Sexual Orientation and the Pursuit of Happiness

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness....

These values are enshrined in our Declaration of Independence as inalienable rights of every American.

Generation after generation, people have fought to get rid of the "....except for"s: except for blacks, except for women, etc. Today, we challenge the latest prejudice to raise its ugly head and seek to repudiate the fundamental American dedication to freedom and equality for all. The idea that there should be God-given life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness "except for gays" is unworthy of our national character.

If someone thinks homosexuality is immoral, they have a right to believe that. But they do not have the right to change our fundamental freedoms. For many, many people, getting married is one of the most important things they will ever do in the pursuit of happiness. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing, in the Constitution of the United States that suggests any group of people has the right to limit another, no matter how many referendums or propositions they put onto a ballot. The U.S. Constitution reigns supreme.

I do not feel the upset I would have expected to feel about the recent ruling by California's Supreme Court. I don't feel the upset because it seems so clear to me that this issue is already decided in the hearts and minds of Americans. We have a new generation of citizens who can't even believe we're having this argument; for whom the inalienable rights of all people - yes, all people - is such a no-brainer that they are stymied by the fact we're even discussing this. They don't see gays as second-class people, and they don't think they should be treated as second-class citizens. In my heart, I believe that the Supreme Court of the United States is going to agree with them. God loves gay people every bit as much as He loves the rest of us, and the idea that "God shall not be mocked" means that He isn't. God is limitless in His love, and asks that we at least make the effort to be limitless in ours.

Comments

[Richard Gerber]

Yep, the issue is just a distraction. The ego directs the attention to this issue, it creates conflict because it is based on an illusion, and the issue also draws attention away from the the things we need to put our attention on achieve balance, the truth for example. The Ego Empire thrives on this type of issue.

That's okay though everything happens perfectly.

[zoocrew]

Good to see MW on this site! Facts do not cease to be true just because they are ignored. Our society is tediously slow on the uptake and it is painful to witness open prejudice in any form.

[froggyola]

Marianne, thank you for such a beautiful article. You are a shining star of love.

[Alex Marcoux]

Thank Ms. Williamson for bringing some light to a not-so-light situation. And let the new generation’s voices be heard…

[SatPrem]

Great article. Says it all. It's just a matter of time, I suppose, until we all get this.