Ugly Democracy: the North Carolina Marriage Amendment

Same-sex marriage legislation is complicated in the U.S. Click the image to find out what the colors mean. (Graphic: Lokal_Profil)

60 percent of North Carolinians  voted to enact a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage yesterday. So, let’s just say that I’m pretty disgusted with about 60 percent of North Carolinians. It should be noted that gay marriage has been illegal in the state since 1996 but, apparently, social conservatives and culture warriors saw need to entomb their views in the state constitution.

Of particular interest to me is whether or not as much support could be mustered for a constitutional ban on adultery. Or, better yet, would 60 percent of North Carolinians vote to enact a constitutional ban on divorce? Both are even more insidious threats to “traditional marriage of one man and one woman” than same-sex marriage will ever be. But, we all know that neither of those things will ever, ever happen. Continue reading

Bible Classes, Creationism Do Not Belong in Public Schools. Period.

Photo:Trounce/Wikimedia Commons

In an effort to provide greater clarification to my intended meaning in this post, I’ve penned another titled, “Providing Some Clarification: Intelligent Design and Freedom of Religion.” I suggest you read it too.

For reasons that are perpetually beyond my capability to fully discern or grasp, this is a hard pill for conservative Evangelicals and, in a lot of cases, Christians in general to swallow. I don’t want to presume to understand their intentions or even assume that they are universally the same, but it seems to me that the people who support advancing creationism and teaching the Bible in public schools do so because they feel they’re somehow protecting America’s “Christian heritage.” If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you know how I feel about that: it’s completely ridiculous.

On Thursday, April 12, 2012, the Arizona state legislature passed and submitted for gubernatorial approval House Bill 2563, which charged the Arizona State Board of Education to “design a high school elective course titled ‘The Bible and its influence on Western Culture,’ which would include lessons on the history, literature and influence of the Old and New testaments on laws, government and culture, among other aspects of society,” according to the Huffington Post. Continue reading