Fr. Barron on “Gay Marriage” and the Breakdown of Moral Argument

Gay Marriage

With clarity and precision, Fr. Robert Barron comments on our loss of “the capacity even to have a coherent moral conversation,” specifically regarding marriage. He follows philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre who, in his book After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory, noted how our culture no longer has the common background, vocabulary, and logical skills needed to discuss tough moral issues.

Two specific red herrings bother Fr. Barron: accusations of bigotry and affirmative poll results. “Gay marriage” supporters often cite both yet neither helps answer the fundamental question at hand: what is marriage? We can’t talk about equality or discrimination or poll questions until we first determine that answer.

I deal with these same two problems in my article on “The 10 Best Arguments for “Same-Sex Marriage”…and Why They’re Flawed”. Also, see my interview with Princeton law professor and marriage expert Robert George.

 

 

Why do you think we’ve lost the capacity to have moral conversations?