Christian Right Talks of Bolting GOP in 2004

Wouldn't that liven things up a bit.

I think it's good news. I think the Christian Right is way too in-bed with the Repubs.

For the record, I don't share their view on Santorum.

On the other hand, the major point of what he was saying is that we do want the government in the bedroom when it comes to certain things. I don't necessarily agree with his list: bigamy, polygamy, incest, adultery. You don't have to. We differ on what should and shouldn't be legislated. 'Consenting adults' is the typical legal language. That seems like the right direction to go, legally. Legislating morality is a tricky thing.

Most of us agree that we want pedophilia and rape to be against the law.

As the Atlantic points out, 'it was indeed offensive to so casually associate the millions of decent people who happen to be gay with practices almost universally condemned as immoral.' But Santorum has a point, legally.

('decent' is a tricky word. More about that below.)

Heads up: this kind of legal principle does open the door for things we find distasteful: bigamy, polygamy, necrophilia, adultery, etc.

All of this is not to say that I find these consensual acts to be moral ones. You know I don't.

But the basis of morality is very difficult to agree on, too. What is 'decent' (cf reference above)? My basis for morality happens to come from two-millenia old Christian faith. I don't expect you to agree with me all the time. But, for me, right and wrong ultimately hinges on what God says about it and why. Ultimately I think God says that all of the behaviors in question here are harmful to us and to others. That's why they're immoral (in a historically informed Christian view). Does that mean I make laws to inforce them? No. Does that mean that I hate people and fight people who practice them? No.

We have to be careful. I think the Christian standard for sexuality is 'loving marriage between a man and a woman'. Most sex falls short of that. Most marriages need to grow in love.

You might say this definition is too strict, but that's exactly my point: When we get into law and logic, the Christian Right tends to go to war against homosexuals. They 'turn the other cheek' to 'healthier' heterosexual peccadilloes like premarital sex and heterosexual adultery. I know the underlying, unconscious reason is because at least those sins are 'natural'.

What is 'natural' is totally not the point when it comes to morality and sin. I have made this argument before [1] [2]. I am naturally violent and promiscuous. That's what I'd be if I let my 'nature' go unchecked. But most of us can agree that that wouldn't be good.

The point of what is moral and good is love. Anything else is sin. It's a tough standard. It takes God's help to even want to do it. I fall short of that kind of love all the time.