ROGBLOG
A Gay Marriage Amendment—Is it Good for the Constitution? President Bush’s call for an amendment to the Constitution to protect the institution of marriage raises several issues that can be grouped into two categories. First, is this issue appropriate for a constitutional amendment? Second, what position should a religious community take with regard to the government’s definition of marriage? Before we get sucked into this debate too far, why are we debating this at all; is this truly a critical issue or is it a political distraction? When high-emotion issues like these are raised, they are typically an attempt by the speaker to get supporters to rally around an issue which arouses strong emotions so as to distract them, and their opponents, from the truly important issues of the day. Gay marriage gets big headlines, is the focus of television and radio talk shows. Everything else gets drowned out. Sex, especially gay sex, sells. In 1993 an off-the-cuff remark by a newly elected presid...