An Example of Responsible Speech

From: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/02/02/146272425/same-sex-marriage-bill-easily-clears-key-hurdle-in-washington-state

"They are not, nor should they be accused of, bigotry," Murray said. "Those of us who support this legislation are not, and we should not be accused, of undermining family life or religious freedom."


     This is what I call an example of responsible speech. Senator Murray is ensuring that neither "side" of this particular argument looks at the other through narrow, simplistic slogans and generalizations.  If you call all those who are against same-sex marriage bigots, you are guilty of that.  BUT if you accuse all those who are in same-sex marriage of undermining family values or religious freedoms, you are also guilty of that.


     There is an inherent human downfall we risk if we are a a strong "believer," in anything:  It is that our feeling of "being right" about some things affects how we view everything.  Thus, when it comes time to be self-critical and think more deeply about how we view others, we fall short---just as the Bible says that we do (Romans 3).  (Yes, we fall short, even if we consider ourselves Christian!)


     Jesus says to "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees."  I have thought that leaven, a metaphor of pride in the scriptures, to be something akin to the attitude of "having it all together," or "thinking you are right."  If the "Gospel" that we say we believe in is true, then we may be "right" about that.  However, that doesn't mean that we abandon appropriate self-criticism when we estimate people's views with which we disagree. 


     As Christians, we should be all the more careful about our speech, especially since "The power of life and death is in the tongue" (Proverbs 18).  What we say about others may serve to bring them closer to the "Truth" that "sets free," or bring them farther from it.   Too often, we Christians have wanted to sound all powerful and effective, and have done damage in the process by saying things that aren't true.


     Does same-sex marriage undermine family life?  Well, let's see.  I could imagine a same-sex couple being very responsible in the way they raise their children and devote themselves to their family's well-being.  I can also imagine a Christian couple undermining their family by  raising their children in a climate of guilt and condition-setting that comes in the name of God.  My point: Healthy and unhealthy families are raised by both traditional, opposite-sex families and same-sex families.  


     Because a Christian may not think that same-sex marriage lines up with their theology, it does not necessarily follow that same-sex marriage automatically results in poor family life.  It is not responsible thinking to lump it all together like that and make all-inclusive generalizations.


     And, from the other side of this argument, all Christians are not bigots.  I would wager that many Christians who argue against same-sex marriage, if not most, are not bigots.  They are struggling with very deep convictions, views, and feelings, just as the person who has same-sex desire does.   While I honor the struggle of both parties  (and, by the way,  those two groups are not exclusive of each other!), what I don't honor is any one of us of either party speaking irresponsibly about the other, in order to lift our own views up!  


     In short, we don't have to speak irresponsibly about others, even when we hold strong and deeply held convictions that those "others" disagree with.


     Thank you, Senator Murray, for speaking responsibly. I appreciate it!