Theocracy is defined as “a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized as the supreme civil ruler, the God’s or deity’s laws being interpreted by the ecclesiastical authorities.” By that definition then, North Carolina has become a theocracy, at least on the issue of marriage, with yesterday’s passage of the marriage amendment.
It has enshrined the Christian view that God’s divine architecture reigns supreme over believers and non-believers alike. Let Tami Fitzgerald, the head of Vote for Marriage NC, do the talking and admit that the legislation is meant to protect the Christian deity’s laws.
“We are not anti-gay, we are pro-marriage,” she said. “And the point — the whole point — is simply that you don’t rewrite the nature of God’s design for marriage based on the demands of a group of adults.” Well, if one is a Christian, to be sure.
One might argue—and North Carolina’s pro-amendment contingent certainly did—that it is a states’ right question. Obama, via his bumbling press secretary Jay Carney, seems ambivalent on the issue: he at once supports the states’ right to decide, but is opposed to discrimination against the LGBT community.
The amendment may not mention the Christian God, but the grassroots efforts of religious groups clearly indicates that it was an effort to enshrine religion in the North Carolina Constitution. To subject all non-believers (and even those who refuse to marry) to the tyranny of the faithful. Same-sex marriage was already banned in North Carolina—the amendment simply made it unassailable in the state supreme court.
For that alone it should be found unconstitutional on the federal level. It amended the North Carolina Constitution to elevate a religious dogma—with little to no Biblical support anyway—to the supreme law of the land. It is, at bottom, an oppressive measure, and hopefully some action will be taken by the president on this front. One can well imagine, though, that the conservative Supreme Court will find some way of arguing that the First Amendment has not been violated in this case, and North Carolina was well within its rights to amend its constitution to support bigotry.
The hatred that allowed this perversion of democracy is just astounding.
[Image: Ken Blevins/Wilmington Star News, via Associated Press]
May 09, 2012 at 2:30 pm, Toby Spinks said:
The simple answer to all of this is that it's unconstitutional to ban gay marriage. The fact that these states have to amend their constitution to "support bigotry" drives that fact home. I am sure NC will eventually be sued. I'm adding them to the "states I will never visit again" list.
May 09, 2012 at 3:29 pm, Rodger Weir said:
My desire to ever visit or live there is zero now too. And I hear that the state itself is rather beautiful. Too bad its residents and government sully it.
May 09, 2012 at 3:52 pm, Jacques Graber said:
It is time, if ever was, for Progressives to boycott the tourism industry in this state. Or support only any GLBT businesses that are there.
May 09, 2012 at 4:54 pm, Kody Pangburn said:
I was just listening to MPR and woman from North Carolina was being interviewed. She was in favor of the marriage amendment and stated, "today was a good day, that is why I made a wedding cake to share with the community–we are celebrating the act of marriage, the way god wants it to be…" Needless to say I wanted a piece of cake to throw in her face.