Gay Marriage

[just_peachy]

I am a Christian, and I wholeheartedly believe gay people should be allowed to marry if they choose.

First of all, I don't think being gay is a choice. I think you are born that way. I don't understand how anyone could think that it would be a "choice" to be persecuted in the way that gays are. I have also had several friends that were Christian and gay and hated themselves so much because people told them it was a choice to be gay. But they were born that way, and couldn't change it if they tried. It is a part of themselves from birth, like a skin color, like a gender. And therefore, I believe God created gays in His infinite wisdom. And to Him, they are perfect, though not without sin, and created in His image just like any one of us.

If we are going for scripture, here's one that I base MY faith on:
Matthew 22:36-40

New International Version (NIV)

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Bible, while a very important and meaningful work, is also largely a social and historical commentary on the time it was written, in my opinion. In the time it was written, polygamy was not looked down upon, owning slaves was common, etc. Now men CAN touch the skin of a pig with their bare hands and do so at every football game. The verses and ideas evolve. That's how we get from a theme of "eye for an eye" in the Old Testament to "The golden rule" in the New Testament. We are still evolving. The times are still changing.

The verse above means something to me because it transcends time. I can make it applicable to almost every circumstance and my conscience will tell me the right path. Here, I'll do it for you now. It is easy for me to love the Lord with all my soul and heart and mind. This includes for me everything that He has made, which would therefore include gay people. Second, I will love my neighbor as myself. If my neighbor was a gay person, I would still want them to have everything in life that I have been blessed with. That would include a loving MARRIAGE, children, pets, a home, a full and fantastic life. I would not tell them they could have all of those things, as long as they named their union something lesser than my own. That is condescending. I would not want someone to be condescending to me, so I will not love my neighbor by treating him this way. Therefore, if I want marriage for myself, I want marriage for my neighbor, including if my neighbor is gay. This is how I interpret the scripture.

In my opinion, anyone willing to make the choice to make vows with their spouse and a commitment for life deserves the right to be married and call it marriage.

In a nutshell, right there.

[jokalima]

I'm a single adaptive mom. My son is 12 and his birth parents chose me over potential adoptive parents who were married.

He's a great kid and is well behaved. He's sweet and fair. He's a good friend. He's also doing very very well in school.

The vast majority of kids he hangs out with are being raised by single parents.

We need to stop the mindset that it's some sort of disability to be a single parent or be the child of a single parent. It's very common now and is a HUGE part of the scheme of today's modern family. We need to stop the deferential treatment of single parenting as well as the prejudice.

The mindset you speak of is exactly what many single parents are banking on to get a whole lot of special. If you are tired of paying for it then consider what unintended consequences come from your pity.

I don't question your parenting at all, If you say you are a good mother I take your word for it. But a question was asked and I answered what I think about the topic, and it is OK for me to have my own personal beliefs about something. I respect your family but I don't think is the Ideal, I was raised by 2 parents male and female, and I think that is the natural way of things. What I mean of not being fair, is that if someone is taking that away from a child because his own desire to be a parent, that for me is not fair to the child. I know there are a lot of single moms and dads out there and some do a better job than 2 parents together, but it is not the ideal situation, for me personally and my personal belief won't change the world so no one should worry about it

[CedarCreek]

I don't think anyone is worried that your opinion is going to change any laws.

We are responding to each other in an online forum made for discussion.

[jokalima]

That's assuming that you know every single parents story. And you don't. Obviously you did not intend to insult single parents but I would hope that you can see the similarity in having one mother or father figure in either situation and how you cannot have any idea if raising a child in that way could be detrimental. I can only assume that is what you mean by "unfair".

I respect that you have an opinion but I do not understand it.

And you don't need to understand it or agree with it :hug: And trust that when I say something is not with the intention of insulting someone, is just expressing my own opinion.

[jokalima]

I don't think anyone is worried that your opinion is going to change any laws.

We are responding to each other in an online forum made for discussion.

Agree 100%

[Blackcat31]

My husband and I got hitched at the City Council office by a county judge. Are we married?

In the legal sense? Yes, I would consider you married.

In the religious sense? No, I do not believe that a marriage performed outside the sanctity of a church or under the rules of the church is recognized in the eyes of God.

If you don't believe in God, then that fact should not make one bit of difference to you.

*This is not meant rudely or harshly towards you personally, just backing up my personal beliefs which I am FULLY aware do not align with everyone.

Just as I believe that people who do not "believe" will not go to heaven.

[JenNJ]

My husband and I were married by a justice of the peace. We are legally married. We have a marriage certificate. But we are not married in the religious sense.

I think ALL couples should have the right to marry legally. If they choose to be married in the religious sense, they would need to seek out a religious organization who does that. I think legally, all couples should have the choice. I think religiously, it is up to that particular organization.

Marriage is not a Christians only club. different religious organizations all over the earth use the word marriage. It is the word our government uses to define the joining of two people as a family. If the argument is TRULY about the word, than this is a fight that was lost a very long time ago. I had no one picketing my wedding or standing up for marriage as a religious term that day.

[JenNJ]

I am a Christian, and I wholeheartedly believe gay people should be allowed to marry if they choose.

First of all, I don't think being gay is a choice. I think you are born that way. I don't understand how anyone could think that it would be a "choice" to be persecuted in the way that gays are. I have also had several friends that were Christian and gay and hated themselves so much because people told them it was a choice to be gay. But they were born that way, and couldn't change it if they tried. It is a part of themselves from birth, like a skin color, like a gender. And therefore, I believe God created gays in His infinite wisdom. And to Him, they are perfect, though not without sin, and created in His image just like any one of us.

If we are going for scripture, here's one that I base MY faith on:
Matthew 22:36-40

New International Version (NIV)

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Bible, while a very important and meaningful work, is also largely a social and historical commentary on the time it was written, in my opinion. In the time it was written, polygamy was not looked down upon, owning slaves was common, etc. Now men CAN touch the skin of a pig with their bare hands and do so at every football game. The verses and ideas evolve. That's how we get from a theme of "eye for an eye" in the Old Testament to "The golden rule" in the New Testament. We are still evolving. The times are still changing.

The verse above means something to me because it transcends time. I can make it applicable to almost every circumstance and my conscience will tell me the right path. Here, I'll do it for you now. It is easy for me to love the Lord with all my soul and heart and mind. This includes for me everything that He has made, which would therefore include gay people. Second, I will love my neighbor as myself. If my neighbor was a gay person, I would still want them to have everything in life that I have been blessed with. That would include a loving MARRIAGE, children, pets, a home, a full and fantastic life. I would not tell them they could have all of those things, as long as they named their union something lesser than my own. That is condescending. I would not want someone to be condescending to me, so I will not love my neighbor by treating him this way. Therefore, if I want marriage for myself, I want marriage for my neighbor, including if my neighbor is gay. This is how I interpret the scripture.

In my opinion, anyone willing to make the choice to make vows with their spouse and a commitment for life deserves the right to be married and call it marriage.

happyface:hug:lovethis

This is such a beautiful post it honestly made my eyes tear up. lovethis

[nanglgrl]

My husband and I were married by a justice of the peace. We are legally married. We have a marriage certificate. But we are not married in the religious sense.

I think ALL couples should have the right to marry legally. If they choose to be married in the religious sense, they would need to seek out a religious organization who does that. I think legally, all couples should have the choice. I think religiously, it is up to that particular organization.

Marriage is not a Christians only club. different religious organizations all over the earth use the word marriage. It is the word our government uses to define the joining of two people as a family. If the argument is TRULY about the word, than this is a fight that was lost a very long time ago. I had no one picketing my wedding or standing up for marriage as a religious term that day.

I agree.

[ABCDaycareMN]

I personally don't care what other people do.

However with that said, I do think marriage should be between a man and a woman.

That doesn't mean though that I don't think gay and lesbian couples shouldn't be allowed to have civil unions or be lawfully joined so they too can receive the benefits and perks that married folks do.

I just don't agree with the term "marriage" and although others may feel that is wrong or not socially acceptable, I don't care. It is what I believe and that isn't going to change.

I have no issues with gay/lesbian couples who want to raise children and do all the same things other couples do. I am not one bit prejudice or biased against anyone who wants to be in a committed relationship with the person they love. Whether that person is the same sex as them or not.

I thought I was the only one who thinks that the term marriage is between a man and a woman. If they want to change the term to legally united/joined I wouldn't care at all. I do believe they should receive the same bennifets as married man/women do I just believe "marriage" is a man and woman.

[GoodKarma]

I don't want anyone telling me what I can or can't do, so I won't tell someone else what they should be doing either.

[jokalima]

I thought I was the only one who thinks that the term marriage is between a man and a woman. If they want to change the term to legally united/joined I wouldn't care at all. I do believe they should receive the same bennifets as married man/women do I just believe "marriage" is a man and woman.

Agree 100%

but I am curious about the results of the poll, there are more votes against than comments, but lots of comments in favor as well as votes in favor. The people voting against don't want to talk about it?

[Blackcat31]

Agree 100%

but I am curious about the results of the poll, there are more votes against than comments, but lots of comments in favor as well as votes in favor. The people voting against don't want to talk about it?

That is usually the case when someone opposes something that is no longer viewed "socially unacceptable".

It is often hard to go against the grain and stand up for something you believe in when you are in the minority.

No one wants to be the only one....kwim?

[jokalima]

That is usually the case when someone opposes something that is no longer viewed "socially unacceptable".

It is often hard to go against the grain and stand up for something you believe in when you are in the minority.

No one wants to be the only one....kwim?

Yeap and it bugs me a lot! This week when everyone was updating their FBK profile picture to the = Someone that I know changed her profile picture to an = with an x over it. Ok, I know it seem like an invite for controversy, but she was clear and posted that she was not trying to offend no one just expressing her point of view. Well, oh well People were furious and they bashed against her w/out mercy LOL That made me mad, so I entered the conversation and ended up in very heated debate. My point only in the debate was that all people should be able to express themselves. When people posted the = sign she did not went to their pages to drag them down or insult them, she respected that post and picture and everyone should do the same even when the mindset seems archaic. She was not telling no one not to be gay, not to deny their rights, she was just expressing her point of view. Sadly today people are still upset about that post and the reason I tell you about it is because I think people are afraid to express themselves, they fear what others will think or to be the outcast and what are we doing?:confused: just giving up our own right to express freely?

[itlw8]

as usually I believe in the middle. I think EVERYONE should be able to have a legal union and all the rights but I still think marriage is a union between man and woman in front of God. So nothing in your poll fit my beliefs.

so yes if someone does not believe in a higher being I struggle is it marriage or a legal union. what is a word?just a word. so yes they should be able to commit for a lifetime like everyone else things continue to change how is one group right and can tell the rest what to do.