Two Steps Forward, One Step Back:

Edging Closer to Religious Tyranny

          November 4^th, 2008 is a date that changed the political and social landscape of America forever.  For the most part, this was a positive change.  Our country is maturing.  The people spoke in such a way that demonstrates the progress we have collectively made in throwing off the shackles of bigotry and racism – at least to the African American minority.  Gays and lesbians, however, have suffered an indignity that has never before been leveled against any minority group in the history of our entire country. 

          For the first time in American history, a constitution was altered with the express purpose of stripping rights away from one specific group of people that the majority continues to enjoy.  The fact that such a thing happened is bad enough, but the driving force behind this happening is what is truly frightening.  The sole reason for opposition to allowing gays and lesbians to have equal rights with heterosexuals is based purely in religion.  Every single piece of legislation offered that would ban same-sex marriage has been motivated entirely on religious belief.  These proposals are never based on logic or reason or critical thinking.  These notions are not based on reasons of preventing harm in any way (namely because no harm exists).  Secular organizations or groups free from religious motivation are never the culprits behind these proposals of inequality.  Therefore, if any law is permitted to reduce the rights of gay and lesbians, that law is, almost by definition, grounded in religious belief and is thereby unconstitutional.  This is why allowing religious doctrine to seep into government is inherently dangerous. 

          Often, the religious right tends to claim that America is a "Christian nation."  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  The United States was founded on secular values which hold separation of church and state in the highest esteem.  The fact that the term "God" appears no where in our constitution, and the existence of The Establishment Clause - which states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion" - should put the final nail in the coffin on this matter.  Our founding fathers recognized the danger of dogma and understood the absolute necessity of keeping religious influence out of government entirely.  Preserving a secular government is imperative because history has demonstrated (as Jefferson and Madison pointed out in the 1780's) that the moment that government becomes the servant of a religious belief system, there is religious tyranny.  Non-believers should not be subject to a position of second-class citizenship merely because they are rational enough to reject supernatural belief systems and other dogmas which are not based on reason and critical thinking.  The only way to ensure this equality is to keep government completely neutral on matters of belief.  If government can, in any way, discriminate against a group of people based on belief or non-belief in matters of religion, a religious tyranny exists.  No one in the United States should have any less complete a set of rights because of either accepting or rejecting any tenant of religious belief.  Having a government which explicitly or covertly favors those with supernatural belief systems over those who do not would constitute overt discrimination.  The most enlightened government would be one which regards believers and non-believers as equals. 

          The fact that California, Arizona and Florida all passed legislation banning same sex marriages is a prime example of this overt discrimination.  For the first time in the history of our nation, we have altered a constitution in order to take rights away from a group of people instead of expanding them.  And this happened not for any reason based on protecting the rights of other groups of people, reducing harm, or anything based on logic.  This happened as a direct result of religious brainwashing.  It is a sick irony that on the very same day that this nation showed the progress it has made in terms of narrow-minded attitudes and prejudice toward African Americans, we also show how far we still yet have to come in terms of embracing critical thinking and reason over the dangerous, arbitrary doctrines of antiquated religious dogma by failing to defeat Proposition 8 in California and the similar legislation in Arizona and Florida. 

          Another factor that should alarm all Americans, regardless of their belief systems, is the precedent such legislation sets.  Once government has been given a mandate to take rights away from one group of people on one issue, what is to stop the government from restricting the rights of other groups on other issues?  Re-banning gay marriage in California may be a foreboding pre-cursor to a reversal of Roe v. Wade.  This kind of slippery slope should terrify anyone not blinded by religious dogma.  First the government is allowed to take rights away from gays and lesbians, then what is next?  Taking rights away from women and restricting their right to control their own bodies?  Then what?  Restricting the rights of business owners to operate their businesses on Sundays?  The point here being, that regardless of what opinions a person may have regarding same-sex marriage, supporting legislation like Proposition 8 only sets a precedent that opens the door for government to start controlling the personal freedoms of any American, on any issue of personal choice.  This is something that should not and cannot be tolerated under any perverse guise of "morality" or claims of right and wrong by the religious right.