Jen: The Bible bans homosexuality. This is the argument I hear most from people trying to tell me why I (and others like me) shouldn't be allowed to enjoy equal rights. This references many different places in the Tanakh where homosexuality is listed as an abomination like bestiality, and those who commit it should be put to death. Namely "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." (Leviticus 20:13).
So there are several things wrong with you spouting Biblical verses at me like incantations defending traditional marriage. Usually, the response is along the lines of other laws from Leviticus concerning only owning slaves from other countries (Leviticus 25:44)or the marriage no longer involves polygamy (Leviticus 18:18) or rapist and victim (Deuteronomy), blah, blah, blah.
Here’s my problems with quoting religion in your defense of marriage. So you are arguing with people who do not follow your specific religion a large portion of the time. And while you expect us to keep up with your convoluted spouting of Bible passages, for most people (not just gays) they aren’t going to study the Bible to tell you how dumb you sound. And I don’t blame them.
Firstly, no one is trying to make YOUR church marry LGBT individuals if it does not wish to. Our issue is with government sanctioned unions also called marriages. A marriage performed by a priest/pastor/rabbi has a religious aspect to it. And if a LGBT couple wants that in their union, they will find a church/synagogue/place of worship that will do it. What we are actually talking about is a government sanctioned relationship that will allow us to be able to share our lives with the person we love. And to get benefits and not be harassed and not be thrown out of restaurants because of who we are. We don’t want to go to a church where we aren’t wanted anyway. We aren’t wanted lots of places we have to go, we’re not going to add optional places we aren't wanted onto that list.
Secondly, I have never had a Jewish person tell me that being gay is wrong. Not once. Never seen them protesting Pride events, never been glared at, nada. And the really amusing part of that for me is that the verses Christians quote defending traditional marriage are from the Old Testament. Which, for Christians a major tenet of your faith is that Jesus Christ died on the cross to keep you from having to follow those 613 mitzvahs listed in the Tanakh. Once more, follow along: according to your beliefs Jesus died so that we can be gay. And eat pork. And not have to make a sacrifice after we come in contact with a dead person. Great guy. And a Jew, actually, so you can stop hating them too if that’s on your list. If you are Jewish, the only actual prohibition is against men lying with men because it wastes sperm, and that’s not cool apparently. Personally, you can waste as much as you want, I have no use for it. Also: Catholics, NO SPERM WASTING!
Which lead me to my last point. We live in a secular nation, not a religious state. This country was not founded by religious men, but men who wanted a nation where no one religion got to rule. Which means that your religion, while it’s great and all, has no bearing on my life if I am not a member of your religion. The best thing about this for me is this one fact: you can buy pork in Israel. You can buy a food the state religion does not allow. Why? Because they understand that they can not force everyone to abide by things that their religion prohibits.
Your religion does not allow you to act on homosexual urges, and whether you have them or not, or act on them or not is none of my business. My religious beliefs do not prohibit me from being in a meaningful, loving relationship that is focused on more than my partner’s genitals. Until then, I forgive you for hating me. And you’re not going to be invited to my big gay wedding.
We'll let Patton Oswalt further explain:
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