Keep religion out of the marriage debate

While we are “one nation under God,’’ no one set of religious values is or ever has been the basis of the law of our land. Theological questions about same-sex marriage may be an issue for many lawmakers, and while I respect their faith, I want them to consider that these important religious questions should remain in the religious sphere and out of the State House.

That’s because while our government cannot impede the right to the free exercise of religion, no particular religion has the right to impose its values on our society. In fact, different religions view this matter differently, with some embracing their gay and lesbian congregants who want to join in marriage, and others rejecting it altogether. What we do know, however, is that organized religion has a way of changing and evolving as well in responding to society and to its own internal pressures. This is not a static issue. Indeed, if we had ceded civil rights to religious objections in the 1960s, it would still be legal to prohibit interracial couples from marrying in our country.

Instead, policymakers need to be reminded that the United States is not a nation founded on religion: We are a nation founded on the rights of individuals and on the basic premise that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’’

In a democracy, all citizens are treated equally. Denying rights to same-sex couples is just as wrong as denying rights to citizens because of gender, race, religious choice, or disability, even if for religious reasons. In other parts of the world, basic human rights are not guaranteed, but in this country we strive to make them so, and to steadfastly protect the rights of minorities. Anything less is contrary to all the religious values I know of and cherish.