Today We Won!

Last updated on: June 26, 2015 at 11:27 am by Jason Mankey

Today We Won! 2015-06-26T11:27:03-06:00 Jason Mankey

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.

Today’s United States often depresses me. We don’t care enough for our neighbor. We argue about inane things while ignoring our real problems. Too many people care about the Kardashians and not our crumbling infrastructure. But sometimes we get things right, and this was one of those days.

Photo by Lucian Milasan, courtesy of Shutterstock.

Not only did SCOTUS get the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges correct; they (most specifically swing vote and majority opinion writer Anthony Kennedy) did it with a poetic flourish I was not expecting:

“Far from seeking to devalue marriage, the petitioners seek it for themselves because of their respect—and need—for its privileges and responsibilities. And their immutable nature dictates that same-sex marriage is their only real path to this profound commitment.”

“No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.”

The argument is over. Gay marriage is now the law of the land. I’m curious to see if Justice Antonin Scalia’s head pops off of his body as a result.

As a rational human being the debate over gay marriage has always been one close to home. Like most of you reading this I have gay friends, gay relatives, and gay gods. To see someone’s rights and liberties valued just a little bit less has always been painful and seemed to betray what this country stands for. We still have a long way to go in that regard of course, but we took a step forward today.

I have a gay brother named Dason and he wrote this on his Facebook page shortly after the SCOTUS ruling:

“When I first met Jordan, and couldn’t get him out of my mind, I remember (jokingly) thinking to myself ‘Today I met the man I’m gonna marry’ (while singing that old song) I never thought that a mere 5 years later, that could ever prove true…..and here we are….”

Here we are indeed!

I’ve always seen the gods I worship as a reflection of humanity, which means they are representative of so much of the human condition. I’ve never understood an asexual god or a god incapable of seeing the beauty and love present in a gay or lesbian relationship. Because the gods are much like us some of them are gay, some of them are straight, and some of them are transgendered. A world that refuses dignity to every consensual relationship is a world that doesn’t honor what I think of as sacred.

Today my gods won. Today my friends and family won. Today love won. Today we won.

Previous Post

June 25, 2015

A Letter to Bristol Palin

Next Post

June 30, 2015 ISIL Executes For "Witchcraft and Sorcery"

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Editorializing Gateways to Paganism Guest Posts Holiday Histories Led Zeppelin News and Views Occult Pagan Pagan TV Club Paganism polytheism Ramble On Reviews Ritual Strange Days Uncategorized

Select a Month August 2026 March 2026 February 2026 November 2025 September 2025 August 2025 April 2025 August 2024 April 2024 February 2024 December 2023 October 2023 August 2023 June 2023 May 2023 January 2023 October 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 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 April 2012 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Nehemiah was a cupbearer to King Nebuchadnezzar.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE