Sarah Palin is the most far right, religious candidate, in my lifetime, to have a chance to be president. This impacts many of her viewpoints for instance her desire, as she told James Dobson in a publicized interview, to see a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. None of this letting the states decide.
Why is banning gay marriage so important to christianists? To start, they do not see homosexuality as natural. To them it's a sin. The very idea that people might live normal lives, have marriages, children, be monogamous and also homosexual is an offense. It scares them and they then try to scare everybody else. What is the problem here? Do they think homosexuality is catching? Probably.
Palin and those like her are apparently happier to have gays being promiscuous and having no family life. Actually, that's not true. She thinks they can come to her church, be prayed over and turn heterosexual. It then is their choice if they don't marry someone of the opposite sex and hence not unfair at all.
Unlike abortion which isn't only about religion, the banning of gay marriage is totally about religion. Fear tactics of something happening like Sodom and Gomorrah are used to terrify heterosexual people into making laws to limit the freedoms of those unlike themselves. Do this or god will zap Los Angeles this time-- and what if he misses and gets your city?
In my opinion, in humans we see three reasons people are homosexual or engage in sex with those of their same sex.
The first is from birth. Homosexuality is a natural occurrence in nature in all animals and we are animals. This ruins the theory of those who see homosexuality as about sin. How can an animal sin? Homosexuality can be from birth and totally natural.
Then I think there is no denying that some turn to homosexuality because of early abuse, sexual experiences before they were ready for them. This can lead to a revulsion in the opposite sex and a desire for their own. This probably can be changed through prayer or even counseling if the person so desires; but if they are happy as they are, then why do that. It's all in what works for their lives today.
Then there is the last kind which the Apostle Paul made the most out of when he was writing Romans 1. Out of a decadent lifestyle, out of promiscuity, out of seeing sexuality as all about what feels good (or seems to), some might go in and out of homosexual relationships. There are those who will have sex with anybody and anything. Watch out sheep!
Promiscuity (characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association, esp. having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis) is, in my opinion, not good for anybody. What happened in Sodom and Gomorrah was rape and abuse. Homosexuals should no more defend that kind of behavior than heterosexuals. I also believe children should be protected from sex until they reach adulthood. That men boy love society that is in the homosexual political movement, should be tossed into the garbage with all pedophiles.
Back to the issue. Homosexuals, who are happy as they are, who want to be monogamous (at least serially like heterosexuals), who want families, should have the right and be respected in their choice. This is the foundation of stable communities. There is only one reason they are not and it's religion. It's not about safety or order in society. It's religion!
I know it might not seem like it makes sense to some, since I'm not gay and none of my kids are, but the right for gays to have a marriages like heterosexuals is a very big issue for me. I am hoping California votes down Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage. I was very disappointed when Oregonians voted to ban gay marriage. Oregon. What the heck was that all about where we normally respect the rights of the individual?
From the government's position, two people coming together sexually to form a family is a legal, business contract, not a religious one. The government does not require a religious celebration to make a marriage count; so let's recognize fairness for all of our sakes. From the government's perspective, call all future such contracts (hetero or homo)--civil unions.
Churches should not be forced to allow those marriages in their denominations if they believe it's a sin. Let churches decide which are marriages under their concept of god. The government end of it should not be a religious one.
To me, this is for the kids growing up. It upsets me that some who experience true love don't fit someone else's religious norms and thus are denied openly forming families. This is wrong. For government to recognize gay marriage does NOT hurt heterosexual marriages. The fear, that it does, means religion has stepped over its bounds, something it does a lot-- lately and through history.
[After I wrote this, I thought of two more things I should have added but it was already auto posted. One if there are those who read here who are homosexual, feel free to correct anything I got wrong.
The other is something I personally believe, but not sure it would fit above. I think some people are not born homosexual, weren't abused, haven't lived decadently but they meet a soul mate and that person is of their sex. Because of my belief in reincarnation, which I know all don't believe, I think such souls might meet, and sexually come together again because their soul connection matters more than the sex of the other person. That is definitely personal opinion though as I don't know it.]
9 comments:
I agree with what you've said here totally and wish I could say it as well as you did.
I suspect that people like Palin would just love to implement a state religion -- limited to those cul . . . er . . . ah . . . sects of Christianity that they approve of -- a direct violation of the Constitution. Should that happen I promise you I will lead the revolt.
I certainly agree with everything you have said -- and you've said it very well. As I have never understood racial descrimination, I don't understand the discrimination of homosexuals whatever their reason for being one. In my much younger days I believed that one of the main goals of churchs/religion, in general, was to teach people that we are all the same, that we all deserve being treated with kindness and respect. But over the years I have seen more prejudice, more hatred of anyone "different" coming from churches, pastors and those people who claim to be good "Christians" than anywhere else. To me this is so very disturbing and it only seems to get worse not better. I know this is not true of all Christians or churches, but it seems to me that for the most part they are in the minority.
This is just another reason for enforcing separation of church and state. I have known several gay people in my life and they were all wonderful, moral and upright citizens. One couple lived together happily from the time they were teenagers until one partner died of cancer. No widow or widower ever grieved as hard as the remaining man.
How can granting homosexuals the right to marry possibly hurt married people? There is a large Mormon population here and they are behind this piece of legislation. There is also an initiative on the Arizona ballot limiting gay marriage. I find it repulsive. Strangely enough, they never mention pedophilia, a real danger to society.
I have met homosexuals in the San Francisco Bay Area growing up with a doll artist mother who made display dolls to sell many products from wedding gowns to California peaches. I heard stories of a giving and kind gay librarian who hired my mother as a domestic to cook for her and care for her aging mother enabling my mother to work her way through college at the University of California between 1930 to 1934. I was welcomed to the art community in Bellingham, Washington by a lesbian librarian part time painter. We were neighbors to a gay man who had a tree care business. And I have had my pictures framed by a lesbian who sold out of the business to take care of triplets she had with her partner. My experience is that gays are sensitive and creative people who deserve rights just like the rest of us.
i find this discussion interesting. Currently , there is an appeal pending in the Indian Supreme court that asks to repeal the old law (from British days), defining homosexuality as a "crime". Lots of eminent public figures support this repeal, but its a very touchy isuue with some, and the verdict is awaited.
I favor people's right to be together and whatever it entails legally or otherwise.
I'm not sure I agree with your third position on why someone might be Homosexual....Promiscuity is not confined to Homosexuals....In fact, I don't know the actual numbers, but MOST Pedophiles are Hetrosexuals.....!
And in terms of your second reason:In my many years on this earth, I have known a lot of people who are Gay, I mean, a lot!.....I do not belueve there is one person among those that I know who feels they are Homosexual becasuse of being abused as a child. Everyone of the people I know and have known, feel they were born Homosexual....(And in my view, this is just like the rest of the Animal World...) Also....I shudder to think of the statistics on the number of Hetrosexual people who have NOT been monognomis(?) though married.....Or in a so-called commited relationship...
I have known many Gay couples who were together, in a completly commited relationship for 40, and 45 years...And in two cases, for over 50 years!
I agree that the attitudes about Homosexuality are very much based in Religion and Religious beliefs....It is part of the reason I do not like organized religion. Too many DONT'S that come from a place of so called "sin"....the Biggest "SIN" to me is people judging the way other people live and/or in judging their beliefs, if they differ with their own.
It will be a terrible terrible thing here in California if Prop 8 is passed.....Talk about taking away people's "rights". There have been and continue to be TV Ads from both sides....Diane Feinstein, one of our Senators, has done and Ad asking people to vote NO. My respect for her has gone up because of just this one thing. Many many people have done some really wonderful Ads for NO on Prop 8. And, no surprise, all the Ads for Yes are ALL from the Religious Right. I find this very scary. I do not understand how these people can call themselves Christians. What the hell is the threat here??? I mean how does this effect Hetrosexual Marriage???? OY VEY!
Well, we'll see how this turns out, too.
I do not understand why gay marriage is such an important issue. We have some major problems in this country and we spend so much time and resources fighting over gay marriage and abortion and each of those issues really only affect a small percentage of people.
Now I was irritated this summer when I had to fill out an affidavit that certified that my spouse was a woman and it was not a same sex marriage for tax purposes because California recognizes gay marriage and the Federal government does not. So I see that as one expense and pain for allowing gay marriage, but other than that I do not have a problem with it. Now here they have put a measure on the ballot to make gay marriage illegal again and change the state constitution. Now how much is that going to cost to change the constitution? Again a waste of resources.
Then this weekend I saw a sign on a big fancy church in town that said to "Vote yes on 8 because God did." My first thought was "How the F___ do they know how God voted." That pissed me off so much I have been telling everybody that I know to vote NO on 8.
Good for you, ingineer. :) I think gay marriage has been an issue because so many people can feel righteous by denying someone else a simple right. It's beyond me to understand the why of it.
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