The Right Side of History?

From this morning's Washington Times:

The United Church of Christ's endorsement of homosexual "marriage" -- a lone stance among the largest Christian denominations -- has stirred debate and divided dozens of its churches. Some have stopped sending money to the church's national office; others have left the denomination.

A prime example occurred last month at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Toledo, Ohio, where, after the last votes were counted, some members applauded the decision to end their 45-year affiliation with the denomination. Others wiped away tears and walked out in protest.

"It has caused people to really think hard about their faith," said the Rev. Stephen Camp, administrator of the UCC's Southern Conference, which includes eastern Virginia.

"I think we're on the right side of history," said Mr. Camp, who backs the denomination's position. "We're seeking to be faithful to what Jesus Christ is saying, that we should all be one."

That last statement--"the right side of history"--grabbed me. I appreciate that he says "I think we're on the right side," as opposed to "We are on the right side of history" (which I've seen). But the mere idea of claiming the historical high ground is remarkably hubristic. The right side of history? Has he sat back and contemplated history, going back 7,000 years to the dawn of historical time? The sheer weight of it should humble a person, invoking a sense of awe rather than a potential statement of fact, especially when that statement of fact is based on a few years of homosexual activism. The idea of "homosexual rights" has been around for about a half of one percent of historical time, starting historical time at 5,000 BC and starting homosexual rights activism in the 1960s. If you start history at the dawn of Christianity, it's been around for about 2%. Such figures can't by themselves defeat the argument in favor of the homosexuals, but it should give people who claim the historical moment severe pause.