Lack of empathy (From The Oxford Times)

Lack of empathy

8:10am Thursday 19th April 2012 in Letters

Sir – The main gist of the arguments of R. Triggs and D. Manley against gay marriage (Letters, April 12), seem to be ‘marriage has always been between a man and a woman and I don’t like the idea’ and ‘gay people can’t reproduce’.

Compelling prejudices these may well be; compelling arguments they are not. For example, many heterosexual couples due to infertility are sadly unable to have children of their own. Are their marriages to be annulled as a result?

‘God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’ is an intelligent design idea derived from an overly literal interpretation of scripture. One of the best ways to examine “what is given” in creation is through biology, and the best people to tell us about natural law are biologists. The reality is far more subtle and far more complex than a literal Garden of Eden.

I sense in the language of many people on the subject of gay marriage, even from my Christian brothers and sisters, a decided lack of empathy and compassion.

The best way to put oneself in another’s shoes is by actively listening to their experiences and their concerns without prejudice.

Daniel Emlyn-Jones, Oxford