Personal Space

I was on Facebook this evening and found myself at a friend's page defending marriage equity.  Many of the usual religious arguments were presented about why homosexuals should not be allowed to marry (though some kind of separate but equal scenario may be possible).

I wrote a response refuting the religious position.  This is a topic that comes up frequently, so I want to park my answer here on the blog, so I can cut and paste it in future conversations. :)

You hold a particular belief about sex, and marriage and morals. Honestly, I would not want you to violate your conscience. I think my problem exists in the way you try to extrapolate those convictions to others beyond yourself. We probably are standing too close to this issue for my point to be clear, so allow me to move it to another topic.

I spent some time in Israel with Jews who kept Kosher. Food had a moral component. To eat it, to prepare it, to clean it... had a good and bad, right and wrong aspect to it.

Do I mind if someone keeps Kosher? By no means. I would never want them to violate their conscience if that is what they believe. However, I think most Americans would react negatively if these Kosher keeping Jews attempted to use the law to make the rest of us keep Kosher. Why should we be forced to attend to the conviction of someone else's religious dictations?

In the same way, you have your religious convictions regarding sex and marriage and gender. You should keep them. I think it is even right for you to present the case of WHY you think your custom/conviction is a good thing in general. However, I think you overstep the line of liberty when you seek to enforce your religious convictions (and by your own explanations, that is what they clearly are) on those who are not of your religious sect. Understand that I no more want your religious convictions forcibly applied, than I would anyone else's... as I would suspect, you would not want religious convictions you do not adhere to forced upon you.