Great literature focuses largely on love or hate.
Who among us doesn't want to love or be loved? Who among us is blind to the hate in the world?
That's why we celebrate love. We feel joy when people marry or celebrate anniversaries. For a brief moment, we're able to set aside the hate that steals innocent lives or batters at our fundamental belief that each of us is equal to all others.
History demonstrates how hate allowed the extermination of tribes of American Indians, the enslaving of Africans, the elimination of European Jews. We hang our heads in embarrassment at these acts of hate.
Yet, we continue to allow hatred to deny basic rights to those who would love a person of the same sex. Most states, including ours, deny gay people the right to marry who they love. A Pennsylvania senator wants to change that.
Sen. Daylin Leach, D-Montgomery County, said he will introduce a bill that would establish full and equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.
Leach's bill wouldn't force churches or clergy to perform or recognize any marriage, but it would give gay couples the right to marriage licenses and grant full legal recognition to their unions.
It seems pretty straightforward. Two people in love could declare they are a couple, with all the celebration and ensuing rights of any other couple.
When a man and a woman marry, they don't need a church or a member of the clergy, so the bill isn't breaking new ground there.
And the argument that would deny marriage to homosexuals because they can't have children the old-fashioned way doesn't hold up. If you carry it forward, marriage would be denied to the infertile or to those either too old or with no intention to have children.
Still, there are those who try.
Leach's announcement came on the heels of an effort by state Sen. John Eichelberger, R-Blair, who wants to strengthen the state's Defense of Marriage Act, which allows marriage only between one man and one woman.
Eichelberger said his bill would amend the state constitution, making it more difficult for any court to overturn the 1996 law.
It seems to me that a lot of those who agree with Eichelberger and oppose Leach find their backbone in biblical quotes.
I think these folks are missing two main points. First, they can believe whatever they want. No one is forcing them to marry anyone or even to celebrate someone's marriage. Second, this country was founded on religious freedom. It bothers me when someone uses their religion to intrude on another person's rights.
We're slow to realize this. So far, only Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa have legalized gay and lesbian marriage. Laws in Vermont and Maine take effect in September.
Meanwhile, the California Supreme Court recently upheld that state's law to ban gay marriages, but the court allowed the continuation of 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place before the ban was enacted.
When viewed as great literature, the Bible is filled with stories of love and hate. But its main lesson, I believe, is to love my neighbor.
Who am I to decide who my neighbor can love?
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