Thoughts on Unions: Civil and Otherwise

I came across an article about a bill in Hawaii hoping to allow civil unions. I found the author's (who happens to be a Christian) words filled both with humility and logic. I'll highlight below some of the parts that struck me. Give it a read. It will at least provoke thought, and that is always good :)

http://blog.sojo.net/2009/02/26/the-sad-state-of-dialogue-on-civil-unions/

After countering bible versus that some people use to oppose homosexuality:
Instead of proof-texting our beliefs, perhaps we may try walking humbly alongside our neighbors, honoring the Image within each of us regardless of our orientation. Shouldn’t we allow fellow Image-bearers to sort out their OWN salvation with fear and trembling? Must we insist on sorting it out FOR them with fear and trembling?

As for the belief that such a practice “destroys the fabric of society,” I am not sure that it ranks at all close to threats such as poverty, violence, and consumerism. Let’s focus some of our energy there before wasting such precious resources on things like Prop 8...

I personally support the measure, though I am not certain that I even support the government’s jurisdiction in such intimate spiritual matters like marriage to begin with. However, seeing as the state has already sanctioned unions between two individual citizens, it stands to follow that such recognition never be granted or withheld based solely on race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Too often, well-intentioned biblical literalism has justified all kinds of evil committed by the state, not the least of which being slavery, the oppression of women, and total war.

To the impartial observer, it should be clear that civil unions restore justice to our society by providing equity under the law.