More Corporations Promote Same-Sex Marriage. Does Anyone Care?
The 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision to extend legal marriage rights to same-sex couples was a legal loss for social conservatives. It was the latest of many cultural losses on marriage.
It seems every month brings news of further losses in its wake. This month, Jared’s and Macy’s threw same-sex “marriage” in America’s face. Few seemed to care.
What Did Jared Do?
Jewel company Jared released several “Dare”-themed ads on November 8. One criticized by authors at The Federalist and The Washington Examiner showed a woman asking a man to marry her.
This “Dare to Ask Him” ad broke norms, but it didn’t endorse moral wrong. Meanwhile, there was little complaint about two ads which endorsed same-sex sexual relationships. One 15-second ad was titled “Dare to Make a Scene.” That ad was included in a longer ad called “Dare to be Devoted.” Both show two men at a nightclub singing onstage. One of the men asks the other to “marry” him. The men hug in joy in front of a crowd.
The reverse-engagement ad drew 8,235 views by November 22. The “Devoted” ad had 122,800 as of the same date, while the “Scene” ad drew 460,373 views. For those counting, that’s over 583,000 views versus slightly more than 8,000 views.
What About Macy’s?
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade included a same-sex couple kissing on-camera. This “first” drew a lot of praise from LGBT advocates. Via The Hill:
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade was praised on social media Thursday after two women were broadcast kissing in what is believed to be the first same-sex kiss shown on-air during the annual event.
Actresses Isabelle McCalla and Caitlin Kinnunen, who star in the Broadway musical “The Prom,” shared the kiss at the end of a televised performance of one of the show’s musical numbers.
The moment was praised by LGBTQ activists and other supporters of gay rights on Twitter, who called it an important moment of representation for gay youths.
The response to this kiss — which was shown in front of millions of families — drew a modest reaction from social conservatives. The first page of a Google search for the terms “conservative Macy’s kiss” on Monday morning brought up Mission America’s op-ed republished. A statement by For America showed up because it was hammered at liberal websites. Finally, a pro-same-sex “marriage” site linked to Fox News columnist Todd Starnes’ article criticizing the event. Starnes linked to a piece at The American Conservative.
That seems to be it. Just a handful of modestly influential conservative voices. For an issue that was top-tier for conservatives just three-and-a-half years ago, that’s a significant drop-off. And just as Jared clearly doesn’t fear a backlash, nor does Macy’s seem intimidated by any negative reactions.
Missing in Action
The reason is simple: Social conservatives are mostly missing in action. While most Americans identify as Christian and one in three identify as socially conservative, the latter hasn’t influenced the wider culture. Approximately two-thirds of Americans back same-sex couples “marrying.” And young Christians tend to support the new legal definition of marriage.
Even many who oppose it aren’t going to bat. Catholic Bishop Robert Barron told same-sex attracted liberal activist Dave Rubin this last year. President Donald Trump said the same thing. So has Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
All of this is contrary to what Jesus and first-generation Christians established as relational morality. A man cleaves to his wife, not a man. St. Paul expressly condemned same-sex sexual relationships. He also pointed to STIs when he wrote in Romans that “males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.”
Obligation Over Popularity
America has never been as pro-marriage a country as many Christians claim it was. Slavery tore families apart. Interracial marriage was illegal for a century after slavery ended. Abortion has been legal nationwide for 45 years. Contraception has been widely practiced for even longer than abortion.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that same-sex “marriage” has taken root with the public. It’s another attack on what Jesus told us marriage should be.
Social conservatives can’t give up this fight. It’s too important to people’s souls and bodies. We are obligated to stand for objective moral truth especially when it’s unpopular. And let’s be real — if we think we’re under pressure now culturally thanks to Macy’s and Jared’s, and legally through so-called “non-discrimination” laws, wait five years. We won’t even have the bastion of our churches if we don’t stand for what’s right.
The reason is simple: Social conservatives are mostly missing in action. While most Americans identify as Christian and one in three identify as socially conservative, the latter hasn’t influenced the wider culture. Approximately two-thirds of Americans back same-sex couples “marrying.” And young Christians tend to support the new legal definition of marriage.
Even many who oppose it aren’t going to bat. Catholic Bishop Robert Barron told same-sex attracted liberal activist Dave Rubin this last year. President Donald Trump said the same thing. So has Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
All of this is contrary to what Jesus and first-generation Christians established as relational morality. A man cleaves to his wife, not a man. St. Paul expressly condemned same-sex sexual relationships. He also pointed to STIs when he wrote in Romans that “males did shameful things with males and thus received in their own persons the due penalty for their perversity.”
Obligation Over Popularity
America has never been as pro-marriage a country as many Christians claim it was. Slavery tore families apart. Interracial marriage was illegal for a century after slavery ended. Abortion has been legal nationwide for 45 years. Contraception has been widely practiced for even longer than abortion.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that same-sex “marriage” has taken root with the public. It’s another attack on what Jesus told us marriage should be.
Social conservatives can’t give up this fight. It’s too important to people’s souls and bodies. We are obligated to stand for objective moral truth especially when it’s unpopular. And let’s be real — if we think we’re under pressure now culturally thanks to Macy’s and Jared’s, and legally through so-called “non-discrimination” laws, wait five years. We won’t even have the bastion of our churches if we don’t stand for what’s right.
