Monday, December 31, 2007

Obama vs. Hillary on Gay Marriage

In looking at the two positions between Obama and HRC (the person, not the gay fundraising arm of the Democratic Party) on gay marriage, I became interested in their inner thoughts about their positions.

First Hillary:

"[Gay marriage] is an issue that I’ve had very few years of my life to think
about when you really look at it, when you compare it to a whole life span. I am where I am right now, and it is a position that I come to authentically."

And:

"I believe in full equality of benefits, nothing left out," she said. "From my perspective there is a greater likelihood of us getting to that point in civil unions or domestic partnerships and that is my very considered assessment."

Now Obama (from his book, the Audacity of Hope):

"No matter how much Christians who oppose homosexuality may claim that they hate the sin but love the sinner, such a judgment inflicts pain on good people -- people who are made in the image of God, and who are often truer to Christ's message than those who condemn them...it is my obligation, not only as an elected official in a pluralistic society but also as a Christian, to remain open to the possibility that my unwillingness to support gay marriage is misguided...I must admit that I may have been infected with society's prejudices and predilictions and attributed them to God; that Jesus' call to love one another might demand a different conclusion; and that in years hence I may be seen as someone who was on the wrong side of history."

Knowing that Obama supports full DOMA repeal and the granting of all 1,200 federal benefits to gay couples in civil unions, I'm impressed with his expression of his doubts and at the same time addressing the public and religious aspects of the gay marriage debate so succinctly. The Hillary quotes were the only ones I could find that shed light (barely) on her inner thoughts. I wasn't looking for policy pronouncements here, but instead what each candidate was really thinking.

Obama's book made that easy for me. If there are similar such statement by Hillary, please pass them on.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks. I'm trying to make up my mind here in NYC on Super Tuesday and this has helped a bit.

Anonymous said...

what is DOMA

Anonymous said...

I think that gay marriage is wrong because God made women and men in His own image. We should stick to that and let women marry men like they are supposed to.


~God Bless America

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