"Dear Eddie..."

"What is happening to our morality? Conduct that was once condemned is now being accepted. People now go around proclaiming their homosexually, wearing it like some badge of honor with people applauding it, saying they are to be congratulated for coming forth and admitting their sexual preference." 

Eddie Ratliff  

Bristol, Tenn.

This was the opening comment in a letter to the editor of the Bristol Herald Courier titled: "Homosexual marriage shouldn’t be condoned." Having read this letter and thoughtfully contemplating the positions taken therein, if I could, I would answer this letter and the question posed in it thusly:

"Indeed, what is happening to our morality? Yes, conduct that was once condemned is now deemed acceptable... For the most part, we're forced to let black people hold jobs and even positions of power and influence, we even begrudgingly refer to black males as men having had to give up the practice of referring to them as "boys" to ensure that they knew their place. 

Further proof of the shocking state of affairs in our country today is that there is even a black man with an African-sounding name claiming to be the legitimately elected President of the United States! 

Even the indians now want to be called "Native Americans" and they expect us to apologize for our forefathers exercising their God given right to subjugate them, drive them from their lands, steal their children and virtually exterminate them unless of course they accepted "our" God and the place we said that "He" said they belonged. Yes, yes, yes! What indeed is happening?"

Well, Eddie, since you asked, please let me tell you what is happening... You see, we are a nation of laws, we believe in certain things even if some, or even sometimes most of us are unable or unwilling to understand what they really mean.  

Further on in your comments Eddie, you mentioned the separation of church and state.  This is indeed a fundamental principle set forth in one of the founding documents of our country, the U.S. Constitution. In fact, we hold what is said in this document to be so important to who we are that we proclaim it to be the supreme law of our land. And so, because it is so important to us, we keep going back to it to ensure that we are holding a course true to it.  And what has happened over the course of the last two hundred years or so is that we have come to a fuller understanding of what this "supreme law of our land" actually means when it says "We the people..."  

For instance, when it says "We the people," we now know it means all of us, both men and women. And in my case, it now means all of me and not just 4/5th of me.  And we now know by this miraculous increase of knowledge and understanding, that what is said in our other founding document, The Declaration of Independence, is supposed to be true and supported by our laws including The Constitution... In fact we boldly proclaim that these truths are "self-evident" that "all men (and women) are created equal... and that they are endowed... with certain inalienable rights..." And while I am not a constitutional scholar, and clearly you are not either, having read it for myself, I can tell you what it means. 

While we do have freedom of religious beliefs, in our country no set of religious beliefs are to control our government and its interaction with the citizens of our nation and their exercise of their inalienable rights... This includes your beliefs, my beliefs and everyone else's beliefs.  In practical terms, it means that you are free to believe and interpret what you read in your bible and apply it to your own life as you see fit... But you are not free to impose those beliefs on me or anyone else through the force of law.  In essence, it means that your right to believe whatsoever you will ends where it affects my same right to believe what I do.

So, what are you to do? I would suggest that you uphold your own "moral standards." If you believe marriage equality is wrong, then definitely avoid marrying someone of your same gender.  If you believe that same-sex sexual "preferences" are wrong, then absolutely you should abstain from sex with any person(s) with whom you share the same gender. 

However, unless and until "those people" who are doing all these things you disagree with and find so morally reprehensible are breaking down the doors of your home or your church to conduct their marriages in your presence, or are forcing you to witness the abomination of their sexual relations on your couch, in your bed or upon your church pews, please begin to follow the admonition of the one whose name you claim when you refer to yourself as a "Christian." 

To Wit:

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

- Jesus Christ

John 13:33-35 (KJV)

"Fear Eats the Soul"