To me, is logic is perfect - if you believe homosexuality is a sin, then I disagree with you. If you believe people are born with their sexual orientation, then you have to consider if it is right to deny gays the same civil rights as straights.
I have heard pastors, who have finally come around to understand that sexual orientation is not a choice, explain to congregations that homosexuals are born, that God created them that way, but that it a sin and gays and lesbians should remain abstinent, without the possibility of marriage and all the affiliated benefits. Essentially, they tell their flock, God made some people in a way in which they should be denied intimate relationships for their entire lives. A facebook friend once posted the following in reaction to this type of thinking: "You people are making this sh*t up as you go along."
The desire for intimacy is also inborn. We all require a physical connection to the one we fall in love with. Yet, there are those that want to deny that to homosexuals. They deny them their right to marriage and expect them to remain celibate. However, when you look at the way many conservative Christians behave, you realize they are not personally capable of it. I've notices that young Christians often rush into marriage (and/or pushed by their family) out of fear they might succumb to the desires of the flesh. That is, if they haven't already. According to this article on Sojourners, 80% of evangelicals under 30 have engaged in sex. For those that haven't, who found that special someone at a young age and were able to "wait" until their marriage at the ripe old age of 18, 19, or 20, well bully for you. But for the rest, that 80% mentioned in the article, apparently they don't have the willpower that they expect homosexuals to have for the rest of their lives. (Now for the record, I don't think that all Christians [or specifically evangelical Christians] are opposed to marriage equality. I'm just trying to sort through some facts, statistics, and personal observations.)
Years ago, I left a church over this very issue. The pastor wanted to put a sign on the lawn "in support of marriage" and asked the church council for permission. I happened to be on the council at the time. I was appalled - I was so angry I could barely speak. This sign essentially told gays and lesbians that they weren't welcome in the church, which is definitely not part of the teachings of Jesus. Coupled with the idea that the pastor and almost all of the council members preferred to deny civil rights to other people rather than question their own misguided beliefs, well, that was too much for me. I voted "nay" (one of only three) and never returned.
Let me just sum it up: sexual orientation is inborn; people need intimacy; someone else's marriage is not a threat to your own; civil rights belong to everyone. Any questions?
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