Trouble in Paradise?

As we watch the controversy unfold over Montgomery County's sex-education curriculum, one thing becomes obvious: the religious right is monolithic. Somehow, through their newsletters and sermons, their TV evangelists and their radio preachers and talk-show hosts, they get the word around, and all of a sudden all of them are saying the exact same thing. It's eerie.

But the Denver Post is suggesting today that there may be a storm developing in the upper hypocritosphere over the topic of gay marriage.

What was envisioned as a broad coalition coming together to put a constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage on the Colorado ballot next fall is divided over what exactly the measure should say.

According to sources involved in the discussions, the influential Colorado Springs evangelical Christian group Focus on the Family is pressing for a measure that would ban not only gay marriage but also same-sex civil unions or domestic partnerships.

But other potential backers of an amendment - including the state's three Roman Catholic bishops - prefer a narrower, potentially less divisive ballot measure that would simply define marriage as between one man and one woman, sources said.

Another key player, the Rev. Ted Haggard of Colorado Springs, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said Thursday that he stands with the Catholic position.

He said the institution of marriage deserves constitutional protection and that civil unions are a matter for the state legislature. Push to nix gay nuptials begins: But groups not all on same page

You can see that there should not be disagreement. I mean, it would be a cruel joke if God, who of course does speak directly to these big-shots, said one thing to one guy and something different to the other one. (Which keeps reminding me of a really terrific Randy Newman song)

This Haggard character, by the way, is a force to reckon with. He has a 9,000-member congregation in Colorado Springs, and is the President of the National Association of Evangelicals. So when he sides with the Catholics against somebody like James Dobson, this is a big deal. Course, he's playing it down.

Haggard characterized the debate as a healthy dialogue that is part of consensus building, pointing out that disagreements also arose over the wording of a proposed federal constitutional amendment barring gay marriage before a united front prevailed among conservatives.

"This is normal," Haggard said. "The Catholics and evangelicals agree that marriage is a sacred institution that should be protected. The only discussion is about how far this particular initiative should go."

Even so, the divide poses a challenge to Focus on the Family, which confirmed in February that it was the catalyst for getting the gay marriage amendment discussion started but insisted it would be taking part in a broad coalition, not leading the charge. Officials with the Christian ministry declined to comment Thursday.

It looks to me like the argument is about whether they hate gay people, or really really hate gay people. I mean -- think about the logic that leads you to propose a law that says that some people can't marry the person they love.

And look at them. The "institution of marriage deserves constitutional protection?" Wha? Will somebody please explain to me, exactly what is going to happen to the institution of marriage? Boys and girls will stop falling in love with each other, they won't want to live all their years together and start families and bounce little Junior on their knee? Because two guys got married? Huh?

Listen -- that's crazy. Good ol' heterosexual love will continue to blossom whether Adam and Steve get hitched or not. To pretend that marriage and "the family" are threatened because some small percentage of people fall in love with someone with the same plumbing as theirs is ... it's a hoax.

Anyway, these guys seem to differ on the degree to which they should impose their bizarre values on people who don't want them. That's a start, I guess.