The signs for “Yes” on Prop 8 in California were no different than the signs for “Yes” on Amendment 2 in Florida: “Save Biblical Marriage!
Marriage=1 Man + 1 Woman. God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.” In both states, the grass roots efforts of the conservative right on this fight won this round by a small margin.
The decision announced last month in California, while disappointing, was not a surprise to marriage equality organizers. The painful and disheartening decision by the California Supreme Court to uphold the people’s vote was largely expected. The work in the next chapter for California is before the residents. The state must change the language in its law to reflect the 18,000 legal same sex marriages the courts did uphold and manage marriage and divorce laws for these 18,000 same-gender loving couples.
What seems to be missing in the religious debate around biblical marriage is that marriage in ancient times did not even remotely resemble the marriage the conservative Christian movement is fighting to preserve. In fact, what might be missing is a tactical and significant opportunity to use the Bible to support marriage equality. The reality is marriage in antiquity and for the most part up until the industrial revolution and the passing of women’s suffrage looked nothing like marriage today.
Marriage was strictly a civil ceremony and did not begin to have a historical relationship to the church until around the 9th century. It may be hard for us to conceive of marriage as nothing more than an exchange of property rights because we are decades removed from that reality. For several millennia and in some countries and cultures today, women were and are still considered the property of their fathers until marriage. It was not a choice or even a discussion for women (and, in most cases, pubescent girls) to have any say in who her husband would be. That decision was strictly her father’s or, in the event of his death, his brother’s.
Most of us do not read the Bible as those about whom it is written lived. We read it as we live and impart our world views and cultural values.
Canadian out theologian Vaughn Roste, in his article, “Biblical Marriage: A Bad Source for Debate,” provides a comprehensive account of all biblical references to marriage and anything remotely connected to it in the Christian Bible. He divides his findings into 12 biblical-based principles or guidelines for marriage. One of the most striking conclusions is that there is more support for polygamous marriages than the heterosexual monogamous coupling reflected in religious debate today. There are almost 30 Bible references identifying marriage as between one man and one or more women—though never the reverse. There are seven references that define a man’s right to take one or more concubines in addition to his wife or wives. Although there are scripture references prohibiting divorce and interracial marriage, these no longer have precedents in our state and national laws nor do you see the conservative Christian fundamentalist movement working to change these laws.
The Bible has been wrongly used as the agent of authority in every civil rights battle in our country. The complexities of biblical interpretation and the seemingly punitive positions espoused by a small minority of loud voices have convinced enough voters that their interpretation regarding marriage, and, more specifically, homosexuality, reflects sound biblical principles that speak to the will and heart of God.
Knowledge is power and we must understand that not educating ourselves on what the Bible really says about marriage, regardless of our personal religious opinions or affiliations, will continue to paralyze our rhetoric, dominate our outcomes and diminish our efforts.
For too long, our efforts have been focused exclusively on civil rights for same-gender loving couples while our opponents have effectively used a religious source of authority as their primary tool of persuasion against marriage equality. Our ignorance, complacency, resistance and anger towards organized religion can no longer stand in the way of our fight for marriage equality, adoption rights, safe schools, and basic rights for employment and shelter protection.
Marriage has never been a stagnant institution. While it is true that marriage has always been a civil contract, over time, societal influences, property rights, procreation, family dynamics, religious values, and, more recently, conjugal love and the desire for companionship have changed and shaped this covenant and will most likely continue to do so.
We are in a dynamic and potentially seismic nationwide shift in marriage equality, which will in turn shift all other necessary rights we are currently denied. Let us not grow weary. Let us not give up. We are closer than we have ever been and we will see the day when our choice to marry is not just blessed by our family, friends and a religious institution (if we choose), but is also protected by law with all the rights, privileges and responsibility civil marriage offers.
