy in his life, and can enjoy it without feeling guilt.

What he's saying is that gay people aren't sinning if they're attracted to others of the same sex, but only if they act on those attractions. (He's apparently ignorant of Jesus' own words: You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.) Effectively, what this means is that in order not to "sin" by Warren's rules, gay people must go through life not just celibate, but without ever making any sort of deep intimate connection with another person. They must go through life alone.

Personally, I'd prefer to live in a world where people could find significant others and form family groups and live the way they want to without being told that they're sinners for doing so.

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