Todd's
Input -
On
Wednesday, February 26, a federal judge in the state of Texas ruled
that the state’s ban on gay marriage violated the state
constitution. In his ruling Judge Orlando Garcia wrote, “Texas'
current marriage laws deny homosexual couples the right to marry, and
in doing so, demean their dignity for no legitimate reason.”
If
Judge Garcia’s ruling is upheld on appeal, Texas would become the
18th state
to permit gay marriage. 18 states would represent more than 1/3 of
the states in the Union and more than 40% of the population of the
nation. Quite a momentous achievement for a movement that only a few
years ago had virtually no support throughout the nation and little
hope of overturning existing laws prohibiting gay marriage.
To
be fair, may people do, in fact, find legitimate reasons for denying
gay people the right to marriage.
Leviticus 18:22 –
Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is]
abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 – If
a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them
have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death;
their blood [shall be] upon them.
1 Corinthians 7:2–16
– But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man
should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
And
so on… Of course, people who turn to the Bible for their
rationalizations for opposing gay marriage rather conveniently
“forget” that the Bible speaks about a very great many other
issues as well:
Regarding
divorce, from Matthew 5:32: But I
say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground
of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries
a divorced woman commits adultery.
Regarding
the subject of selling daughters into slavery, from Exodus 21:7: When
a man sells his daughter as a slave, she is not to leave as the male
slaves do.
So,
if the Bible should be used to keep marriage between one man and one
woman, shouldn’t we also ban divorces, except for sexual
immorality? Shouldn’t we also permit the selling of teenage girls
into slavery and servitude against their will? The Bible would appear
to say so.
It
is true, not everyone turns to the Bible for their opposition to gay
marriage. Others turn to the Constitution or the issue of raising
children.
In
their failed attempt to convince the Supreme Court to uphold the
Defense of Marriage Act (which allowed states to refuse to recognize
gay marriages granted under the laws of other states and permitted
the federal government to refuse to recognize gay marriage for the
purposes of filing joint income taxes and other matters) in US v.
Windsor, the attorneys seeking to defend the Defense of Marriage Act
laughably claimed that it was necessary to preserve marriage as a
method of fostering reproduction. Of course, the issue of whether
infertile couples or couples past childbearing age should also be
prohibited from marrying was conveniently ignored.
In
argument after argument, opposition to gay marriage is based on
hypocrisy or the attempt to selectively justify bigotry or fear of
change. No valid societal benefit has every been identified that
would justify continuing to ban gay marriage.
The
constitution guarantees all Americans equal rights under the law.
Denying those rights to any single class of citizens should be
abhorrent to anyone.
My
wife and I were married on August 11, 1996. The fact that gay
Americans want the same rights should make all Americans stand up and
cheer.
Chad's
Input -
This
topic is something that strikes me from two different sides. I am
what I like to consider a very liberal person when it comes to social
rights. However, I am also a religious person. So, Iam of two minds
of this subject. That said I will be writing from a strictly personal
level. No Bible quotes, no responses from judges no input from your
average Joe. Just the mind of yours truly Chad Knight.
I
think all people should be treated equally. Regardless of race, sex
or creed. That said marriage is not the providence of man. Marriage
has always been and will always be the providence of God. This is due
to the separation of church and state.This means that the Church in
all it’s forms is not to meddle with any aspect of the government
and vice versa. So, with that in mind I ask when was it that the
government started getting a say in who can and cannot get married?
This is my problem with gay marriage. Not that I personally have
anything against two people of the same gender want to spend time
together in a loving monogamous relationship. The government in many
states and countries have made a way for that to happen through civil
unions. There is a place for getting more rights to these
people as far as inheritance and end of life rights, but, marriage is
the government enforcing its will upon the church.
The
Church also as it’s right to allow for “marriage” with in their
places of worship if they feel that it is right for them. In fact,
many Protestant religions allow for same-sex marriages with in their
religion. I have no problem with that personally, this however, is
the crux of my problem with all this. The government forcing many
religions that don’t believe in the coupling of people of same-sex
partnerships.
I
am worried that at some point in the future the government will force
religions to perform same-sex marriages and that will destroy
religion through government influence and direct involvement. We have
seen this with our current government and our president’s love of
his directives.
Give gay couples the rights of having that kind of monogamous relationship, but, keep them out of the Churches that look down upon those that choose that life style.
As always we look forward your input into this and all our topics. We are always looking to see what you are interested in hearing from us.
