Today, North Carolina heads to the polls to determine the fate of marriage in their state. On the ballot is the 34th attempt by a state to codify a definition of marriage, that went without saying for thousands of years of western culture.
The amendment has put a spotlight on the disparity of views in this country. On the one hand we have people who are genuinely trying to protect the fabric of society as we know it by standing up to the withering attacks the traditional family is undergoing. On the other hand, we have well meaning Americans that believe that anyone should be able to marry anyone else and that by only allowing men and women to marry, a civil right of homosexuals is being infringed upon.
Eventually, there is no doubt that an activist Supreme Court will step in to let us know what nine people think of western culture, until then — I am content to allow the political process to play out. This is the way it should work. But as the nation moves farther to the left and away from the traditional norms of marriage, and as Christians continue to stand steadfast in a Biblical and Christ-centered definition of marriage, the country will be forced to forge a compromise.
This isn’t a bad thing. The worst outcome would be nine justices telling Americans how it was going to be. But if we are to move away from DOMA and state Constitutional Amendments on marriage a compromise may have to be struck. To be clear, I am not advocating that a compromise be struck, however, it may become increasingly necessary so that we don’t turn out with a winner and a loser. But the compromise isn’t to create a sort of pseudo-marriage in name only through civil unions.
The logical compromise for conservatives, is for the federal government to pull out of marriage altogether. Allow this spiritual institution to be run by the church not big government. The problem with the government condoning marriage is that it leaves Christians open to the attack of being bigots, when in fact being a follower of Christ shouldn’t leave a voter open to such criticism. Allowing the federal government to pull out of marriage altogether and instead give tax credits based upon assumptions such as the number of children one raises would make more sense in the long run.
However, while the government is involved in marriage, it should not be a government that encourages “alternative” living but overall beneficial living that raises intelligent, law abiding citizens that keep steady birth rates in order to keep America strong. In the meantime, it is important that North Carolina and other legislatures continue to define what marriage is so that it is clear what it isn’t.
