On the Moral Purposes of Law and Government
Robert George
This man says it all. He delves into the most fundamental difference between same-sex unions and heterosexual marriage and comes out with the purest of reasons to reject homosexual marriage.
My favorite quotes from this discourse are as follows:
"Our task, as I see it, should be to understand the moral truth and speak it - in season and out. Speak it lovingly, speak it civilly. Engage those with whom one disagrees in civil discourse. Speak it lovingly, speak it civilly, but firmly and vigorously, because so much is at stake. Now we will be told by those who are pure pragmatists, that the American public is too far gone in moral relativism, or even moral delinquency, to be reached by moral arguments. Sometimes they say 'Give it up...the public's too far gone...they've drunk the cool-aid of moral relativism....' But we must have faith that truth is luminous and powerful....Our problem is not so much that people are gone and sunk in moral relativism and so won't listen. Our problem is that we don't make the argument, or we don't make it often enough or well enough, with enough conviction, determination."
And, in closing:
"These moral causes [defense of life and marriage], because they are foundational, because so much else depends on them, should not be regarded, should never be regarded, as distractions from other pressing goals, even though there are other pressing goals - the fight against terrorism, the struggle for economic prosperity, the need to assist those who are needy, the need to deal with the problem of poverty in our cities, the needs for environmental protection. These are all important. But the moral causes, the moral causes of life and marriage, are not distractions; they are rather causes that spring from the foundational moral purposes of law and the state. And today, they are certainly among the most urgent causes."
*Though a guest speaker at a BYU forum, Robert George is not LDS. And how sad that I feel I must make that distinction in order to ensure he will not be written off as "one of those fearful Mormons." He is a man of great understanding and intelligence and should be regarded as such.
My favorite quotes from this discourse are as follows:
"Our task, as I see it, should be to understand the moral truth and speak it - in season and out. Speak it lovingly, speak it civilly. Engage those with whom one disagrees in civil discourse. Speak it lovingly, speak it civilly, but firmly and vigorously, because so much is at stake. Now we will be told by those who are pure pragmatists, that the American public is too far gone in moral relativism, or even moral delinquency, to be reached by moral arguments. Sometimes they say 'Give it up...the public's too far gone...they've drunk the cool-aid of moral relativism....' But we must have faith that truth is luminous and powerful....Our problem is not so much that people are gone and sunk in moral relativism and so won't listen. Our problem is that we don't make the argument, or we don't make it often enough or well enough, with enough conviction, determination."
And, in closing:
"These moral causes [defense of life and marriage], because they are foundational, because so much else depends on them, should not be regarded, should never be regarded, as distractions from other pressing goals, even though there are other pressing goals - the fight against terrorism, the struggle for economic prosperity, the need to assist those who are needy, the need to deal with the problem of poverty in our cities, the needs for environmental protection. These are all important. But the moral causes, the moral causes of life and marriage, are not distractions; they are rather causes that spring from the foundational moral purposes of law and the state. And today, they are certainly among the most urgent causes."
*Though a guest speaker at a BYU forum, Robert George is not LDS. And how sad that I feel I must make that distinction in order to ensure he will not be written off as "one of those fearful Mormons." He is a man of great understanding and intelligence and should be regarded as such.
Posts
2 comments:
"These moral causes [defense of life and marriage], because they are foundational, because so much else depends on them, should not be regarded, should never be regarded, as distractions from other pressing goals, even though there are other pressing goals - the fight against terrorism, the struggle for economic prosperity, the need to assist those who are needy, the need to deal with the problem of poverty in our cities, the needs for environmental protection. These are all important. But the moral causes, the moral causes of life and marriage, are not distractions; they are rather causes that spring from the foundational moral purposes of law and the state. And today, they are certainly among the most urgent causes."
Absolutely.
That's why every decent person in America is appalled at the passage of Proposition 8, which was such a thorough-going attack on family life, marriage, and the foundational moral purposes of law and the state.
Now if only we could get the people who think the right thing to do is to attack other people's marriages and take away their civil rights to agree to that.
My but you have a way of malinterpreting things for your own purposes. If you had watched the forum, you would know that Robert George is very much opposed to same-sex marriage and that his plea is for moral people throughout the States to stand up against this blatant attack on marriage and the family.
"That's why every decent person in America is appalled at the passage of Proposition 8...."
There are numerous decent people on both sides of this debate. To claim that they all support your opinion is ludicrous. That would suggest that I am not a decent person simply because we do not agree. That is intolerant.
You ought to stop thinking of Proposition 8 as an attack. I think of it more as a defense; a preventive measure. We were defending marriage as being between a man and a woman, not attacking homosexuals.
Post a Comment