By Hae Jin Kang, Senior writer, 17, Granada Hills Charter HS


Illustration by Adonia Tan, 17, Walnut HS


I

 

am a Christian and have grown up in a Christian household. I regularly attend Sunday service and Friday night Bible study. As a Christian, I also believe that abortion and homosexuality are wrong because of what is written in the Bible.

But even so, I feel that my beliefs shouldn’t force other people to live a certain way. I believe that the precedent set by Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision which gives women the right to have an abortion, should not be overturned. And I think that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. This is America, where the First Amendment separates Church and State and protects the rights of the minority.

However, I have observed that many people have become very intolerant. I worry about government leaders who support laws that would restrict the rights of same-sex couples and women seeking abortions, based on the views of some Christians. All but five states—Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Rhode Island—have adopted constitutional amendments or laws banning marriage for same-sex couples, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights organization. And the Supreme Court just issued a ruling, upholding a law that bans one form of abortion.

For the longest time, I did not want to get involved in these issues. I had my own opinions, but I did not want to judge others. I felt that these issues didn’t affect me directly. These are private issues for individuals. I should not interfere regardless of my beliefs. This is why I wasn’t too enthusiastic about becoming involved in this debate.

Why was the President at an anti-abortion rally?

But what motivated me to get more involved was seeing how our intolerant government was interfering in these personal matters. What specifically prompted me to write was reading an article about how President Bush appeared at an anti-abortion rally in January 2006 to encourage abortion opponents and the “rightness of [their] cause.” Government should not advocate for the causes of a religion, whether it is Christianity or another religion. Government leaders should not legislate their personal or religious views into laws that affect the entire nation.

Also, so many times when I read the news online, there were stories of states banning same-sex marriage. In San Francisco a couple years ago, the mayor granted same-sex couples the right to marry but later that summer the state Supreme Court ruled those marriages were illegal. I thought this was not right because the government should not have the power to interfere in the lives of same-sex couples.

No religion should influence government

The government should not listen to the beliefs of one specific religion—in this case, Christianity.  Yes, Christians also have the right to express their opinions that abortion and marriages for same-sex couples should be illegal. But, this does not mean that the government should write laws based on those beliefs. The government should remain unbiased and “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion,” as the First Amendment states. We do not live in a theocracy, (a government in which God is considered the ultimate authority).

This means that although I do not personally support abortion or same-sex marriage, I think that they should be allowed because the First Amendment separates Church and State. My beliefs are based on religion, so they should not be used as the foundation for making laws that affect everyone in the nation.

My views are not shared by all Christians. Still, I understand why some other Christians argue that abortion should be made illegal and that gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to get married—I agree that a child is a gift from God to be cherished and that homosexuality is a sin.

My editor has also told me that some Christians believe homosexuality is acceptable. I disagree with them because the Bible specifically states that homosexuality is wrong and against God. The Bible says, “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)

I also disagree with extremist Christians who have bombed abortion clinics. As a Christian, I believe that we should all try to live in peace, even with those who do not share our beliefs. It is what the Bible says as well. Hebrews 12:14 says, “Pursue peace with all men.” And Thessalonians 5:13 says, “Live in peace with one another.” The Bible also tells us to not judge others so that we will not be judged.

The fight against our government’s regulation of homosexuality and abortion isn’t just a fight for these two issues. Rather, they are symbols for everything we consider our personal “freedoms.” If the American government feels that it can stop some individuals from pursuing their individual needs and personal happiness, the government may not hesitate to take other liberties as well.