As enticing and accessible as the 2016 presidential election is, there are other issues we Floridians ought to concern ourselves with. I’m speaking in particular of the Pastor Protection Act, which would absolve pastors of any liability to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
A same-sex couple’s ability to wed would rest solely on the personal beliefs of an individual pastor, essentially undermining last year’s Supreme Court decision to lift all state-sanctioned bans on gay marriage.
While Florida’s Pastor Protection Act awaits a final vote on the floor of the Florida House of Representatives, it still has two Florida Senate committees left before reaching the Senate floor for a vote. In the meantime, though, it’s worth opening up a conversation about the issue at hand.
We often hear opposition to same-sex marriage framed by moral terminology, inspired by ideals of the “sanctity of marriage” or “family values.” First, what qualifies a marriage as being sacred? The marriage rate has steadily declined in recent years, and 40 to 50 percent of U.S. marriages end in divorce. So, sanctity is not necessarily defined by marital longevity.
Many then argue that the sanctity is defined by the joining of a man and a woman. By this logic, any family environment provided by a same-sex couple, no matter how happy and stable, will inevitably fall morally inferior to that provided by a heterosexual couple — even if said heterosexual couple is neglectful or abusive. I urge you to consider which metric is more important for family values: the joining between a man and woman, or the actual dynamic of the home and family.
The point is that “sanctity of marriage” and “family values” are entirely subjective notions. When talking about the Pastor Protection Act, we must keep in mind that we’re ultimately discussing the preferences and religiously motivated intentions of a certain population of pastors and religious clerics who decry homosexuality as sinful, and thereby dismissible.
In my view, the Bible’s rejection of same-sex relations is not enough justification to reject homosexuality more broadly. Our society commits sins all the time by collectively outlawing actions that the Bible would have us perform. Slavery, capital punishment for adultery, stoning non-virgin brides: These are all Biblically permissible practices from which we have distanced ourselves for the betterment of society. Accepting same-sex marriage is part of this natural progression — a reconciliation between religious values and modern societal practices.
With these criticisms in mind, the last line of defense for the Pastor Protection Act typically regards the individual liberty of pastors. Voices like that of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton argue, “No Pastor, Priest, Rabbi or other religious leader should be forced to perform or recognize a marriage that contradicts his or her sincere religious belief.”
To this, I reference John Adams’ argument that we are “a government of laws and not men.” Individual liberty is commendable insofar as the liberty of others and the communal good are protected. For example, I work as a copy editor with the Alligator on Wednesday nights. I’m also not a particular fan of “Obama-Nazi” rhetoric. However, if I were to edit a story with a writer who proudly wears a T-shirt of a Hitler-mustachioed Obama — as much as it might pain me — I must swallow my pride and give this hypothetical individual fair treatment by law.
Likewise, in spite of strong moral opposition from some religious clerics, a same-sex couple’s 14th Amendment right to equal opportunity and non-discrimination supersedes the individual beliefs of certain pastors.
While the Pastor Protection Act still has a way to go before reaching Gov. Rick Scott’s desk for approval, I think it’s important for us Floridians to openly discuss the issues out in the open, rather than allow our representatives to make decisions for us behind closed doors.
As for marriage itself, I defer to comedian Bill Burr’s argument that marriage “is an absolutely insane thing to do: gay or straight. Gays have no idea what they’re walking into.”
David Hoffman is a UF history and physics sophomore. His column appears on Tuesdays.
