by Chris Bodenner
Evangelical leaders are up in arms over Newsweek‘s cover story examining "the religious case for gay marriage":
In addition to contesting Newsweek’s specific scriptural arguments, some social conservatives took issue with the basic premise of the magazine’s story: that conservative opposition to same-sex marriage is based on specific biblical instructions. "I see it as an attempt to caricature and reduce to a cartoon the social conservative belief in the efficacy of traditional marriage, and try to reduce it to some formulaic, scriptural literalism," said Ralph Reed…. "There’s more of a practical, sociological foundation for why we seek to affirm marriage…."
Richard Land takes the same tack:
“The arguments that are used are often not biblical arguments. They are secular arguments, arguing about marriage as being a civic and a social institution, and that societies have a right to define marriage,” Land said. Broadening the definition of marriage could “shatter” the social role married couples have traditionally played, he said.
I’m with editor Jon Meacham:
"Let the letters and emails come. History and demographics are on the side of those who favor inclusion over exclusion."
The Dish 