Tuesday, November 1, 2011

They are absolutely right.

Just a few thoughts on things that I have been reading about or have seen in the news.

I have seen several articles about Kim Kardashian's divorce.  Many claim that her divorce can be used as a support for gay marriage.  They claim that gay marriage opponents can not talk about preserving the sanctity of marriage (between a man and a woman) when straight couples are getting divorced after only a few months.  This type of marriage does not defend the sanctity of marriage.  How can we tell gay couples that they can not marry because we want to preserve the sanctity of marriage when we allow straight couples to marry and then treat their marriage in this way.
 
In a similar note I have seem bumper stickers and facebook posts with saying on them like this: "If we can't marry then you can't divorce." 

They are absolutely right.

As a Catholic I do not feel like I can say that gay marriage is wrong but divorce is ok.  As a Catholic I believe that gay marriage is wrong because marriage is a sacrament that is between one man and one woman.  In the same way I believe that divorce is wrong because marriage is a sacrament that we cannot undo.  I feel that gay marriage is wrong and that divorce is wrong for the same reasons.  In my view Kim Krdashian's divorce does not support gay marriage it is just another example of people not treating marriage as the sacrament that it is.


On another issue, I have been recently been reading about stem cell research and the objections to using embryonic stem cells.  Many people are against using embryos for this research because it will result in many many embryos being killed.  A supporter of this research stated that the killing of these embryos are no different then the killing of the embryos not used in IVF labs across the country. 

They are absolutely right.

Killing embryos for stem cell research is the same thing as killing embryos not used by IVF doctors.  Either way we are destroying human life.  As a Catholic I am against both of these killings.  Just because society supports the destruction of these embryos by IVF doctors does not mean that is is right.  They are both wrong and as a Catholic I am against them both.

So why does it seem like Catholics are more against one than the other.  Why does it seem like we are more against gay marriage than divorce?  Why does it seem like we are more against stem cell research then IVF? 

We have to make sure that we don't get so comfortable around divorce, IVF and other wrongs of our society that we come to accept them.  We need to show that we are consistent with our beliefs.  Just because society accepts something that does not mean that it is right and does not mean that we must support it.

Dear Lord,  Help me to follow your teachings always.