You will no doubt be surprised to learn that the Rev. Canon Susan Russell has written something that has annoyed the religion right.
Last week’s Susan wrote a wildly popular article for the Huffington Post, thanking Kim Kardashian for making clear that it is careless heterosexual couples–not committed spouses of the same gender–who are making a mockery of the institution of marriage. She wrote:
As we continue to work for family values that value all families and a protect-marriage movement that protects all marriages, we will have your example to add to Britney Spears’ 55-hour marriage, Larry King’s eight marriages and Newt Gingrich’s three (just to name a few) as proof positive that marriage needs protection, all right — but not from gay and lesbian couples who want to pledge to live together until death do them part.
Now The Daily Kos informs us that the Family Policy Institute is unhappy about the attention that Susan’s argument has received.
Joseph Backholm, executive director of the group writes:
Saying marriage doesn’t matter because Kim Kardashian can’t keep hers together is like saying you shouldn’t try to make healthy food choices because people eat candy bars.
But Susan isn’t arguing that marriage doesn’t matter. She is arguing that it matters intensely; that it matters as much to same-gender couples as to straight couples; and, if I can tease out a point that she makes implicitly, that same-gender marriage benefits society, not least in producing stable homes in which to raise children put up for adoption by their presumably straight parents.
It reminds me of a line from the statement that the Rt. Rev. John Chane, the now-retired Bishop of Washington, made when he was asked by the authors of the Windsor Report to refrain from allowing his clergy to officiate at same-sex blessing ceremonies in 2004.
“It remains puzzling to me that no one objects to my baptizing the children of gay parents, blessing their home, their car and their dog, yet I cannot bless the loving relationship which makes this family’s life possible with upsetting so many of our Anglican brothers and sisters.”