On Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI praised protesters in Rome for demonstrating against a proposed Italian law to grant some legal rights to unmarried couples, including same-sex partnerships. The law would not create gay marriage, as many other European countries have done.
The Lantern understands where the pope and other opponents of gay marriage are coming from, but we think it is shameful that modern, progressive nations - including the United States - still do not grant equal protection to same-sex unions.
When the word "marriage" gets thrown around, some groups become nervous. Families are important to civil society, and many people have certain values associated with family. Marriages between men and women are often conducted in a religious setting, and most religions have specified rules regarding which unions are acceptable. In 2004, many Ohioans felt they were being forced to prove their religious beliefs on the ballot, which is why the gay marriage ban passed. Still, the ban has proved overly restrictive in banning not only church weddings but also civil unions conducted by the government.
It makes sense not to require churches to perform gay marriages. As private institutions, churches reserve the right to marry only those they deem suitable, and many churches deny weddings to those of different faith and for other reasons. Whether this practice is right or wrong, it is perfectly fair.
On the other hand, it is simply discriminatory for the government to deny a civil union to same-sex partnerships. Our government should not be governed by religious principles. Those who drafted the 2004 ban purposely included all forms of unions in the amendment but misrepresented it to the public. Those who focused on the word marriage voted with their personal beliefs, and a large number of Ohioans have suffered.
The pope and the Catholic church should not have to grant gay marriages, but in demonstrating against a bill that grants the rights of marriage without the word they are doing a disservice to the world. Although it is not necessarily bigotry to be against using the word marriage for same-sex couples, those who fight against civil unions and domestic partnerships are working toward a goal larger and less noble than protecting the sanctity of marriage - eventually phasing the gay lifestyle out of mainstream society.
The Vatican should stay out of the politics of another country, and Italy, believe it or not, is not the same as Vatican City. As for conservatives who might support the pope's right to voice his opinion on the law - look up what the Vatican has said in the past regarding the war in Iraq and the death penalty before speaking up.
As for this country, gay parents want the same things for their children as straight parents and are at least as capable of providing them. If we continue to deny rights to same-sex couples, the family structure in this country will ultimately suffer.
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