Maybe it's my education and maybe it's my travels, but I have become what I am sure my family and other conservative Christians would view to be more liberal in my thinking.
It's not necessarily that I condone certain thoughts or behaviors but more that I believe a religious order ought not have power to legally regulate behaviors. Following God is a personal choice, followed by all kinds of other (hopefully) spirit-led choices.
When Jesus came, he abolished the Old Laws. Why, then, do we seem to have fallen deeply back in to law-based Christianity?
Moreover, why would I believe that it is right to hold any particular country's people to a set of religious bi-laws when religion is both an option as well as an option not held by everyone in the country. It just doesn't sit right with me. There's a difference between legal morality and religious morality. One maintains the health of the nation and one the health of the soul. The latter cannot be regulated from a legal institution.
When I lived abroad in Northern Ireland, I had to read a ton for my Master's degree.
Because my coursemates were full-blooded (and hot-blooded) folk from The Republic, they knew the history, political and religious structures, and folklore of the land in which they lived.
My learning curve was insane.
I read everything I could get my hands on to make up for my obvious lack of foundation.
In my studies, I came across layers on layers on religious persecution. Not people persecuted for their religion; people persecuted by their religion.
My friends could tell me personal stories of the ways in which their practical and spiritual lives were negatively influenced by the Catholic Church. The oppression is excruciating, even in these modern times.
Now, though, there's this incredible thing happening.
The Republic of Ireland is undergoing a vote to alter their constitution: "The proposed amendment applies to Article 41 of the Irish Constitution. And it wants to insert the following line: “Marriage may be contracted in accordance with law by two persons without distinction as to their sex.”
If it passes, the Republic of Ireland will be the first country ever to democratically alter their constitution in favor of marital freedom.
The Catholic religious order has, for centuries, controlled their people socially, sexually, politically, and educationally.
Take a moment to see the forest, despite the trees.
Rob Bell, in his book Sex God, would tell you "this is really about that".
Yeah, this is about same-sex marriage.
But it's more than that.
If this were to pass, it would be a country-shattering stand of the underdog against the schoolyard bully.
Maybe that underdog won't win every battle against the bully--the people may not immediately be able to shake off the saturation of the Catholic religions order--but this vote would be a symbol that the system which has suffocated them for centuries no longer holds all the power.
Some fear that this vote is a vote against family and morality, and honestly I can't see it that way. Imposing faith through fear-tactics is soul-destructive. God can use whatever he wants to bring his people back to him. If they're driven his way like whipped slaves, they may follow but they will not love their master.
It's time to end the rein of the Catholic Church in Ireland.
It's time to give the people a choice, it's time to shake the foundations, it's time to vote.
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