Maybe you’ve heard it on the radio. Or maybe you saw Ellen Degeneres laud the singers of “Same Love” as her “heroes” for being the first hip-hop musicians to speak out in favor of gay marriage. Or maybe you’re new to the game and only heard about the song “Same Love” after Macklemore and Ryan Lewis performed the hit on Sunday Night’s MTV Video Music Awards.

“Same Love” was originally released back in February, but only made it to number 89 on the top 100 charts back then, but the song rose in popularity after the SCOTUS decisions on gay marriage back in June.

I heard “Same Love” month’s ago when it was first released and was captivated by the smooth vocals of the female singer in the chorus. She sings,

“I can’t change, even if I try… even if I wanted to. My love, my love, my love… She keeps me warm.”

I know what you’re thinking. How could I hear a female singing those lyrics and not think something was up? Well, I guess I thought it was one of those songs that was written for a man, but sounded better with a woman’s voice? Or maybe the girl accidentally put a “sh” in front of “he”?

Nevertheless, I caught the ear worm from this song and couldn’t get it out of my head. I had to listen to it every time it came on the radio and sang along.

Then one day, shortly after I had been standing up for traditional marriage on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court in June, I was singing along to the song and it hit me. “Wait, is this… What?!? I’ve been singing along to an anthem for gay marriage?”



*The awkward moment when you realize the song you’ve been singing along to is an anthem to gay marriage.*

First of all, I guess I should stop being a hypocrite and stop singing along to a song supporting something that I’ve been standing up against. But, the major issue that I have with the song is not that it’s an anthem for gay marriage, in fact that has very little to do with it.

While there are many issues that I have with the song, and you will too if you take a few minutes to listen to the lyrics, the main issue that I have with the song is it is completely hypocritical and it attacks our faith and the same freedom that the song claims to support. Let me explain.

Since this is a Catholic blog site, let’s start with Catholicism. One of the most upsetting parts of the song, the video, and Macklemore’s MTV VMA’s appearance this week, occurs during this part of the song:

“When I was at church they taught me something else. If you preach hate at the service those words aren’t anointed. That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned.”

The video follows a gay man, and when it get’s to the words “preach hate”, it shows the man’s mother making the sign of the cross. Then, at the VMA’s Macklemore makes the sign of the cross as he sings into the words “preach hate”. Why is it necessary to bring the “Catholic” sign of the cross into this at all? And even more importantly, why must it be attached to the words “preach hate”? I have been Catholic my whole life and I have never heard any words of hate against homosexuals or people who believe in gay marriage from the Church or anyone who represents the Church.

Macklemore goes on and claims that traditional marriage supporters “paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago”. When in reality, Macklemore is the one who is paraphrasing the Bible and trying to break it down in ways to support his message. Catholics believe in the unity of scripture, so we actually don’t have an issue with paraphrasing the Bible. Maybe Macklemore should spend some time at a Catholic Church, he might like it.

Catholics are all about love thy neighbor and unity of Scripture.

Macklemore is quick to play the blame game and claim that the Church and traditional marriage supporters are the hateful ones. When in fact, traditional marriage supporters are under the most (and worst) attacks in the world today. The song goes,

“If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me. Have you read the YouTube comments lately? “Man, that’s gay” gets dropped on the daily. We become so numb to what we’re saying.”

Obviously Macklemore has never been on Twitter and watched the attacks against marriage advocates.

The vitriolic attacks against traditional marriage advocates are a million times worse than the attacks against gay marriage advocates. I get attacked constantly simply because my friends and I are outspoken marriage advocates in the public eye.

And maybe Macklemore should see the hate mail (or worse) that groups like the National Organization for Marriage receive on a daily basis. And what attacks like the gunman who sought to kill members of the Family Research Council, simply because they were vocal supporters of traditional marriage.

The song continues with references to bullying, more attacks on religion, and even more claims that traditional marriage supporters are hateful. Macklemore also asserts that the same-sex marriage movement is the present day civil rights movement. The song continues,

“Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment. The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins. It’s human rights for everybody, there is no difference!”

In the video, this part of the song is played during footage of Martin Luther King and the civil rights protests. Comparing the same-sex marriage movement to the civil rights movement is appalling. There are so many issues with this, but I’ll just leave you in disgust on that point.

“Same Love” attacks traditional marriage supporters and calls us “haters” while hating on us. The song attacks the Church and conservatives for standing up for our beliefs, and claims we’re oppressors while striving to oppress us.

The truth is, the Catholic Church and traditional marriage supporters everywhere are all about love. There is no hate in the Church or in the marriage movement towards anyone who disagrees with us. We’re just standing up for what we believe in and striving to do it in the most loving of ways.

Now, I’m just hoping that Eminem steps in to do the heterosexual version of “Same Love”, and it can be our anthem for the traditional marriage movement.