The civil union and marriage ban denies marriage rights to gay couples and bars civil unions for all couples, whether gay or straight. Same-sex marriage is already illegal in Wisconsin, and this ban further endangers legal protections for all unmarried couples.

When deciding how to vote on the ban and contemplating my religious beliefs, I cannot help but ask, "What would Jesus do?" It has become such a clichAc saying, but is still a valid and critical question that as Christians we should ask ourselves.

Jesus reached out to and loved all people, no matter who they were or what they had done. Jesus had some harsh words for those who thought they had a corner on the truth. Would Jesus agree to write discrimination into the Wisconsin state constitution? Would Jesus deny rights to loving and committed couples?

In the Gospel, Jesus was advocating love and respect for one another. Many Wisconsin Christians have already come out against the ban. Three regional synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, three presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church, the statewide United Methodist Conference and the United Church of Christ have all come out against the ban. These groups against the ban are following the teachings of Jesus in the Gospel.

When you ask, "What would Jesus do," remember Matthew 22: 37-39. Jesus would love his neighbors: gay, lesbian and straight.

Join me in voting "No" on Nov. 7.

Vogel is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences.