by Dennis Prager
Nov. 18, 2008
"Gay is the new black is one of the mottos of the movement to redefine marriage to include two people of the same sex.
The likening of the movement for same-sex marriage to the black civil rights struggle is a primary argument of pro same-sex marriage groups. This comparison is a major part of the moral appeal of redefining marriage: Just as there were those who once believed that blacks and whites should not be allowed to be married, the argument goes, there are today equally bigoted individuals who believe that men should not be allowed to marry men and women should not be allowed to marry women.
It is worth noting that the people least impressed with the comparison of the gay struggle to redefine marriage with the black struggle for racial equality are blacks. They voted overwhelmingly for Californias Proposition 8 which amends the California Constitution to define marriage as being the union of a man and a woman.
One reason given is that blacks tend to be socially conservative. But another, less verbalized, reason may well be that blacks find the comparison demeaning and insulting. As well they should.
One has to either be ignorant of segregation laws and the routine humiliations experienced by blacks during the era of Jim Crow, or one has to be callous to black suffering, to equate that to a person not being allowed to marry a person of the same sex. They are not in the same moral universe.
There is in fact no comparison between the situation of gays in America in 2008 and the situation of most black Americans prior to the civil rights era. Gays are fully accepted, and as a group happen to constitute one of the wealthiest in American life. Moreover, not being allowed to marry a person of the same sex is not anti-gay; it is pro-marriage as every civilization has defined it. The fact is that states like California already grant people who wish to live and love a member of the same sex virtually every right that marriage bestows except the word married.
A certain number of gay men will feel better if they can call their partner husband and some lesbians will enjoy calling their partner wife, but society as a whole is not benefitted by such a redefinition of those words. Society as a whole does not benefit by removing, as California did, the words bride and groom from marriage licenses and substituting Partner A and Partner B.
But hoping that the more radical gays and straights of the gay rights movement will ask what benefits society? before what makes some gays feel better? is useless.
And so, the movement appropriates the symbols and rhetoric of the back civil rights struggle when that struggle and the movement to redefine marriage have next to nothing in common. How can a seriously moral individual compare forcing a black bus rider to sit in the back of a bus or to give up his seat to a white who demands it, or prohibiting a black human being from drinking from the same water fountain or eating at the same lunch counter as a white human being, or being denied the right to vote, or being prohibited from attending a school with whites, let alone being periodically lynched, to either the general gay condition today or specifically to being given the right to redefine marriage for society?
But radically redefining the most important institution in the life of a civilization; and routinely labeling as the moral equivalent of racists every individual who does not want children regularly asked whether they will marry a boy or a girl when grown up, and who rightly fears that every traditional religious community will be labeled as a hate group — these are not commensurate with civil rights.
Gay and straight activists who liken their demand to redefine marriage to black suffering under Jim Crow merely cheapen historic black suffering. Most blacks know this but for the sake of their political coalition wont say it. They should. Rosa Parks is in a different moral category than the protestors against Proposition 8."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
7 comments:
I believe people can "train" their bodies to be sexually aroused by virtually ANYTHING. Even feet. Hence, fetishes. The training is not always intentional. It may trace back to any number of things, including abuse. CNN had a video about a man who has a large collection of dolls. Ugh. I can't help wondering if he will want to marry one at some point.
Once the body realizes that certain things will lead to gratification, then it will be aroused by them. These triggers can be altered, but it will take time and a refusal to gratify in any way, shape or form including fantasy. For some, the battle begins in the mind.
I know someone who had a problem with self-gratification in the shower and always felt guilty. The person asked God for help and stopped. For a period of time, sometimes when the person started a shower, his body would react and temptation would be very strong. But he didn't give in, and eventually taking showers ceased to trigger a physical reaction.
Also, this has already been expressed, but I would like to word it this way: One's skin color is not an indication of one's heart, nor is any physical characteristic. Sexual perversion, however, can most definitely reflect a heart problem.
Farrah,
I believe people can "train" their bodies to be sexually aroused by virtually ANYTHING. Even feet. Hence, fetishes.
Good insight.
It may trace back to any number of things, including abuse.
I would tend to agree, though I am no expert on that.
Once the body realizes that certain things will lead to gratification, then it will be aroused by them.
Yes, and I also know from personal experience that gratification is incremental or progressive. In other words, whether it be drugs, sex, etc., the tendency is to go further the next time. Thrill seekers, daredevils and mountain climbers are another example of this. As the body and/or mind gets used to something, the general rule is that the next time, in order to reach that same plateau of excitement, the person must go to the next level or take the next step. That's why some people have started smoking marijuana and have slowly progressed to harder drugs; it does not happen that way with everyone, but that is often the general tendency. But with homosexuality, I think that the fact that society and our educational system and the media are all stressing it and pushing it, is another avenue of influence that causes people to become involved with it. And the idea that many people have that people are born gay also strengthens the attraction to the gay lifestyle. I understand that another very big influence is the fact that people are looking to be accepted, and when some people are picked on or told that they are weak or unmanly or different, and they see that they will be accepted as they are in the gay community, then that is a huge attraction for some people.
For some, the battle begins in the mind.
I think the battle begins in the mind for everyone, no matter what the temptation or the addiction is.
For a period of time, sometimes when the person started a shower, his body would react and temptation would be very strong.
Yes, like Pavlov's describing the phenomenon of classical conditioning.
But he didn't give in, and eventually taking showers ceased to trigger a physical reaction.
How to get to that point is the trick. My dad started smoking as a boy, and smoked for many years. In his later years, he gave up smoking for one year, then went back. Finally, he gave it up permanently. He attributed it to willpower, and he definitely had very strong willpower. But I don't think everyone has that kind of willpower. I think some things can only be overcome by the power of God, in a miraculous way. I have read about people who were heroin addicts and, as soon as they became a born-again Christian, they were instantly and miraculously freed from their addiction.
One's skin color is not an indication of one's heart, nor is any physical characteristic. Sexual perversion, however, can most definitely reflect a heart problem.
Well said. Similar to what Russ (thekingpin68) said, it is not a sin to be black, but it is a sin to have sex in any manner other than heterosexual intercourse within the bounds of marriage. This also includes heterosexual adultery and fornication.
Just because people have urges or desires does not mean that those urges or desires are good or right or wholesome.
Thank you, Farrah, for your comments.
I think I agree with all of that.
And on the progressive point, one the really stands out is pornography. I have never struggled with this one, but it is an area I have studied a fair amount due to my extremely keen interest in things that hurt children. I hate how little kids are victims more and more because of the rampant porn on the net. Child porn and other very sick forms have grown, because of this progressive problem. People get bored and look for new things. It is soooo discouraging.
Fight the good fight. That's all I can do. And pray for more laborers in the harvest.
Farrah,
I have never struggled with this one
Please note that my reply here may be something you don't feel comfortable reading. If that is the case, please do not feel that you have to read it or respond to it. Again, if it makes you uncomfortable, please do not feel obligated to read it...especially my last paragraph.
Pornography attracts men more than women, since, in most cases, men generally tend to be turned on more by sight, and women generally tend to be turned on more by touch. Women can certainly find a man physically attractive, but in general, women don't usually fantasize or get turned on by simply seeing a stranger that they have never met or know nothing about, whereas men can instantly be turned on by simply seeing a stranger that they have never met and know nothing about. In general, the woman must first know something about that man, but the man doesn't need to know anything about that woman before he can be strongly turned on by her or fantasize about her. A study was done years ago where sexy or nude pictures of women were shown to men, and their heart rates went up significantly. When sexy or nude pictures of men were shown to women, their heart rate did not increase nearly as much as when photos of babies were shown to women. When those photos of babies were shown to the men, their heart rate did not increase. I suspect this is because of the God-given maternal desire in women.
Farrah, you may not want to read my next paragraph.
Also, more men masturbate than women, although supposedly, for those women who do, it is harder for them to overcome it, once they are addicted, than it is for the men. One study or census showed that, in general, when men masturbate, they envision specific faces of specific women, but with women, their fantasies are generally faceless, rather than thinking of a specific man. However, I suspect that, probably because of feminism and role-reversal, as well as because of declining morals, in more recent years (maybe the past 20-30 years or so, I would guess), more women have been looking at pornography and masturbating than in the past. And yes, the pornography business is gigantic, prolific, and extremely lucrative.
I skipped most of it because I know porn, etc. is a more common problem with men.
I can tell you one reason such things have increased with women. I had a college roommate, a really nice girl who had been raised Catholic. She was the modest and well behaved type, seemed quite conservative. But she read magazines that surprised me. She usually kept them out of sight, but I happen to see one once. I was curious and browsed the subjects. These weren't porn magazines at all. I could imagine that lots of women would read them just to learn tips about the birds and the bees. But I couldn't get over the emphasis on sex, probably more than half the articles on that subject, and they were encouraging masturbation! They had convincing arguments that included health reasons. It was a real eye-opener for me. A magazine that wasn't sleazy but totally liberal. No doubt magazines such as this have convinced many young women to abandon conservative views on sex. Very sad.
Anything can be overcome with the help of God. "I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me."
Farrah,
I could imagine that lots of women would read them just to learn tips about the birds and the bees. But I couldn't get over the emphasis on sex, probably more than half the articles on that subject, and they were encouraging masturbation! They had convincing arguments that included health reasons. It was a real eye-opener for me. A magazine that wasn't sleazy but totally liberal. No doubt magazines such as this have convinced many young women to abandon conservative views on sex. Very sad.
Interesting. It sounds like, where men are reached through visual means, women are apparently reached more through emotional means (i.e., articles on making your love life better, as you implied).
Generally speaking, Satan knows our weaknesses, and he knows how to get to us, and in which points we are most vulnerable.
Anything can be overcome with the help of God. "I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me."
Excellent point. With God, all things are possible.
Post a Comment