Obama and gay marriage: In U.S. religion, the Golden Rule rules

[rug]

By David Gibson| Religion News Service, Updated: Thursday, May 10, 5:01 PM

As pundits and politicians struggle to divine the political fallout from President Obama’s sudden endorsement of same-sex marriage, one thing has become clear: The Golden Rule invoked by Obama to explain his change of heart is the closest thing Americans have to a common religious law, and that has important implications beyond the battle for gay rights.

In fact, one of the most striking aspects of Obama’s revelation on Wednesday (May 9) that he and his wife, Michelle, support marriage rights for gays and lesbians, is that he invoked their Christian faith to support his views. In past years, Obama — as many believers still do — had cited his religious beliefs to oppose gay marriage.

Obama told ABC News that he and the first lady “are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated.”

Obama has frequently mentioned the Golden Rule or that general idea when speaking about how his faith shapes his policies, and he can point to chapter and verse to back up his views.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/obama-and-gay-marriage-in-us-religion-the-golden-rule-rules/2012/05/10/gIQAiUKNGU_story.html

[cleanhippie]

1. That's nice, except that the Golden Rule is not of Christian origin.

[trotsky]

2. Not only that, but it can be just as readily invoked by anti-gay bigots.

Because as people like Fred Phelps believe, homosexuality is a sin. A sin that separates one from god. A sinner who does not repent and turn from their ways will spend eternity separated from god, in hell. Phelps therefore would want someone else to help him turn away from sin, so he is merely following the golden rule as he believes the risk/benefit to be. And who are we to tell him his sincere religious beliefs are wrong?