A state lawmaker in Colorado, arguing against a gay-rights bill, equated homosexuality with murder and with "all sorts of sin" like adultery, which he seems to think is against the law.
"I'm not saying this (homosexuality) is the only sin that's out there," said Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley. "We have murder. We have all sorts of sin. We have adultery. And we don't make laws making those legal, and we would never think to make murder legal."Leaving aside the appalling comparison between same-gender sexual attraction and murder, Sen. Renfroe is obviously and embarrassingly confused about the difference between a sin and a crime. While one can argue that most if not all crimes are sinful, all sins are certainly not crimes. Many of them are perfectly legal. Adultery is one of those. It is a bad, destructive, dishonest thing to do, but cheating on your spouse is not a criminal act.
Other Republicans said the bill, which would allow partners of gay state employees to be covered by health care benefits, is an attempt by Democrats to chip away at a constitutional amendment voters passed in 2006 defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
Of course, if Sen. Renfroe believes adultery should be against the law in Colorado, I would challenge him to submit legislation to make it so. I suspect he would have an easier time passing legislation making gay marriage not just legal, but mandatory.
[h/t ThinkProgress]
