{"id":2071,"date":"2013-01-22T00:03:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-22T00:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/obama-says-gay-marriage-necessary-for-national-progress\/"},"modified":"2013-01-22T00:03:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-22T00:03:00","slug":"obama-says-gay-marriage-necessary-for-national-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/01\/obama-says-gay-marriage-necessary-for-national-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Obama says ‘gay marriage’ necessary for national progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Jan 21, 2013 \/ 05:03 pm (CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- As he entered his second term as U.S. President, Barack Obama stressed the need to modernize American values through changes such as a redefinition of marriage.<\/p>\n

\tThe American journey \u201cis not complete,\u201d Obama said on Jan. 21, until gay individuals have their unions \u201ctreated like anyone else under the law.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe argued that \u201cgay marriage\u201d is necessary for equality, \u201cfor if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn his second inaugural address, the president promoted \u201csame-sex marriage\u201d as a basic civil right, such as those that women and African Americans fought for throughout history.<\/p>\n

\tObama discussed the need to \u201cdefend our people and uphold our values\u201d while moving forward on a \u201cnever-ending journey\u201d of progress.<\/p>\n

\tAmericans have always been united by \u201cour allegiance to an idea,\u201d he said, but \u201cwe have always understood that when times change, so must we.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tCiting assertions by the Declaration of Independence that all men are \u201cendowed by their Creator\u201d with the rights of \u201cLife, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,\u201d Obama stressed the need \u201cto bridge the meaning of those words with the realities of our time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tWhile acknowledging that \u201cfreedom is a gift from God,\u201d he added that fidelity to our founding documents \u201cdoes not mean we will all define liberty in exactly the same way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe president pointed to the progress that the nation has made in the areas of slavery, infrastructure and education. To continue in this progress, he said, America must promote cultural values, such as \u201ccare for the vulnerable\u201d and an acceptance of gay \u201crights.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe also emphasized the need for cooperation, particularly on subjects such as the struggling economy and immigration reform.<\/p>\n

\tAbsent from Obama\u2019s speech \u2013 delivered just one day before the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade \u2013 was any mention of abortion. Also missing was any reference to the controversial contraception mandate that has attracted lawsuits from more than 100 plaintiffs across the country.<\/p>\n

\tInstead, the president focused on the need to constantly advance \u201cthose principles that our common creed describes: tolerance and opportunity; human dignity and justice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe praised the \u201cstar\u201d of equality that guided the American forbearers at \u201cSeneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall,\u201d likening the gay advocacy riots to the historic milestones in the movements for women\u2019s suffrage and civil rights.<\/p>\n

\tObama\u2019s support of same-sex \u201cmarriage\u201d was hailed by gay advocacy groups last May when he became the first sitting president to endorse such unions.<\/p>\n

\tControversy over the president\u2019s stance on marriage was recently rekindled when the Christian pastor originally picked to deliver the inaugural benediction resigned from the post amid heavy criticism for a sermon he delivered in the 1990s describing homosexuality as a sin.<\/p>\n

\tIn his inaugural speech, Obama also emphasized the importance of protecting the most vulnerable in society.<\/p>\n

\tArguing that \u201cevery citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity,\u201d he stated that even the poorest of Americans should be secure, knowing that they are free and \u201cequal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn addition, he highlighted America\u2019s obligations \u201cto all posterity,\u201d ensuring, among other things, that children \u201cknow that they are cared for, and cherished, and always safe from harm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tReturning to the nation\u2019s founding documents, Obama urged that their words be taken seriously.<\/p>\n

\tThe task of our generation, he said, is \u201cto make these words, these rights, these values \u2013 of life, and liberty, and the pursuit of happiness \u2013 real for every American.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Jan 21, 2013 \/ 05:03 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- As he entered his second term as U.S. President, Barack Obama stressed the need to modernize American values through changes such as a redefinition of marriage.<\/p>\n

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