by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 1, 2003
All Rights Reserved.

eighing in on gay marriage, Pope John Paul II condemned same-sex unions, declaring that homosexuality runs counter to God's law, urging Catholics and non-Catholics alike to strongly condemn gay relationships. Raising the same old issues, the Pope signed a 12-page declaration drafted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, telling Catholics that homosexual unions violate God's plan for reproducing the human race. John Paul's statements railed against popular trends in Western Europe and Canada, including the U.S. Supreme Court's recent reversal of sodomy laws. Calling same-sex unions a threat to society's “common good,” the Pope asked Catholics to protect the “sanctity” of the family by encouraging politicians to oppose popular trends approving altenative lifestyles. Even President Bush threw his support toward “codifying” laws banning gay marriages.

      Telling politicians to “defy the will of their constituents,” the Britain-based Gay and Lesbian Humanist Assn. called the Pope's pronouncement dangerous and anti-democratic. Gay rights groups in the U.S. have used the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to argue for the same rights given to heterosexual marriages, including health care, pensions and government entitlements like Social Security. With respect to gay marriage, it's difficult to distinguish between the government's worry about expanding largess to gays or, like the Pope's position, zealous conservatives preserving traditional marriage. With states like Massachusetts and Vermont leaning toward civil unions, some groups call for a constitutional ban on gay marriage. It's seems easier for the Vatican to condemn gay marriage than denounce dangerous trends inside today's Catholic church.

      Instead of launching a global crusade against gay marriage, the Vatican should first deal with rampant homosexuality and pedophilia within its own ranks. Putting the focus on gay marriage conveniently redirects the debate away from embarrassing sex abuse scandals onto popular conservative pet peeves. Gay-bashing has always been a favorite pastime for religious zealots unwilling to examine their own depravity. “There are absolutely no grounds for homosexual unions to be in any way similar or even remotely analogous God's plan for marriage and family,” said the document, forgetting that hard working gays pay taxes, go to church and raise their families too. God's plan also doesn't deny priests or nuns their earthly physiology and duty to propagate the species. “Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go against natural moral law,” goes the document, forgetting about divorce and raising children out of wedlock.

      Gay unions provide more stability and security to adopted or medically-enhanced children than broken homes and struggling single mothers. Homosexuals account for roughly 6% of the population regardless of environmental influences. Despite prevailing misconceptions, biological factors account for the lion's share of homosexuality, not faulty modeling or dysfunctional family relationships. Biological factors—not personal or moral depravity—also account for around 5% of the population afflicted with alcoholism. There's no evidence—scientific or otherwise--indicating that children raised in gay unions have any more chance of homosexuality than children raised in traditional families. “Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would actually mean doing violence to these children . . .” said the document, perpetuating pernicious propaganda about homosexual relationships.

      Abuse against children is perpetrated not by responsible gay couples but by broken homes, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, and, yes, pedophile priests incapable of controlling bodily functions under archaic and unrealistic vows imposed by the church. No other church or institution suffers from the sexual perversity and scandals caused by celibacy. Yet, the Pope gets on his high horse, fingering gay marriage and homosexual unions. There's nothing wrong with the Vatican taking positions on same-sex unions. But there is something wrong with the church ignoring its own problems caused by unhealthy policies. No priest or nun should be forced into celibacy at the expense of developing sexual perversions. Contrary to the Pope's view, homosexual unions don't weaken traditional marriage or threaten contemporary society: They help strengthen otherwise unstable “alternative” lifestyles.

      Jumping on the bandwagon, President Bush took the wrong tack agreeing with the Vatican's current views about gay unions. Placating religious conservatives by throwing support to constitutional bans on gay marriage opens up a dangerous can of worms. Individual states, like Massachusetts and Vermont, are perfectly capable of defining and regulating marriage, without showing contempt for the Bible. Before the Vatican gets on its high horse, it's got a lot of work to do cleaning up its own problems with pedophilia, homosexuality, and, yes, rampant violations of its celibacy rules. Whether liked or not, same-sex unions only add stability to gay relationships, create more commitment and responsibility, and improve conditions under which children are raised. With the best scientific evidence proving that homosexuality is largely a biological event, “society” has little to worry about.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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