I live in California. And no, I am not happy about the passing of Proposition 8. A league of Catholic Bishops just recently issued a statement defending their support of Proposition 8 in light of the on going protests. I think that this statement is a nice illustration of how to make lame and bigoted arguments. The bishop’s arguments basically boil down to these four:

1) “The radical change in the definition of marriage to include same-sex partners discounts both history and biology.”

2) Same-sex marriage “ignores how deeply marriage—as the union of a man and a woman—is embedded in our culture, language, and laws.”

3) It is foundational “for the well-being of children and the flourishing of society.”

4) “Under present law domestic partners continue to have the rights and benefits of married couples in the State of California. It is our conviction that it is not necessary to change the definition of marriage to protect those rights and benefits. It is our hope that all those engaged in discourse on this issue will do so respectfully and in a civil manner.”

The first three arguments could have, conceivably, been used by a white person in the 19th century to defend the “institution” of slavery! Consider:

1) The abolition of slavery discounts both history (check your bibles) and the obvious biological superiority of whites over blacks.

2) Slavery is embedded in southern culture, language, and laws.

3) Slavery is foundational for the well-being of (white) children and the flourishing of southern society and our economy.

See how easy it is to make these same bigoted arguments?

Oh yes, there is still the matter of number four. This is the old “separate but equal” refrain and let’s remember how effective that was during the struggle for black civil rights!