Why is the GOP onboard with homosexual unions? Politicians generally never risk associating themselves with what a majority of citizens consider to be radical—they see doing so as death to their campaign strategy for election or reelection. On the contrary, they tend to stay within the comfortable boundaries of what is considered to be mainstream, ordinary thinking.
By Deacon Frederick Bartels
29 October 2024
The video in the tweet below is unfortunate example of the GOP’s slide into ever-more extreme examples of thwarting the natural moral law.
What has caused these kinds of wrong attitudes? Answer: politics is downstream of culture.
The Influence of Culture on Politics
Politicians generally never risk associating themselves with what a majority of citizens consider to be radical—they see doing so as death to their campaign strategy for election or reelection. On the contrary, they tend to stay within the comfortable boundaries of what is considered to be mainstream, ordinary thinking. This is why polls regarding the views of Americans on topics such as homosexual tendencies, activity, and homosexual unions (or abortion and IVF, as other examples) are key to the positions they take on these issues.
The fact is, a majority of Americans now view homosexual unions (so-called “marriage”) as normal, as a “right” same-sex couples must be afforded to express their love in a lifelong partnership, just as heterosexual couples have. At present, these Americans hold homosexual unions up alongside marriage between a man and a woman.
The Effects of Propaganda
But what is viewed by the majority as normal today was seen as radical—or at least sexually deviant—just a few decades ago. For example, in 2004, Barack Obama opposed same-sex “marriage.” In an interview on Chicago public television during his senate campaign of that same year, he said, “marriage is between a man and a woman.” In 1996, Joe Biden voted for DOMA, a measure barring federal recognition of same-sex “marriage,” and asserted that marriage is between a man and a woman, although he seemed to support same-sex unions and would later provide an impetus for Obama to do the same.
Those examples, of course, are from recent history. As we move further back in time, virtually all Americans would have found the idea of homosexual “marriage” as sinful, absurd, offensive, and dangerous. In fact, prior to 1962, sodomy was a felony crime in every state.
But morally correct attitudes with regard to sodomy, homosexual activity, and marriage would soon change in the wake of a carefully crafted and implemented propaganda scheme.
In 1989, the book After the Ball: How America Will Conquer its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90s was released. The goal of this work was to present a six-point plan for moving the gay agenda forward. The authors, Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen, understood that the minds and hearts of Americans must be swayed, and they put together a careful program to do just that.
Virtuous opponents characterized the book as a “Machiavellian activist” strategy, and an “Orwellian propaganda program.” Its purpose was to transform the beliefs of ordinary Americans vis-à-vis homosexual behavior.
The six-point plan included the following:
- Talk about gays and gayness as loudly and as often as possible: Increase their visibility and discuss homosexual issues in the media. Create empathy and understanding.
- Portray gays as victims, not aggressive challengers: Frame them as victims of injustice and prejudice. Elicit sympathy and support from the public at large.
- Give gay protectors a just cause: The goal is to elicit general public support for the gay cause.
- Make gays look good: Encourage people to portray those who identify as homosexual in a positive light. Highlight their positive contributions to society to counter negative stereotypes.
- Make the victimizers look bad: Expose and condemn anti-gay discrimination and prejudice; shame those who oppose the gay agenda as bigots.
- Get funds from corporate America: Secure financial support from corporations and businesses to sustain and amplify the gay rights movement, leveraging resources and corporate influence to promote acceptance and equality.
The plan outlined in After the Ball was a success. Through the use of the entertainment industry, media, corporate support, along with compliance by teachers and professors in public schools and universities, the attitudes of Americans toward the homosexual lifestyle were transformed. Today, polls indicate that a majority of Americans are okay with homosexual activity and unions.
Why this Cultural Change is Problematic
This change is, of course, a train wreck. Why? Because it corrupts the minds of people, both young and old. It presents as normal what is objectively wrong and in opposition to the moral law. It undermines marriage.
As is so often pointed out, if marriage goes, so too does society. Marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman. Its ends are the unity of the spouses, and the procreation and education of children. Marriage is the original cell of human society. When it is undermined, terrible and lasting negative consequences are the result.
As the CDF (Now DDF) noted in its 2003 document, Considerations Regarding Proposals To Give Legal Recognition To Unions Between Homosexual Persons, Catholics are not allowed to condone same-sex cohabitation or homosexual unions:
“In those situations where homosexual unions have been legally recognized or have been given the legal status and rights belonging to marriage, clear and emphatic opposition is a duty” (5 § 3).
Furthermore, legal recognition of homosexual unions create societal problems and obscure basic sexual moral values:
“The Church teaches that respect for homosexual persons cannot lead in any way to approval of homosexual behaviour or to legal recognition of homosexual unions. The common good requires that laws recognize, promote and protect marriage as the basis of the family, the primary unit of society. Legal recognition of homosexual unions or placing them on the same level as marriage would mean not only the approval of deviant behaviour, with the consequence of making it a model in present-day society, but would also obscure basic values which belong to the common inheritance of humanity. The Church cannot fail to defend these values, for the good of men and women and for the good of society itself” (11).
Defend the Truth
Given the present trajectory, we can be sure things will get much worse before they get better. But what is the solution? Proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Educate people, especially children. Live the Catholic life. Stand in the truth, even at great cost, for as our Lord said: “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Mark 8:36).
As Christians, we must fight with all our strength to once again transform our American culture into an authentically Christian environment. Once that takes place, political leaders will fall in step with the moral law, at least to a much greater degree. Additionally, we must, right now, bring as much pressure to bear as is possible to sway their policy views in the right direction.
Deacon Frederick Bartels is a member of the Catholic clergy who serves the Church in the diocese of Pueblo. He holds an MA in Theology and Educational Ministry, is a member of the theology faculty at Catholic International University, and is a Catholic educator, public speaker, and evangelist who strives to infuse culture with the saving principles of the gospel. For more, visit YouTube, iTunes and Twitter.
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