Freedom to Marry Day Protest Planned

[BuckNaked]

It has be suggested earlier that religious groups should be prohibited from performing marriages and this should be a civil matter only. I was suggesting that that would only increase resistance to change and that the status quo should exist for who could perform marriages but all who currently can perform the act should be allowed to do so for same sex marriages also. There should be no compulsion on any religion to perform same sex marriages as there must be freedom of religious expression within their own groups, however I believe that within a reasonable timescale you would see a number of them changing their policies.

OK, got it, thanks for the clarification.

 

[wvrevy]

Exactly...If a homosexual wants to attend a church with bigotted policies, then they will have to comply with that organization's policies if they want to be married in that church. The government has no business dictating to religions - ANY religions - what they can or cannot do.

Hmm...that's an interesting question, right there. Since the "defenders" of heterosexual marriage say that it is a religious issue, how do they respond to those religions that sanction same-sex marriage? I know that there are several christian denominations that have risen above the bigotry to perform "commitment ceremonies" and such for same-sex couples. Isn't it just as wrong for the government to tell them that they can't practice marriage as their religion dictates? Just a thought...

As for the rest of this...I've made my views on same-sex marriage - and those opposed to it - pretty clear on here before, so no real need to do so again.

 

[BuckNaked]

Hmm...that's an interesting question, right there. Since the "defenders" of heterosexual marriage say that it is a religious issue, how do they respond to those religions that sanction same-sex marriage?

Currently, no church, on its own, can determine what does or doesn't constitute a legal marriage - only the state can do that. Once the state approves, a church can certainly perform the ceremony, but absent a state-issued license, it won't be legal, be it hetero- or homosexual couples.

 

[jimmiej]

When Religion Loses Its Credibility
By Oliver "Buzz" Thomas


For those who have lingering doubts, dust off your Bibles and take a few hours to reacquaint yourself with the teachings of Jesus. You won't find a single reference to homosexuality. There are teachings on money, lust, revenge, divorce, fasting and a thousand other subjects, but there is nothing on homosexuality. Strange, don't you think, if being gay were such a moral threat?
On the other hand, Jesus spent a lot of time talking about how we should treat others. First, he made clear it is not our role to judge. It is God's. ("Judge not lest you be judged." Matthew 7:1) And, second, he commanded us to love other people as we love ourselves.

Jesus did talk about marriage though.

Mark 10

6"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

A cover to cover reading of the Bible will give you the strong impression that God created marriage to be one man/one woman. Mankind has done a good job of messing it up, though.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I struggle with this issue. On one hand, I should not judge others & as an American, do I have the right to deny someone's happiness? On the flip side, I believe the Bible is clear homosexual acts are sinful. Would Christ look favorably upon me (and in a larger sense, America) giving my stamp of approval on gay marriage? I'm glad it hasn't come to a vote yet here in Texas.

 

[Laura]

Jesus did talk about marriage though.

Mark 10

6"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

A cover to cover reading of the Bible will give you the strong impression that God created marriage to be one man/one woman. Mankind has done a good job of messing it up, though.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I struggle with this issue. On one hand, I should not judge others & as an American, do I have the right to deny someone's happiness? On the flip side, I believe the Bible is clear homosexual acts are sinful. Would Christ look favorably upon me (and in a larger sense, America) giving my stamp of approval on gay marriage? I'm glad it hasn't come to a vote yet here in Texas.

Jesus was speaking against divorce in that bit. Maybe he'd be okay with gays divorcing, but not heteros?

So tell me why do some Christian churches allow divorce?

 

[MassJester]

Jesus did talk about marriage though.

Mark 10

6"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Given this last part, shouldn't divorce be at least as serious a blasphemy? I mean, two guys getting hitched seems prohibit by inference, but the prohibition against divorce seems quite explicit?

Where are the consitutional ammendments to ban divorce? The protests? The judgmental statements?

I can't help but believe it has much less to do about God, and much more to do about people's sexual insecurities.

 

[RickinNYC]

Jesus was speaking against divorce in that bit. Maybe he'd be okay with gays divorcing, but not heteros?

So tell me why do some Christian churches allow divorce?

Because divorce is not considered icky.

And 50% of the heterosexual population have done it. So it must be ok.

 

[BuckNaked]

Because divorce is not considered icky.

Speaking of which, have you found my replacement husband yet?

 

[RickinNYC]

Speaking of which, have you found my replacement husband yet?

I'm working it on it. Do not rush me Aunt Bea or you'll be sorry what I dig up.

 

[Uncle Remus]

The reality is the generations that are following do NOT have the same visceral reaction to gay marriage or gay people in general. Within 10-20 years, laws against gay marriage will seem as offensive as the Jim Crow laws of 50 years ago.

The world is changing.

Let us pray!

 

[cardaway]

It has be suggested earlier that religious groups should be prohibited from performing marriages and this should be a civil matter only. I was suggesting that that would only increase resistance to change and that the status quo should exist for who could perform marriages but all who currently can perform the act should be allowed to do so for same sex marriages also. There should be no compulsion on any religion to perform same sex marriages as there must be freedom of religious expression within their own groups, however I believe that within a reasonable timescale you would see a number of them changing their policies.

Actuallu there is quite a difference between what others posted and the way you read it.

I believe what people, including me, were posting is that the church marriages should no longer be legally binding. That each persion should have to get a civil union, and those that wanted to, could supplement that with a religious ceremony.

The key point being that in the future it would be the civil unions that were legally recognized, not the relgious ceremony.

 

[MassJester]

Speaking of which, have you found my replacement husband yet?

You should have kept better track of the last one. What, do you think they grow on trees?

 

[BuckNaked]

You should have kept better track of the last one. What, do you think they grow on trees?

Oh, I know where he is, but his warranty is just about up, and I don't want there to be a "gap in coverage", if you know what I mean.

 

[cardaway]

A cover to cover reading of the Bible will give you the strong impression that God created marriage to be one man/one woman. Mankind has done a good job of messing it up, though.

If you want to live in a place where the government is controlled by one religion, you are in the wrong place.

Is that what you want? Our country to be run like those you have called the enemy?

 

[Fitswimmer]

Jesus did talk about marriage though.

Mark 10

6"But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 7'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

A cover to cover reading of the Bible will give you the strong impression that God created marriage to be one man/one woman. Mankind has done a good job of messing it up, though.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I struggle with this issue. On one hand, I should not judge others & as an American, do I have the right to deny someone's happiness? On the flip side, I believe the Bible is clear homosexual acts are sinful. Would Christ look favorably upon me (and in a larger sense, America) giving my stamp of approval on gay marriage? I'm glad it hasn't come to a vote yet here in Texas.

I struggled with it for a long time too, I can really appreciate where you are.

I do NOT want the government involved in religion. I don't want them telling me how, when, where and who I will worship. I don't want the government proclaiming what is a sin and what isn't. Maybe this week I'll agree with what they're saying, but that won't always be the case. Once you let the government in, you'll NEVER get them out.
If I want the government out of religion, then I feel I must accept the converse and keep religion out of government.

 

[Laura]

Because divorce is not considered icky.

And 50% of the heterosexual population have done it. So it must be ok.

But I'm really serious. I was raised Catholic, and there's no divorcing there. So I don't know the scriptural basis for approving it among the Protestants, except that it's generally situational.

Jesus says:

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
Matthew 5:31-32

 

[BuckNaked]

If you want to live in a place where the government is controlled by one religion, you are in the wrong place.

Religious denominations can't even control their own (including my denomination), so I'm not sure how we're going to be able to control everyone else.

 

[RickinNYC]

Religious denominations can't even control their own (including my denomination), so I'm not sure how we're going to be able to control everyone else.

Only denominations I'm interested in come in 10's and 20's.

Now where's that little fiat?

 

[Laura]

Now where's that little fiat?

 

[RickinNYC]

THAT's a fiat? It looks like a pregnant roller skate.