Sen. Claire McCaskill Cites Bible While Voicing Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Missouri Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill announced this past weekend her support for same-sex marriage via the social media platform Tumblr, days before the U.S. Supreme Court hears two cases challenging California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.
McCaskill's explanation for why she has chosen to support same-sex marriage was riddled with biblical references to love and acceptance.
The headline to the senator's Tumblr post was a biblical quote from Corinthians 13 which read: "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
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"I have come to the conclusion that our government should not limit the right to marry based on who you love," McCaskill wrote.
The Democratic senator asserted that although she does believe same-sex marriage should be legalized, she also believes exemptions should be implemented for religious institutions.
"While churches should never be required to conduct marriages outside of their religious beliefs, neither should the government tell people who they have a right to marry," McCaskill wrote.
In a similar way to President Barack Obama saying that his view on same-sex marriage "evolved" over time, McCaskill also asserted that she too has changed her opinion on the subject.
"My views on this subject have changed over time, but as many of my gay and lesbian friends, colleagues and staff embrace long-term committed relationships, I find myself unable to look them in the eye without honestly confronting this uncomfortable inequality," McCaskill wrote.
"Supporting marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples is simply the right thing to do for our country, a country founded on the principals (sic) of liberty and equality," she added.
McCaskill is the second U.S. senator this month to come forward in support of same-sex marriage.
Earlier in March, Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio announced that he had reversed his position on the issue after his gay son had come out to him two years prior.
In spite of this recent support, the majority of leading Republican politicians continue to voice their support for marriage as being between one man and one woman.
This week, the Supreme Court will begin hearing two possibly landmark cases regarding same-sex marriage.
The first challenges California's Proposition 8, a voter-approved constitutional amendment which banned same-sex marriage in the state.
The other challenges the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, a 1996 federal law which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.
