Defending Marriage…. but against what or whom?

Gay Marriage definitely would not have been my first choice as the topic of my first-time blog on FaithfulDemocrats, especially as we come down to the wire on close and contentious mid-term elections in which issues of Faith are so prominently being raised. However, today's decision by the New Jersey Supreme Court in the case of several of that state's citizens suing for equal protection under the law and equal rights and benefits turn my attention once again to issues of marriage and justice which test my conscience as a Christian, a Catholic, and a priest.

I received a telephone call yesterday from a former parishioner. It's always good to hear from those I've served, and both gratifying and humbling to hear kind and generous comments about how I've been given grace to be an instrument of the Lord's work in the lives of his people. It is a little embarassing to report, as I must if I'm completely honest, that given the dismal statistics in this country, and most of the industrialized West, that I was actually relieved to hear that the marriage at which I officiated for this parishioner and his bride some ten years ago was still intact, and in fact, thriving. In recounting this, I hear a small but clear voice saying to me, "Oh, ye of little faith."

But the truth is that there is more than a kernel of truth in the otherwise disingenous and outright deceptive title that politicians too often choose to apply when pandering to the Christian Right and engaging in an assault on civil liberties for political gain — "Defense of Marriage" initiatives.

Of course there is an intrinsic sanctity to Marriage, instituted as it was by God, gloriously affirmed by our Lord's first miracle, and beautifully modeled by Mary and Joseph. That sanctity has been reverenced by virtually every religious tradition, rising throughout the Christian Churches to the level of Sacrament or Ordinance.

And yes, that sanctity is threatened by our increasingly secularist culture, ever more hostile to any notion of the sacred. Divorce rates soar, as do the number of children being raised with little or no relationship with one parent. The consistent message of our society seems to be one which values sensuality more highly than commitment.

It is no wonder that many, including otherwise prayerful and thoughtful Christians succumb to the temptation to find a scapegoat, accept any initiative which promises a "quick fix," or both. Which brings us to the decision today in New Jersey.

The court has applied methodical reasoning and a simple reading of constitutional guarantees of liberty and justice, and mandated a simple remedy to what should be a self-evident case of discrimination in civil law. I have no doubt that we are in for feverish charges of "judicial activism" and that the specter of a "gay agenda" threatening the institution of marriage will once again be raised high.

Let's please not fall for it this time. The sanctity of marriage is threatened by the attitudes of those who enter into it too readily, and abandon it with equal ease. It is under assault by economic conditions which require both parents too work too hard and long simply to survive. It is being shaken at its core by a "disposable commodity" mentality which pervades our culture. And yet, it still stands. Surely, affording our citizens equal opportunity under the law cannot bring it down. Nor is it in any way desirable to have the Sacraments and Ordinances of Christ and His Church placed under the jurisdiction of legislatures and courts to define.

What is at issue here, whether called Same-Sex Marriage or Civil Unions is a civil contract between two citizens. It is still up to individual Christians and our Churches to determine to what extent, if at all, these should be regarded as sacramental. That is the situation now, and it will be the situation no matter what the courts and legislatures decide. They simply have no jurisdiction over the Ordinances and Sacraments of Christ through His Church.

The Supreme Court of New Jersey has spoken clearly and administered justice for its citizens. Christians and the Church remain free to teach and preach the Gospel, and to administer the Sacraments. I find nothing here to fear.