Procreation and Gay Marriage

In paragraph twelve of Humanae Vitae, the Pope explains the importance of procreation to marriage. He says that “if each of these essential qualities, the unitive and the procreative, is preserved, the use of marriage fully retains its sense of true mutual love and its ordination to the supreme responsibility of parenthood to which man is called” (Humanae Vitae, 1968). In lay terms Paul VI is saying that one of the fundamental purposes of a Catholic marriage is to bring children into the world. He says that if the couple’s love is “true and mutual,” they must be willing to accept children into their lives and families. He says there is a “supreme responsibility of parenthood to which man is called.” This is consistent throughout the animal kingdom where any the ultimate goal of any being is to procreate and pass on its genes.

This teaching is often one used in argument against gay marriage. If the purpose of marriage truly is to create new life, two men or two women cannot biologically fulfill this. When the Bible was written, Christians were a small group of the population. Church leaders considered the act of homosexuality immoral because there was a great need to increase the population. Heterosexual coupling was necessary in order for the community to expand. While I personally believe that much of the Bible holds true in its general themes, this selection is grossly outdated. The circumstances of today’s world are vastly different from the world early Christians lived in.

I do not claim to know Church representatives’ beliefs on the matter. However, in the 2007 documentary For the Bible Tells Me So directed by Danial G. Karslake many biblical scholars argue that the denial of human rights to gay and lesbians by the Church is not supported by the bible. This film can be found on Netflix and examines conservative Christian families’ experiences with homosexuality and homophobia. These families each consisted of a child who came out as being gay as an adult including Gene Robinson who became the first gay bishop of the Episcopal Church. The documentary provides an interesting opportunity to see each family’s reaction and how their lives and beliefs were changed while examining the texts often used to support the condemnation of homosexuality. In this cartoon excerpt from For the Bible Tells Me So, Karslake examines whether or not this lifestyle is a choice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYMjXucTFaM

In this clip, science and faith are both used to examine the issues surrounding homosexuality. It reinforces the statement that neither science nor faith aim to disprove the other. In the film as a whole, both Biblical texts and scientific study are used to support Karslake’s stance against the discrimination of homosexuals. He especially aims to reach those who use religion to support this judgment. I believe that this film not only promotes acceptance of homosexuality, but also provides an opportunity to see both the more liberal and conservative sides of Christianity. In a world more concerned with overpopulation than maintaining the existence of a select group, these views against homosexuality are outdated and should be reconsidered.