Unfair labels and sloppy language

Babble on.

'Social conservatives' get a bad name because of idiots like this who appropriate the moniker:

At the funeral of gay murder victim Matthew Shepard, they held up signs reading "No Fags in Heaven" and "God Hates Fags." According to their Web site, they have staged "20,000" protests across the nation and around the world in the last decade. They believe that "God's hatred is one of His holy attributes." They are the congregants of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas.

But that's not the whole story, as the more shrill and extreme liberal activists would have you believe. The same-sex marriage debate - heck, the social conservative movement in Canada in general - needs more voices like Chris Taylor.

Chris quite rightly takes me to task for my sloppy language - I should have qualified the term 'so-cons' with an adjective such as 'radical' - and lays out a faith-based position, supported by scripture, that isn't often heard in the uncivilized screaming match we charitably refer to as the same-sex marriage 'debate'.

I take the scriptural injunctions against homosexuality as personal direction. In other words, if I ever had any sexual attraction toward the same sex, I would be prohibited from consummating it. And since I cannot have sex outside marriage, that rules out same-sex marriage as well. For me. For notional non-religious gay neighbours, it would be a different story. I have no desire to deprive them of the physical aspect of their relationship. It's none of my business, and as far as I can tell none of the biblical injunctions against it have the state as their intended audience. The notional gay neighbours will answer to God for their own spiritual condition, and I have no desire nor scriptural basis for policing it.

Yes, God's design for marriage appears to be one man and one woman. Christians embrace this concept whole-heartedly, as we should. I'm not entirely convinced why anyone else who is not Christian should abide by that, though. Quote Leviticus all you want. That book concerns priestly duties, and ordinances for sacrifices and ceremonially purifying oneself. I know there are specific commands against homosexuality. Again, directives for individuals, most particularly the Levite priesthood of the Israelites -- hence the name Leviticus. Sorry to you radically Orthodox Jewish GLBTs descended from Aaron or Levi -- no priesthood for you. And no crustaceans either.

Now you may say that this is not truly a socially conservative argument, and I would disagree. I am socially conservative within appropriate bounds -- my own life, and the lives of those I have direct responsibility for. I believe that Christians should behave according to Christian standards of morality and ethics. I have no illusions about whether my fellow citizens (albeit non-Christians) should do likewise.

To those who would tar all social conservatives as knuckle-dragging bigots, I point to this gentleman - in the truest sense of the word - and ask you to reconsider your own prejudices.

Babble off.