Thursday, May 7, 2009

Marriage is a Religous "Rite", Not a Constitutional "Right"


On this National Day of Prayer, I was inspired to write about what I see as the Largest issue facing Americans of all Religions: Legalization of Gay Marriage. The way I see it, Gay Marriage is just the most recent club that the Left has picked up to Bash Christians about the head. I don't think it has anything to do with "Gay Rights" or Discrimination, it's certainly not about "Love" which is why people are supposed to want to get married. All the 'issues' brought up by Gay Marriage advocates, can be solved with a quick trip to a Lawyers office...So What's the real story here?

Allow me to make myself Very Clear on this: I support the Rights of Gay Americans, 100% until of course they infringe on My Rights. If two people are lucky enough to find someone they Love and want to spend time with, Who am I to Judge? Sure Homosexuality is a Sin in all major religions, but so is Drinking, Smoking, and tons of other things that we do every day. Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin, remember?

In order to stave off the many comments I'm sure to receive about my classification of Homosexuality as a Sin, From the Big Three:

Christianity:
The Bible:
Leviticus 18:22 - "Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."

Islam:
The Qu'ran: Sura 7:80-84: "And Lot, when he said to his people, 'Do ye approach an abomination which no one in all the world ever anticipated you in? Verily, ye approach men with lust rather than women- nay, ye are a people who exceed.'

Judaism:
The Torah: "You shall not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; it is abhorrent" (Leviticus 18:22).

Now let's move on, Shall we? I will refer to one of my favorite passages in the Bible on this one: Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" and let me follow with another favorite: "Judge not lest Ye be Judged" (Matthew 7:1) . So as for the matter of "Gayness", I'm not Judging. To quote Andrew Breitbart, "I’m - as the MTV generation says - “gay-friendly.”


In fact until recently I would have considered myself one of the biggest supporters of the gay community. But the Craziness following the Prop 8 vote out in California, and the more recent attacks on Miss California Carrie Prejean, by so called "Gay Activist" groups, has pushed me out of the Christian closet so to speak.


Let me begin by saying, I see Gay Marriage or the uber PC Same-Sex Marriage as a Separation of Church and State issue, because well it is. Marriage is a Religious Rite, not a Constitutional Right. Marriage is a sacrament that is taken very seriously by all Major religions, not just Christianity, as is often suggested. The "Legalization" of Gay marriage will open the flood gates for law suits claiming discrimination against Churches of all Faiths that refuse to 'Marry' same sex partners.

Don't believe me? It already happened in New Jersey in 2007, when a Lesbian couple was denied access, to a privately held Methodist retreat, where they wanted to hold their "civil union" ceremony, they filed discrimination charges against the Church. While I truly believe that most Americans would support "Civil Unions", I don't see how any American could support the Government forcing Churches to sanction "marriages" that completely go against their Faith.

Religion may not be as trendy as it once was, but over 85% of all Americans say they still subscribe to some form of it. Knowing that all major religions condemn Homosexuality as a Sin, Where will these "Same-Sex Marriages" take place? How many Churches will be sued, by gay couples dreaming of that Big Church Wedding? How many Churches will lose their Tax exempt status by refusing to perform these 'ceremonies'?

It only takes one lawsuit to change the fabric of our Nation and our culture...just as Griswold vs. Connecticut was set up to protect the rights of consenting adults to use contraception in 1956, that ruling was twisted and used as the basis of Roe V Wade, the Discrimination Law Suits being wielded by the Gay Community, could set in motion the destruction of Organized religion as we know it. While not all Americans consider themselves "Religious", it is a Constitutionally protected Right to practice the Religion of Our Choice, and Should not be infringed upon by anyone including, Gay Activist Groups.

Watching the endless coverage of Miss California being berated for stating that she believed Marriage was between a man and woman, conjured an interesting segue in my mind...

Everyone remembers the murders at Columbine, the senseless tragedy and the way the Nation watched in horror as the stories of what happened inside that day trickled out. One of the stories that has always stayed with me, was the story of the young girls in the Library. The Vile Gunmen had cornered several students, with their guns pointed they asked 17 year old Cassie Bernall, "Do you Believe in God?" The Young girl answered "Yes I do", and was promptly shot and killed in cold blood. Cassie was not the only young woman asked that Question on That Day. Rachel Scott, 17 was the first to hear those words, "Do You Believe in God?" just before she became the first victim of the Columbine killers, She also answered "Yes".

I often wondered if I would have had that courage. I pray that I would. I don't think President Obama has it. It's being widely reported that Obama is "under increasing pressure to engage in Gay issues", even though he clearly stated while campaigning that He believed Marriage should be between a Man and Woman, now he calls that ideal "Misguided".

Miss California may not have been at the end of a Gun Barrel when her faith was tested but she was on National Television, and she had to know that When Perez Hilton asked that question, her answer could cost her the Crown. She had the courage to answer Honestly, and for that she has my undying respect.

While losing a Beauty pageant is nothing compared to the loss suffered by these young women and their families of Littleton, Colorado, it did get me thinking. What makes those that are attacking Miss California any different from the Columbine Killers? From where I stand they just haven't picked up a Gun..... yet. They seem to share a belief system that allows them to Openly criticize, then name themselves, Judge and Jury to decide the Fate of those that disagree with them.

In my Opinion the "Gay Marriage" issue isn't about Marriage at all, it's barely about Gays, its about creating a weapon for the Left to use against Believers of all creeds. The attacks that followed the Prop 8 vote, sent a clear message. These Activists will destroy anyone and anything that disagrees with them. They've got their sites set on the Church, and it's forcing all Americans to answer the question: "Do You Believe in God?"

12 comments:

sniffink said...

I agree with every point you made and hate mail senders should be ashamed. Disagreement is one thing but hate is entirely different.

Left Coast Christ Follower said...

This is a spiritual battle where the enemy wants to turn everything related to the Creator upside down. God made them man and woman; turn that upside down and it is mm or ff.
God hates divorce; then destroy marriages.
God sent his Son; crucify him.
Cross as a symbol; turn cross upside down.
Rainbow a symbol of Noahic covenant (God told Noah to take animal pairs on Ark, then told Noah and family to be fruitful and fill earth; enemy promotes relationships that could never "be fruitful" and thus can not fill the earth.
We should not be afraid or amazed. God is hated by many; so will any that choose to follow Him.

ChickenHammer said...

Excellent writing. Thanks for posting that.

brucestrav said...

Not enough people in the gay community know the difference between 'rite' and 'right'. They are so obsessed with getting the rest of us to approve of what they are doing (which they simultaneously tell us should be 'behind closed doors' and 'private activity') that they don't think of the long term consequences of anything.

Legally, Marriage as we know it is going to be destroyed. Marriage is not in the Constitution and, as such, there is no way to legally defend and define it without a Congressionally initiated Constitutional Amendment. But so called conservatives like John McCain keep telling us that 'this will never be necessary'. Wake up Johnny, it's been 'necessary' for more than a decade already.

If you look at the large agenda of the gay community, it really has nothing to do with marriage. the gay activists have taken in every other form of sexual pervert, sexually confused soul or physical deformity and equate them all with 'human rights'. The real goal of all of these lawsuits is the abolition of the concept of Gender. If there is no gender, there is no way to say what is 'gay' and what is 'normal'.

Because the gay community can't figure out what gender they are themselves, they want to prevent the rest of us from being able to identify ourselves legally as Male or Female. Without male or female, what is marriage anyways? What about public bathrooms? How about adoption? How about 'Mom'? For those who desparately want to be one gender but were born the other, we are being required to gut our entire society. No matter than we are talking about some percentage of 1% of our population that we pacify by destroying the foundation of the survival of humanity.

And, of course, if you can take just one more step and ban anything which smacks of 'morality' then there is nothing which anybody does which could be labeled as 'immoral'. And who are the 'moral' standard-bearers? Typically, people of Faith who originally wrote the laws. So, of course, those people have got to go first. When Hedonism is your God, there is no morality in your religion.

RightKlik said...

I have yet to hear a coherent argument as to why governments should begin to recognize same sex marriage.

Biased Girl said...

Thanks for all the great comments! RightKlik, you make a great point. Come to think of it. I haven't heard one either.

Anonymous said...

The left is playing the same card they always do- advancing a controversial issue as a "right", then slamming any dissenting voice as "hate speech". Don't fall for the lie- marriage is in no sense of the word a "right".

Lynne said...

I always knew republicans didn't have any common sense

Brian said...

I am hurt and saddened by the feelings expressed in this article and in the comments. It feels strange to me to be told that my relationship is not about love, but about politics or an anti-religion movement.

We are not "obsessed with getting the rest of [you] to approve of what [we] are doing"; we understand that you are committed to the belief that we are lessor people, undeserving of the same privileges that you enjoy. Instead, we are trying to appeal to our common, shared humanity.

A Washington lesbian couple of 17 years vacationing in Florida recently faced tragedy when one suddenly fell into a coma. Her partner and their four adopted children were prohibited from seeing her in her hospital room. She later died alone without the comfort of her loving partner or children. The pair had a Power of Attorney agreement, obtained from "a quick trip to a lawyer's office" that you describe, but the hospital ignored it. The family tried as hard as possible to exist and function in a world that denied them even the most basic human right to say goodbye to a loved one, and their attempts were rebuffed at every turn.

This story is tragic, and your beliefs regarding the legitimacy or illegitimacy of their relationship should have no bearing on the fact that their children were denied the chance to say goodbye to their mother.

Fighting for marriage is not about attacking religion, or trying to destroy marriage, or taking away tax exempt statuses, but is about providing families the support that the institution of marriage provides.

Gay families do exist. We are sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts, boyfriends and girlfriends, and fathers and mothers. The only difference is that our families do not receive the same legal protections that yours do. We have to live in constant fear that our Powers of Attorney will be ignored, that our adoptions will be rescinded, that our wills will be challenged, and that our homes will be taken away. All we want is the same feeling of stability and serenity that you enjoy with your husbands and wives.

Isn't there enough hate in the world already? Isn't there enough to divide and separate us? You say that yours is a religion of love and compassion. Please exercise those tenets you strive to live by. This has nothing to do with the acceptance of homosexuality, but with compassion toward families that are going to exist whether or not gay marriage is legalized. If not for the couples, do it for their children whose only disadvantage in life is that they are told that their parents -- whom they love -- are not permitted to love each other.

Biased Girl said...

Brian-
Do you have a link to the Lawsuit that ensued after the Hospital ignored the Power of Attorney? Because that is what should have happened, Power of Attorney is legally binding, whether is it given to a Partner or a child.

Try as you might to find it, there is no Hate in my Heart for Gay Americans. If the story you reference is infact true, I would like to know more about it. As I have never heard of a Hospital ignoring Power of Attorney, under any circumstances....

Brian said...

Here is a link to a local newspaper's coverage of both the suit: Lawsuit: Jackson Memorial barred lesbian from seeing dying partnerAs the article mentions, despite the Power of Attorney, she was told she was in an "anti-gay city and state" and would not be let into the hospital room.

I wish I could say that stories like this are anomalies, but they happen more frequently than they should. Just last month an Oregon gay man with a domestic partnership was denied the ability to stay in his partner's hospital room. Here is a story about that: Gay man says he was forced out of partner's room at OHSUThank you for your interest in these cases. I hope you are as troubled by them as I am. They show that even when gay couples play by the rules, our rights are still questioned, challenged, and ignored. It is frightening situation to imagine oneself in.

Anonymous said...

The cases outlined above sound like legal issues. The OHSU case seems pretty open and shut; some additional training should rectify the issue. The Florida case seems a bit murkier; there may indeed be some wrongdoing here, but as the article states there may have been legal complications with the power of attorney.

None of this, however, really has anything to do with slandering people who oppose gay marriage as "bigots" and labeling their positions "hate speech." These are nothing more than political scare words tossed like grenades at anyone who opposes the gay marriage movement. Just because you don't agree with something a person desperately feels in their right doesn't mean you 'hate' them.