Ship of Fools: Loving + 50

Thread: Loving + 50 Board: Dead Horses / Ship of Fools.

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Posted by Crœsos (# 238) on :

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which was the last time a U.S. Court "redefined marriage" (to borrow a phrase) by ruling that bans on inter-racial marriage were unconstitutional. My question is how long will it be until white American Protestants start pretending to have supported gay rights all along the way they have with the Civil Rights movement?

The typical way this happened was to erase the vast majority of pro-Segregation Christians (mostly from Protestant denominations) while pretending that people like Martin Luther King, Jr. were typical among the Christians of the day (instead of being the most reviled public figure in America at the time of his assassination).

How long does this process take? Remember that it was only in 2003 that the criminalization of homosexuality was ruled unconstitutional. That dispute made U.S. Senator Rick Santorum into an internet neologism. Given that only fourteen years ago a sitting U.S. Senator was willing to publicly come out in favor of jail time for homosexuals I'd think it would take a while, but the American public seems willing to have amnesia on issues like this.

What do you folks think? How long before American Christians start taking credit (again) for something they opposed? Given the severity of their opposition I'd like to put the date somewhere out in the 2040s, but there are already enough claiming to have always supported legal rights for homosexuals they may be able to move it up a bit.

Posted by Net Spinster (# 16058) on :

I think it would take the current teens to reach the ranks of power within the Protestant churches so I would say 2040 is still on. Note all the largest denominations are still officially against it (Southern Baptists, United Methodists, American Baptists, Church of Christ).

I'll note one big difference between interracial and same sex marriages is that the Catholic church had, as far as I know, never been against the former doctrinally (individual bishops, etc. a different matter) though it had racially discriminated (some southern dioceses were very late in getting their first non-white priests).

Posted by Aijalon (# 18777) on :

Churches will feed the flock whatever messages they feel convenient to keep people coming in the doors. Hopefully their not two faced about it....

True, the ground is moving fast.

Posted by Crœsos (# 238) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Aijalon:
True, the ground is moving fast.

Eppur si muove.

Posted by simontoad (# 18096) on :

Please get out of the way if you won't lend your hand?

Racism is having a resurgence, in America as well as this country. I wonder whether some Churches and congregations will start backsliding on race as their communities try to wind back the so-called liberal reforms of the last 50 years.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Net Spinster:
I think it would take the current teens to reach the ranks of power

I wonder if this is how it will happen. The general progress of the young is towards the doors, not the pews.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Crœsos:

Given that only fourteen years ago a sitting U.S. Senator was willing to publicly come out in favor of jail time for homosexuals I'd think it would take a while, but the American public seems willing to have amnesia on issues like this.

If the contemptible Roy Moore wins the election in Alabama, we will have yet again a Senator who favors jail time for homosexuals. We have not progressed at all.

Posted by lilBuddha (# 14333) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Brenda Clough:
If the contemptible Roy Moore wins the election in Alabama, we will have yet again a Senator who favors jail time for homosexuals. We have not progressed at all.

The problem is that there is progress, but it is in the demographic less likely to vote.

[ 01. October 2017, 16:38: Message edited by: lilBuddha ]

Posted by Doublethink. (# 1984) on :

I think that may change, nobody believed Jeremy Corbyn could get the youth out to vote in the UK - but he did and it made a significant difference. You may find this generation more engaged than you expect.

Posted by Brenda Clough (# 18061) on :

This link begins with the footage of an outrageous lie. But hang on so that you can see
Crooked Don put it to the lie. This time by suggesting that employers fire their gay employees.

[ 01. October 2017, 17:31: Message edited by: Brenda Clough ]

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