The Pro-Family Irony of Dan Savage

Last updated on: November 2, 2012 at 6:15 pm by Nick Rynerson

The Pro-Family Irony of Dan Savage 2012-11-02T18:15:28-06:00 Nick Rynerson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Image Credit: Better Than Bacon via Flickr (CC BY 2.0).

Recently The Atlantic did a write up on Dan Savage, one of America’s most influential homosexuals. Savage is a popular sex columnist and has written books and been featured on almost every big news outlet. But, despite his open homosexuality, Savage takes an interestingly uncommon approach to family & parenting:

Savage promotes the nuclear family unit because he believes that it is a healthy model for everybody: gay couples, straight couples, children. … Savage says, “It’s really straight guys who get the bum rap. The way straight people have redefined marriage, and the way they define sexuality, it’s really unrealistic about male sexuality.”

And while most of what Dan Savage says regarding the “sexual freedom and liberation” that is sweeping Western society is worthy of criticism, he does, in a peculiar way, enact healthy family practices:

And soon enough Savage had a lot in common with the average straight guy. He is a breadwinner in a fairly traditional marriage, with a son and a stay-at-home spouse… [His] heart clearly lies with the two-parent family with children.

Savage, despite being a product of a sinful society that increasingly promotes disordered sexuality, seems to be drawn towards the monogamous family unit almost instinctively. Despite being a strange place for Christians to pull wisdom from, it is an important and pronounced sign of the very real Image of God that is stamped on the souls of men and women, even those who seem as far away from God’s law as possible. And while I wouldn’t necessarily advise that anyone listen to advice on sexual matters from Dan Savage, I would like to think that God is ironically glorified here. In that one of the most trailblazing anti-christian thinkers in American culture is finding rest, support and purpose in an institution that God designed to make Himself known in; the covenantal family (or something designed to resemble it).

Savage is just further evidence that God’s “eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, since the creation of the world’ (Romans 2:20) and that even in the darkest cultures, the Imago Dei must and does come through, even if it is shrouded in irony.

Also see: Dan Savage “Bullies” Christians.

General Culture

Of the Moment

Dan Savage

Previous Post

November 2, 2012

Civil Discussion: The Voting Mandate

Next Post

November 5, 2012 The Lost Women and Children of the Abortion Debate: A Pro-life Response to Walsh, Akin, and Mourdock

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Asides Elsewhere Featured Film Games General Culture Headline Literature Music Of the Moment Podcast Politics RetroPost Sports Technology Television Uncategorized Viral

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz