Dr. Robert P. George is a Princeton University jurisprudence professor and “a Roman Catholic who is this country’s most influential conservative Christian thinker.” He’s one of these Smiling Bigots, convinced the culture wars are still raging (they are), and a staunch defender of religious freedoms. Namely, the right of churches to defend themselves against the onslaught of gay marriage.
He has maintained friendships in the White House, Supreme Court, and Congress, to say nothing of his ties to the Catholic Church. Karl Rove, George W. Bush, Antonin Scalia, and Glenn Beck are all fans. He sits atop the National Organization for Marriage as its chairman. And if ever there was a cheerleader for priests and archbishops to involve themselves in the secular world, it is George.
And George’s brand of terror is perfectly encapsulated in this clip from Thursday’s Southern Evangelical Seminary panel in Charlotte. Watching human beings like Dr. George is akin to seeing a leprechaun in real life: they do exist.
terrwill
The sick twisted message the catholic church is attempting to send out is that the Gays marrying is far more dangerous than the priest kiddie diddling drama…………pathetic and scary at the same time………..
Carter
This is certainly evidence that the ivory towers of elite academe are not filled exclusively with raging liberals.
J. Clarence
This is such a confusing argument that social-conservatives make. The assumption that if same-sex couples are allowed to marry heterosexual couples will have a sudden loose interest in producing is kind of crazy. Also if anything marriage reinforces the bonds that build functioning adults, having same-sex couple marry and adopt children ultimately lead to there being better citizens rather than just children stuck in the foster care system.
Social-conservative arguments is further undercut by the fact that there has been no evidence ever to suggest that same-sex parents are bad parents.
It’s just a stupid argument, and it’s kind of shameful this guy gets paid by Princeton University.
Steve
If he is indeed a conservative supporter of religious freedom, he should support everyone’s religious freedom. By attacking our religious freedom, he is actually undermining his own.
Everyone is welcome to believe whatever religion they want. But, in order for everyone to have that right, no one may have the right to force their own religious beliefs upon others. There is no right to use the force of law to impose your religious beliefs upon others. Just because “I believe” something, is not a valid reason to force everyone else to obey that belief. Other people must be allowed to decide what they believe.
Today, mixed-race couples can get married. Churches that are willing to celebrate such marriages are free to do so. People who do not want to marry someone of a different race are not required to do so, and churches are not required to celebrate such marriages. The decision (whether or not to celebrate such a marriage) is made by each couple and each church. Either decision, by any couple or any church, does not harm anyone else. The right to make that decision for yourself, is part of the very important right that we call freedom of religion.
Same-sex couples should have the same right, and churches that want to celebrate those marriages should have that same right.
If you want to have freedom of religion, you must allow others to have the same freedom that you want. If other people do not have that freedom, then you don’t have it, either.