That’s the title of my latest entry over at The Catholic Thing. Here’s how it begins:
President Barack Obama just announced his support for same-sex “marriage”in an interview with ABC reporter Robin Roberts. In explaining his reasoning, the president offered this theological reflection:
“[Y]ou know… we [the First Lady and I] are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids and that’s what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I’ll be as president.”
I admire the president for unashamedly invoking the authority and instruction of Christ in revealing to us his internal deliberations on this matter. In an age in which many in our culture-shaping institutions reflexively, and unreflectively, dismiss the deliverances of theology as sub-rational, the president’s forthrightness is refreshing and welcome.
Other relevant posts:
- Ryan T. Anderson, Robert P. George & Sherif Girgis, “Marriage and the Presidency,” National Review Online (10 May 2012)
- Francis J. Beckwith, ”Interracial Marriage and Same-Sex Marriage: Why the Analogy Fails.” Public Discourse: Ethics, Law, and the Common Good. Online Publication of the Witherspoon Institute (21 May 2010)
- Denny Burk, “President Obama’s Scriptural Defense of Gay Marriage,” Denny Burk Blog (10 May 2012)
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