(edit because I'm dumb and forgot to preview)
Personally, as a Christian, I do note vote *against* Gay marriage. I wouldn't for *for* it either, though. I view homosexuality as the Bible does, as sin. I also happen to see that the Bible points out *a lot* of things as sin, like lying and adultery, and that there is little value to singling out Gay people as being some kind of "super" sinners. We've all fallen short and, while homosexuality has a much bigger "gross" factor to the rest of us, it doesn't make it legitimate grounds for demonizing folk.
Whether or not you are demonizing homosexuals, the simple fact is that they are being treated differently than all the other sinners. Sure, we're all sinners in the eyes of the Lord, great, but all those other sinners can still be married. If gays aren't super sinners, as you put it, why are they singled out in this regard? You state that you don't support gay marriage without addressing this simple disconnect. And whether or not I agree with his argument that this leads to an implicit sanctioning of their bullying or whatever other mistreatment, that kind of renders the rest of your argument rather academic.
A question: Do you "support" atheist marriage? Interfaith marriage? Divorce and remarriage? All are legal, all go against Christian and/or traditional ideas about marriage, and yet there's no "Christian" movement to deny marriage rights to atheists or people marrying outside their respective faiths or people divorcing and remarrying. Why the hell not?
Personally, as a Christian, I do note vote *against* Gay marriage. I wouldn't for *for* it either, though. I view homosexuality as the Bible does, as sin. I also happen to see that the Bible points out *a lot* of things as sin, like lying and adultery, and that there is little value to singling out Gay people as being some kind of "super" sinners. We've all fallen short and, while homosexuality has a much bigger "gross" factor to the rest of us, it doesn't make it legitimate grounds for demonizing folk.
Whether or not you are demonizing homosexuals, the simple fact is that they are being treated differently than all the other sinners. Sure, we're all sinners in the eyes of the Lord, great, but all those other sinners can still be married. If gays aren't super sinners, as you put it, why are they singled out in this regard? You state that you don't support gay marriage without addressing this simple disconnect. And whether or not I agree with his argument that this leads to an implicit sanctioning of their bullying or whatever other mistreatment, that kind of renders the rest of your argument rather academic.
Gays can get married under both secular and Church law to all the same people they could if they were straight. Likewise, just because I'm straight doesn't make gay sex OK in the eyes of the Church, it just means it holds no appeal for me. It LOOKS different when you're affected by it, but ultimately I don't see it any differently than saying, "My best friend married my ex-girlfriend and now God and the law say I can't; WHY DO THEY PERSECUTE ME?!!! " The same rules apply to everyone, but the particular form that takes will vary with the person and their actions.
At the risk of re-opening another can of worms, I'll just note in passing that there's no explicit prohibition on two men being in love or even living together as domestic partners or whatever: They just can't have sex with each other any more than they could if they were just roommates. That leads us back to how important ones sexual gratification is relative to ones faith, but it's not really about sexual orientation at all (ask any preachers daughter who's been to Prom.... )
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Love the Sinner
13/10/2010 04:07:28 PM
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I have to think about that for a while.
13/10/2010 04:30:56 PM
- 713 Views
Suicide is significantly higher in young gay populations
13/10/2010 05:36:01 PM
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That is not what I think requires thought
13/10/2010 05:56:06 PM
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Nossy I ain't a mind reader, no matter how I try or how much I would do Jean Grey
13/10/2010 06:06:42 PM
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ok now show that it caused by what Christian beliefs *NM*
13/10/2010 06:50:32 PM
- 340 Views
I don't think it's the belief's themselves
14/10/2010 12:20:01 AM
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The churches who encourage people to bully gays should be condemned
14/10/2010 06:43:06 PM
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Ah, that Ghandi quote sure does get around. (which is funny, since he wasn't a Christian)
13/10/2010 05:07:42 PM
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I'm not sure that is true
13/10/2010 05:16:30 PM
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When's the last time you heard the quote attributed to anyone else?
13/10/2010 08:34:10 PM
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That many people don't know the correct origin doesn't change it though
13/10/2010 09:31:13 PM
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I think you are missing his point
13/10/2010 05:45:45 PM
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Question (and this one actually is asking for information )...
13/10/2010 06:42:17 PM
- 572 Views
I have seen gays be bullied before
13/10/2010 07:02:35 PM
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You just didn't listen to a thing I said *NM*
13/10/2010 07:09:29 PM
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why do you believe that? Because I don't agree with what you said?
13/10/2010 07:30:27 PM
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I said you aren't listening to a thing I said, for you didn't respond to anything that I wrote
13/10/2010 07:52:50 PM
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you are not interested in talking to anyone who doesn't agree with you
13/10/2010 09:01:03 PM
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I think there's truth in this as well.
13/10/2010 07:55:00 PM
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churches tend to refelect society as much if not more then they influence it
14/10/2010 07:15:35 PM
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Re: I think you are missing his point
13/10/2010 08:30:42 PM
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Re: I think you are missing his point
13/10/2010 09:55:52 PM
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Re: I think you are missing his point
14/10/2010 03:49:14 PM
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Actually you can very much debate whether homosexuality is a sin on a textual level
14/10/2010 05:49:22 PM
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Re: Actually you can very much debate whether homosexuality is a sin on a textual level
14/10/2010 08:52:24 PM
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Do you know greek or hebrew?
14/10/2010 08:57:32 PM
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I know a few words here and there, but not really. Do you?
14/10/2010 10:46:36 PM
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There's a good case on both sides (try Strong's Concordance, if you haven't, btw. )
15/10/2010 05:09:21 AM
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You're kind of sidestepping a large part of his point
13/10/2010 05:51:53 PM
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so should Christians abandon other religious conviction to stop bullying?
13/10/2010 07:39:54 PM
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That seems a little myopic to me.
14/10/2010 09:16:27 AM
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Many good points there; I think I'll let you play Defender of the Faith for a bit.
14/10/2010 08:50:23 AM
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I think he is jackass that does not believe other's can have apoint of view
13/10/2010 06:48:12 PM
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That's right, bullying would go away if we didn't have Christians to make moral judgements on things
13/10/2010 08:11:27 PM
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I mostly agree
13/10/2010 08:19:00 PM
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most of the bullies I remember from school were not known for their regular church attendance
14/10/2010 07:24:06 PM
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Let me see if I can understand where we agree, it is hard to do with all the Sarcasm
13/10/2010 08:48:38 PM
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Meh. He's not entirely incorrect. But not all Christians are anti-gay.
13/10/2010 08:43:04 PM
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It is better to be a Tolkein than a Token
13/10/2010 08:52:09 PM
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If I were a Tolkien liberal Christian, wouldn't that make me an American Roman Catholic? *NM*
13/10/2010 09:18:57 PM
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Interesting
13/10/2010 08:56:46 PM
- 997 Views
His first three sentences were totally unecessary. The rest is conspiracy-laden nonsense.
14/10/2010 12:37:06 AM
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Re:
14/10/2010 03:06:36 AM
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I think Chora has dibs on that bumper sticker.
14/10/2010 09:35:02 AM
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Re:
14/10/2010 11:50:04 PM
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It's nothing at all like cultural relativism.
15/10/2010 01:16:10 AM
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I don't think there is any question...
14/10/2010 04:42:45 AM
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A lot of Christian doctrine states that people cannot know who is worthy of God and it's not up to
14/10/2010 05:41:19 AM
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I think he's reading a lot of things into that letter that aren't there.
14/10/2010 08:22:13 AM
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