4-16 Sanchez letter

Editor, I am opposed to homosexual marriage. The standard response to this position from some people is to respond with a variety of pejorative labels, such as hater, homophobe, bigot, caveman, Bible thumper and so forth. The people who respond like this seem totally unaware that name calling does not win arguments, except maybe in childhood. When we are adults, it is expected that one has intelligent reasons for a held position. I oppose homosexual actions for many reasons. Aristotle, in his book “Politica,” offers this method for coming to know the truth about things: “He who considers things in their first growth and origin, whether a state or anything else, will obtain the clearest view of them. In the first place there must be a union of those who cannot exist without each other; namely, of male and female.” By considering human life in its origin, Aristotle is able to see clearly the goodness and necessity of our existence as male and female. As a Christian, I find Aristotle’s method very interesting. When Jesus was asked about marriage and divorce, similar to Aristotle, he called his questioners to ponder marriage in its origin so that they would obtain a clear understanding of it and therefore live accordingly. Jesus said, “But from the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife and the two shall become one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate (Mark 10:6-9).” Jesus taught that God purposefully created human beings in two differentiated yet complementary sexes. The natural tendency for one another would be the source of their union. God blessed man and woman with fertility, making their union the continuation of human life. Jesus gave his teaching on marriage to help his listeners to understand how binding this union is, so they would recognize why divorce is forbidden. How much more can we understand from his teaching that homosexual unions are forbidden because they lack male and female? Christians believe Jesus is the incarnation of the Son of God who has always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit. So when Jesus makes reference to “the beginning” or articulates God’s intention in creating, we accept that he knows what he is talking about. Too bad so few Christians follow Jesus’ teachings, which has darkened Gods plan for marriage and has contributed to such confusion. Knowing the purpose of our existence as male and female, why do some people have a homosexual inclination? The Williams Institute at UCLA estimated that 2 percent of the population identify as gay or lesbian. In my humble judgment, this tendency arises from a biological abnormality during development, poor upbringing, an introduction to it from someone else, confusion, or plain old perversity. As Cicero taught long ago, a just law is one grounded in right reason. Reason, illuminated by sound teaching, recognizes that the only authentic and true sexual union is between a man and a woman devoted to each other. Benjamin Sanchez UNM alumnus