I don’t usually blog about political stuff, but the State of Michigan is quickly heading down a path that I believe is immoral and will only lead to trouble. As a Christian, I can’t sit back and just let this happen. Jesus teaches us to love our neighbors and Proposal 2 currently on the Michigan ballot for next week is one of the most unloving pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen. And the polls are currently showing it slated to pass with 60% of the voters in favor of it. I can’t believe there are so many selfish, arrogant people in the state of Michigan, or that the Catholic Church in Michigan is spending so much money to try and get it passed.
For those who are unfamiliar, Michigan’s 2004 Proposal 2 is an ammendment to the Michigan state constitution which creates a legal definition of marriage as being between only one man and one woman, and allows only that definition to be used for ANY PURPOSE within the state. You can read the exact ballot language on Michigan’s voter information site.
The “for any purpose” at the end of the ballot language is the part that worries me. There are already several laws on the books in Michigan that make same sex marriages illegal. This ammendment won’t change that. What it does change is to make it illegal for anyone to consider a same-sex union as a “family unit” for purposes of health insurance, property ownership, etc. This means a lot of kids will wind up losing their health insurance because they currently have insurance provided by a non-parent partner’s employer, among other things.
The biggest thing that smacks you in the face with this ammendment is that it’s a clear violation of the separation of church and state to even think about putting this in the constitution. Marriage is a religious issue. The state has no business trying to legislate religion. That’s up to the churches. Whether you think a same-sex marriage is ethical and moral or not, it doesn’t belong in the constitution.
My ideal way to handle this? I think the entire concept of marriage should be abolished as a state-sponsored institution. The state should only issue civil union licenses, not marriage licenses, and should be available to anyone regardless of the genders of the partners. If they wish to get that union consecrated as a marriage before God, then find a church willing to provide that blessing. Marriage is an institution granted by God, and as such, it’s the churches’ business to grant it, and not the state’s.
If you live in Michigan, I actively encourage you to VOTE NO ON PROPOSAL 2.
I’ll get down off my soapbox now.