Obama/Biden versus Romney/Ryan?

[yoko]

For me I have a couple gay friends and my favorite teacher from school was gay.

My issue is that for my teacher he doesn't even want to be 'married' he just wants to be legally family so when something goes wrong he can be there for his partner that he loves and cares about just as much as any straight person.

How would anyone here who has been divorced feel if they were dying or their spouse was dying and they were told they couldn't see them or help make any decisions because they weren't a real couple? You may be ok with it but the super conservative people who ARE following what the bible says, says you are a sinner and your 'marriage' is null and void because you screwed up on your first one?

I am a Christian but I had VERY nontraditional Christian influences growing up. And I think the one thing my youth leader told me has been my 'words to live by' pretty much all my life.

'The Bible was written by man and influenced by God. But in the end it was written by man. Even the holiest of the holy man is not God and has his own personal opinions/feelings and views that they put into their writing. That's why we don't worship the Bible. That's why we don't worship the men who put pen to paper to write the Bible. There are many laws and rules that contradict themselves. If you ever feel like the Bible's rules are making you a bad person who is unsympathetic to others and their trials remember what you hold in your hands is an interpretation. Follow the message not the words.'

And while I STRONGLY disagree with puck and sparks interpretation of what the Bible sayss I also STRONGLY disagree with anyone who would put any one else's beliefs down and call them stories, fables or a phase. People's beliefs are incredibly important at a personal level and to put them down just makes you just as bad a person as you perceive them.

[Barbara!]

Originally Posted by Fran101

The New Testament really does not provide any direct guidance for understanding and making judgments about homosexuality in the modern world.

To the extent that it does talk about homosexuality, the New Testament appears to be talking about only certain types of homosexuality, and it speaks on the basis of assumptions about homosexuality that are now regarded as highly dubious. Perhaps, then, we could paraphrase what the New Testament says about homosexuality as follows: If homosexuality is exploitive, then it is wrong; if homosexuality is rooted in idolatry, then it is wrong; if homosexuality represents a denial of one’s own true nature, then it is wrong; if homosexuality is an expression of insatiable lust, then it is wrong. But we could say exactly the same thing about heterosexuality, couldn’t we?

This. This. This, and this.

I like how it was skipped over...

[sparks19]

Neither of us is trying to put anything into law. I am not even allowed to vote in this country lol. Nor are we picketing or telling anyone that God hates them. I don't believe God hates anyone. God hates sin not the sinner. Of course God is better at loving than we are. As an imperfect human being I try to love everyone (not agreeing with something is not equal to hate) but it isn't always easy and I certainly fail A LOT lol. We are all prone to judgemental mindsets.

Loving someone also doesn't mean telling them "its ok" no matter what they do. I certainly don't expect anyone to accept my sin. In The end it absolutely is between that person and God. Personally we have had extensive talks with our pastor about our past and trying to repent for that

There is more I want to add but I can't keep up on this phone while trying to catch up on The walking Dead (lol... I know... Talk about a 180)

Eta: i do believe they should have legal family rights (ie:access in the hospital, etc) but I have also said i believe the government shouldn't be in the marriage business. Get your marriage at the place of your choosing and then file the CONTRACT with the
Government if you choose then the government gets no say on who, how, when, how many, etc

[Laurelin]

How is letting gays marry 'enabling' them? They're going to be gay either way and are probably going to engage in homosexual acts. Being married or not isn't going to have much of a bearing on that aspect.

The religious definition of marriage has no meaning when we're talking what the LEGAL definition should be.

[Shai]

Originally Posted by Laurelin

The religious definition of marriage has no meaning when we're talking what the LEGAL definition should be.

For some reason people get SO tangled up in this. I can't for the life of me figure out why. Kinda makes me wish we had two different words for legally married vs. married in ____ church.

Even my husband was all up in arms over the recognition of same sex marriage until he realized that no one is try to force any religion to recognize same sex marriages. They can continue proclaim those in a same sex marriage are not married in the eyes of their higher power. It's the legal institution of marriage and the rights and responsibilities that go with that legal status which should be available to consenting adults regardless of gender.

[RBark]

I dunno, if some of the stories I've heard about marriage are true, letting gay people marry would lead to less gay sex.

STOP GAY SEX. VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

[sparks19]

Originally Posted by yoko

For me I have a couple gay friends and my favorite teacher from school was gay.

My issue is that for my teacher he doesn't even want to be 'married' he just wants to be legally family so when something goes wrong he can be there for his partner that he loves and cares about just as much as any straight person.

How would anyone here who has been divorced feel if they were dying or their spouse was dying and they were told they couldn't see them or help make any decisions because they weren't a real couple? You may be ok with it but the super conservative people who ARE following what the bible says, says you are a sinner and your 'marriage' is null and void because you screwed up on your first one?

I am a Christian but I had VERY nontraditional Christian influences growing up. And I think the one thing my youth leader told me has been my 'words to live by' pretty much all my life.

'The Bible was written by man and influenced by God. But in the end it was written by man. Even the holiest of the holy man is not God and has his own personal opinions/feelings and views that they put into their writing. That's why we don't worship the Bible. That's why we don't worship the men who put pen to paper to write the Bible. There are many laws and rules that contradict themselves. If you ever feel like the Bible's rules are making you a bad person who is unsympathetic to others and their trials remember what you hold in your hands is an interpretation. Follow the message not the words.'

And while I STRONGLY disagree with puck and sparks interpretation of what the Bible sayss I also STRONGLY disagree with anyone who would put any one else's beliefs down and call them stories, fables or a phase. People's beliefs are incredibly important at a personal level and to put them down just makes you just as bad a person as you perceive them.

This is a good post and I respect your opinions and many of the
Others in this thread.

I don't want anyone to think I have no empathy or no heart or that I HATE anyone just because I don't agree with something. I realize that there are a few who have a strong dislike (maybe even hatred) for us and our opinions but best I can do is try to love them anyway but... I fail a lot lol

Originally Posted by RBark

STOP GAY SEX. VOTE FOR GAY MARRIAGE

I may or may not have snorted upon reading this.

[Greenmagick]

Just came across this.....fits into this thread

In letters to the Democrat-Gazette, Mauch vehemently defended slavery and repeatedly suggested Jesus condoned it:

If slavery were so God-awful, why didn***8217;t Jesus or Paul condemn it, why was it in the Constitution and why wasn***8217;t there a war before 1861?
The South has always stood by the Constitution and limited government. When one attacks the Confederate Battle Flag, he is certainly denouncing these principles of government as well as Christianity.

http://thinkprogress.org/election/20...ul-condemn-it/

[MandyPug]

And now to lighten it up again in here.