Civil Unions

Last week was the close of the 25th legislative session in Hawaii. In a last minute move, the House brought back HB444 or the "Civil Unions" bill on the last day at 3 in the afternoon. Mind you, they've been in session since 10 a.m. The bill passed but the outrage from the religious right wasn't felt until a day later because everyone (including myself) thought the bill was dead.

This divisive issue has been huge since last year at the start of the 2009-2010 biennium when the bill was first introduced. The offices were flooded with faxes, emails, and phone calls asking the representatives and senators to vote either for or against it.

My particular boss voted against it.

I'm not going to lie, this issue makes me uncomfortable because there is so much judgement on both sides. So much hate is spewed from both proponents and opponents of civil unions. It disgusts me to see Christians yell hateful things and condone discrimination against a particular group of people when they themselves should understand the very meaning of discrimination since they were persecuted in the very beginning of the religion. It also disgusts me to see proponents of civil unions yell hateful things at Christians using their religion against them... either way, hate is not the way to go.

I am in a peculiar place on this issue. There are times when I feel guilty for wanting the bill to go through because others will judge my walk with Christ. I know it says in the Bible that homosexuality is sin and that homosexuality is wrong, but I just can't condone such blatant discrimination against my friends and my family. Everyone has a gay or lesbian relative or friend. I'm pretty sure if it were a choice, they wouldn't choose a life of discrimination. I truly believe that it's natural, and if it is natural, then doesn't it mean that God created them too? Are we as Christians supposed to hate one of God's creations and subject them to an incomplete life of discrimination?

Even growing up as a Catholic (the Church that says that some discrimination is okay) I could not stomach the thought of telling someone else how to live their life when this issue first arose in 1993. Who are we to tell someone that it's wrong to love another person? Who are we to tell someone that they can't marry their life partner even though they have been together for a number of years? The main argument from opponents of this issue is that same-sex marriage and civil unions will ruin marriage. Haven't we heterosexuals done that ourselves? In the US, 1 in 2 marriages fail. With a 50% success rate of marriage, don't you think marriage is already ruined? My friends who are gay or lesbian will have no effect on me in October when I get married.

I hate this issue and I hope that in the name of equality in our pluralistic society, that this issue will be laid to rest soon.

So does it make me any less of a Christian for wanting equality in our society? Is my stance on this issue the sole indicator of my faith in God? Is it really fair?

There is no winning on this issue with anyone, everyone pretty much has their mind made up. Who am I to try and change it? But this is my blog and I can say what I want and this is what I think of the whole issue.