On Being Blog

The Future of Marriage ~ In the Room with Jonathan Rauch and David Blankenhorn (live video)

when: Wed. Oct. 10th, 2012 (12pm CT/1pm ET)
where: The Humphrey Institute, Minneapolis

Read and participate online here:

As our civilization struggles with how to define marriage, Krista will be talking with two leaders who have been on two sides of the gay marriage debate and see a way beyond acrimony.

Redefining the definition of marriage is a monumental cultural transition. But we’ve reduced our public deliberation of this matter — even inside our religious institutions — to a matter of votes and laws. The reality is, even one-third of Democrats still express opposition to gay marriage. But younger people of every political and moral persuasion are coming to a collective comfort level and consensus.

Jonathan Rauch is a gay man and gay marriage advocate who respects the values and concerns of social conservatives and wants them taken seriously. David Blankenhorn is a self-identified liberal Democrat and long-time family and marriage advocate, who testified for gay marriage opponents during California’s Prop. 8 ballot initiative. But he has recently withdrawn his legal opposition to gay marriage, acknowledging the emerging moral consensus. They have developed a friendship that has surprised and changed them both.

We’ll listen in on their common struggle to respond compassionately to both sides of our human and civilizational encounter with same-sex union, and to discuss it in terms of civil society and a pro-family agenda.

We’ll be live streaming this dialogue. Watch along and participate in the dialogue taking place online!

For those of you who can’t make it, not to worry. We’re live-tweeting at @Beingtweets (hash tag is #ccp2012).

Please be part of this. Submit questions to our guests, and participate in our live video stream.