What would Jesus do about gay marriage?

To answer my own question, I have no idea what Jesus would do about gay marriage.

But I have faith he would not deny homosexuals basic human respect and dignity, and the liberties the rest of us get to enjoy. He would not deny them the love and compassion due to anyone created in the image of his Father.

In the current context, i.e. a proposed constituitonal amendment banning same-sex marriage, Jesus would not use a person's sexual orientation as a club to make a political point.

Which is exactly what the "Federal Marriage Amendment" would do, by setting a precedent that it is OK to alter the Constitution, when politics demands it, to limit the liberty of a particular class of citizens.

Current federal law already allows one state to deny recognition for a "marriage" or "civil union" approved in one state.

Amending the Constitution to say the same thing, is not just piling on, but an attempt to inject bigotry into the ultimate law of the land.

The debate over the proposed amendment illustrates the folly of trying to make our politics reflect our religion.

First off, not everyone in America is a Christian, and on questions of faith and politics, and how the latter reflects the former, the majority does not rule.

And then among Christians, there are differences of opinions, not just on the politics of a matter, but over what Jesus would want us to do.

My Jesus, while rejecting the concept of gay marriage, would show love and compassion.

For others, like Old Fart, Jesus would excuse them if they took a decidedly an un-Christan stand like this one:

"If denouncing sin makes me a bigot, then I must me a bigot. ... So, in order to take a firm stance for my own Chistian ethics, and following the teachings of the scriptures, Old Fart shall be from here on out labeled a bigot due to the fact that I am FOR this Amendment."

We are a better America when as individual Americans, we apply our religious and other moral principles to our politics. They are a good guidepost for what is right and what is wrong.

Where we go wrong is when groups with a particular religious viewpoint, including the unwavering faith that they alone speak for Jesus, try to impose their will on the nation, and as a result, bring the rest of us down to their level.

What would Jesus want?

He would want us to be our best. When we use his name in vain like this, we fail him.