From the Syracuse Post-Standard:
Jesus's Message Relevant in Marriage Law Debate
To the Editor:
I understand the fear that many christians have about gay marriage. To some, this is about obeying god's law. But I would challenge them to ask themselves whether they really know god's will in this case.
My understanding of the christian message is that Jesus was a revolutionary figure who came to challenge others to accept those considered "outcast" in his day and age by religious and political authorities. His message of radical love and inclusion is just as relevant today as it was when he was alive.
I am reminded of the moving passage in "Huckleberry Finn" where Huck decides that he would rather go to hell than abandon his friendship with the fugitive slave Jim. Mark Twain, the author, in my opinion, expressed a much more christian message than that of his contemporaries, though he himself may have been an atheist. Many of his christian contemporaries used the bible to justify slavery.
If our fear of hell is greater than our fear of lack of charity, then we are missing the spirit of the christian message. As a straight black man, I am honored to stand with my gay friends as an ally, as I see them to be just as beautiful reflections of god as anyone else. New York State did the right thing.
-Aly Wane
Syracuse
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