It's a good result. And given that Ireland is quite a Catholic country, it seems quite a surprising result too.
However, thinking about the religious aspects, it seems to me that whether Christians want to accept gay people or demonise us depends on which parts of the Bible they think are most important. The Bible is a long and complex document with many contradictions. Academics debate the extent to which there are passages in the Bible which condemn homosexuality. However, those sections are at odds with the central message of the New Testament, which is one of compassion and love. That message is conveyed via phrases such as "So in everything, do unto others what you would have them do unto you" and "Love your neighbour as yourself" etc etc, and by describing how Jesus himself behaved. So if you encounter someone who condemns homosexuality because they're a Christian, ask them whether in their heart of hearts, they truly think that's what Jesus would have done.
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
1 comment:
The media rather over emphasised the influence of the church in Ireland. True, for generations it really had a terrible stranglehold on the Irish people but over the last twenty years or so that grip has been wholly loosened after all the scandals of bishops with children, paedophile priests and the shameful cover-ups.
Nonetheless, it will have been the older, more conservative folk that will have backed the NO campaign.
Whatever, the vote was won and won convincingly, but the sweetest part of it all was that it was by a popular vote. The majority of a nation got up, went to their polling stations and declared, if I can paraphrase, 'So what if this person or that person is gay or lesbian. That's their business and if they want to marry someone of the same sex, that's also their business, not ours.'
Inevitably, there were the post referendum editorials that mooed 'pity the poor NO people who lost'.
Actually, I don't believe I will. They didn't LOSE anything. Marriage, in a church, by a priest, between a man and a woman - all that is intact.
The referendum was never about taking something away, it was all about giving. Giving the LGBT community full equality and giving complete respect and fraternity.
To paraphrase a little more, 'Some people are gay and the nation of Ireland just got over it!'
Here's hoping that it will be Australia's turn next.
Post a Comment