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October 7, 2008

God, Country, and Marriage, Oh My!

Recently on Facebook, a polite debate took place regarding the definition of marriage, which quickly progressed into a discussion of God and "his" place at the American political table. While I have little interest in what the founding fathers whispered before bed and whether or not those intimate principles should define this nation, I do feel it's important to question the relevance of "god" in regards to marriage, which is a civil filing with your resident state. My husband and I were married at city hall. Never once while we were signing the paperwork was the word "god" uttered, nor is it mentioned in our contract with the State of Colorado (aka: our marriage license). I have not found in the federal Constitution justification for the accouterment that accompany religion holding dominion over a civil, legal procedure.

According to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARIS), by Barry A. Kosmin, Egon Mayer, and Ariela Keysar at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (2001), the religious demographic within this country includes, along with mainstream Christian denominations, the following: Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Unitarian Universalist, Pagan, Wiccan, Spiritualist, Native American, Baha'I, New Age, Sikh, Scientologist, Taoist, Deity, Druid, Eckankar, Santaria, Rastafarian. Also represented are self described agnostics, atheists, and those who stated “no religion what so ever”.

Regardless what the Evangelical community cries about the true Christian nature of America, regardless that Bill Gothard and his evangelical Institute in Basic Life Principles would love to fundamentally change this country one town at a time, and regardless of the Pledge of Allegience (written, btw, in 1892 not during the Revolution), we are not actually One Nation Under One God. We are a nation of many gods and none at all. That's the beauty of it.

Posted by bethamsel at October 7, 2008 8:56 AM

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Although, to be fair to the Baptist mister who wrote the original, "under God" was shoehorned into the Pledge in the 1950s.

(In order to maintain the Pledge's constitutionality, supporters have to argue that the pledge's God is merely a generic higher power acceptable even to atheists. I'm not sure why those who believe in the powerful God of Abraham don't find that deeply insulting.)

No matter the personal and private religious views of the individual founders, only their collective pronouncements illuminate their collective thinking. The U.S. Constitution is remarkable for its lack of religious language, and in 1792 the founders ratified the words
"...the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

So that is indeed the beauty of it - that we are indeed a nation of many gods and none at all. Which also means that, although marriage can be a civil filing with your resident state, it can be much more (or even less) depending on the couple's wishes.

[Upon previewing this post, it looks like my paragraph breaks get lost. Sorry! I guess that serves me right for talking too much.]

Posted by: neil [TypeKey Profile Page] at October 9, 2008 12:27 PM

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