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HomeCommentaryA divided Supreme court still reflects a divided America

A divided Supreme court still reflects a divided America

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By Eric Blauer

The Supreme Court has ruled 5-4 that the Constitution recognizes same-sex marriage, now the cultural celebration and condemnation backlash commences as people process this ruling.

As a conservative leaning libertarian, I’ve written about my constitutional and religious separation approach to personal freedom in regards to marriage equality.

I support political and personal freedom, which includes the right of conscience to hold to a religious view that’s contrary to ones own political view.

I hold those two positions in tension, so long as I am not forced to violate my right of religious belief and practice and constitutional freedom of thought and speech.

I believe constitutionally, we are free to do what we will, provided we do no harm or infringement on the rights of others. But I also believe everyone eventually will stand before God the ultimate and final judge of all, to give an account for their deeds done on earth.

That said, I find it very disturbing that the highest court in the land was so divided in its ruling. I’m also troubled by the judicial insights the dissenters shared about the ruling and most troubling, about the political landscape they see ahead for Americans.

“And to allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation…But what really astounds is the hubris reflected in today’s judicial Putsch.” -Scalia

“The Court today not only overlooks our country’s entire history and tradition but actively repudiates it, preferring to live only in the heady days of the here and now…The truth is that today’s decision rests on nothing more than the majority’s own conviction that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry because they want to, and that “it would disparage their choices and diminish their personhood to deny them this right….Whatever force that belief may have as a matter of moral philosophy, it has no more basis in the Constitution than did the naked policy preference…The Court’s accumulation of power does not occur in a vacuum. It comes at the expense of the people.”   -Roberts

“The decision will also have other important consequences. It will be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy. In the course of its opinion, the majority compares traditional marriage laws to laws that denied equal treatment for African-Americans and women.” -Alito

“The Court’s decision today is at odds not only with the Constitution, but with the principles upon which our Nation was built.”  -Thomas

These are not ultra-rightwing extremists, sitting in their underwear at 3 a.m., swilling coffee and chowing down on hot pockets while feverishly hacking away at their computers like angry trolls.

These are United States Supreme Court justices, not conspiracy theorists on Internet radio.

I celebrate constitutional freedom and  yet, question just what modern, progressive leaning America will end up doing to herself and future generations with this liberty.

I end with these famous quotes from John Adams, Harvard educated lawyer and famed political philosopher, who served as the second president of the United States (1797-1801), after serving as the first Vice President under President George Washington:

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

“Human passions unbridled by morality and religion…would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net.”

Eric Blauer
Eric Blauerhttp://fcb4.tumblr.com/
I am Frederick Christian Blauer IV, but I go by Eric, it sounds less like a megalomaniac but still hints at my Scandinavian destiny of coastal conquest and ultimate rule. I have accumulated a fair number of titles: son, brother, husband, father, pastor, writer, artist and a few other more colorful titles by my fanged fans. I am a lover of story be it heard, read or watched in all beauty, gory or glory. I write and speak as an exorcist or poltergeist, splashing holy water, spilling wine and breaking bread between the apocalypse and a sleeping baby. I am possessed by too many words and they get driven out like wild pigs and into the waters of my blog at www.fcb4.tumblr.com. I work as a pastor at Jacob's Well Church (www.jacobswellspokane.com) across the tracks on 'that' side of town. I follow Christ in East Central Spokane among saints, sinners, angels, demons, crime, condoms, chaos, beauty, goodness and powerful weakness. I have more questions than answers, grey hairs than brown, fat than muscle, fire than fireplace and experience more love from my wife, family and friends than a man should be blessed with in one lifetime.

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MHilditch
MHilditch
8 years ago

Eric: Your deliberate decision to close with that particular quote from Adams – in this context – appears to imply that those benefitting from this ruling are, by definition, immoral and irreligious. As a passionate ally of deeply moral and religious LGBT friends, I find that quite offensive.

Steven
Steven
8 years ago
Reply to  MHilditch

Same here. It seems that religion unbridled by morality is the real threat to the continued march of freedom. Oh wait, did I just *gasp* claim that the founding fathers may not have been omniscient?

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
8 years ago
Reply to  MHilditch

It’s always possible to claim that LGBT Christians are misguided, “lost sheep,” however condescending and untrue that actually is.

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
8 years ago

As do I. Good gracious.

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
8 years ago

I’m at work on a piece in defense of postmodernism, BTW. hopefully I can address the SCOTUS decision at least a bit in the revision.

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
8 years ago

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GRB1
8 years ago

Since you like John Adams quotes, here’s my favourite.

“The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/quotes/

Here’s another good one:

“But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed?”

– John Adams, letter to FA Van der Kamp, December 27, 1816.

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