Prop 8

A bit of recent history of Psychiatric diagnoses may help set the scene for this controversial piece.

Following controversy and protests from gay activists at the American Psychiatry Association(APA) annual conferences from 1970 to 1973, as well as the emergence of new data from researchers such as Alfred Kinsey and Evelyn Hooker, the seventh printing of the DSM-II, in 1974, no longer listed homosexuality as a category of disorder.

For my readers who are oblivious of what prop 8 is,this is a proposition(8) recently adopted in the state of California that sought to throw out and override a recent supreme court decision to legalize gay marriage in the state and afford same sex couples similiar rights as heterosexual couples.

Since the election on 11/04/08,there has been widespread protests daily by both proponents and opponents of the ballot initiative.The sheer amount of money involved in the campaign for prop 8 is as staggering as it indicates the enormity of the issue in contention.More than $73 million was spent by both sides in the run-up to the polls.Only the presidential contest spent more on campaigning.

Gay rights activists claim this is a historic struggle analogous to the civil rights struggle.Black leaders say that is an insult.Race and sexual orientation are apple and oranges.In fact,the numbers indicate that the large chunk of the vote that defeated prop 8 was cast by African-Americans.This is no surprise.Blacks in America have remained the most uncompromising on religious grounds.

The history of the civil rights movement is steeped in southern baptist pentecostal leadership.I will not even profess to have the final word on what scripture says on this issue.A quick internet search reveals both sides have compelling scriptural evidence to confirm their position and rebuff or denounce the opposition.The most poignant scripture my Catholic upbringing stressed in me was Gen 18 & 19;the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.Sodomy is still used parochially to refer to homosexuality to this day.The fine details of interpretation of relevant scripture is best left to veteran theologians.

One thing though is very clear.The gay issue is one of several social issues that will not be going away anytime soon.It is in puzzling company with the likes of abortion and stem cell research.These issues are peculiar in that they are passionately invested in individual beliefs and religious virtues.No legislation or ballot initiative will put them to bed now or in the distant future.

In large parts of Europe and Canada,gay marriage or civil union has been recognized for years.But then again,those parts are much more monolithic and liberal than the United States.The reality is that the US remains a center right country,and the religious right still remains a powerful force."Don't ask,don't tell" is still a patently inflammatory topic in the US military.Soldiers are no longer required to declare their sexual orientation at recruitment from 1993 but can still be dismissed if they openly express their preference while in the army.

This is no more evident than in the deep schism that has fragmented the Anglican Church in America over the gay bishop matter since Gene Robinson was approved by episcopalians in 2003.Some southern parishes in America openly encouraged the Nigerian Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola to secede from the worldwide Anglican communion under the leadership of Rowan Williams.They swore to secede with him.Williams happens to be more tolerant of Gay Bishop ordinations than the majority of African and Asian bishops.This alone is a self-indicting irony.The fact that European missionaries imported Christianity to those parts of the world seem to have been lost on many.

Church pews in Europe these days are either empty or populated by the elderly...most young britons and Irish youths are still in bed during sunday church hours recovering from the hang-over of the previous night's clubbing.These days,Churches in Nigeria at least are experiencing unprecedented youth attendance and participation.Megachurch pastors are smiling to the bank as many more young people get bank jobs and pay tithes.Many of those pastors now boast private jets in their own hangars.

In contrast,parishes are closing in England due to low attendance and in some occasions even converted to pubs.

For the less cerebral mortals like me,the fear going forwards will be where all this ends.Now that homosexuality is merely a sexual orientation rather than deviant sexual behaviour.Will Pedophilia be the next paraphilia to be declassified by the APA? Will child sexual predators be one day able to "come out of the closet" and sponsor ballot initiatives?

For my son's sake,and for the sake of all that is common sense,I sincerely hope and pray not!

OMC