it seems like the laws of a nation shouldnt really matter. in the end, it's a personal choice, so who cares?
So because it's not our nations law I guess everything is just permisable at that point and we shouldn't worry about following any biblical prinicple at all, I mean that seems to be what you are implying.How does allowing gays to marry "promote sin"?
Unless you also hold that legalizing alcohol and cigarettes "promotes sin"? If you think these things should also be illegal (and that New York City is correct in limiting sugary drinks, candy bars, and other diabetic-creating foods), then at least you're being consistent. If you agree with the majority of the nation that prohibition just doesn't work, then gay marriage should not be seen as any more sinful than any other of the thousands of activities that are legal in this country and at least as sinful.
Legalizing gay marriage is not "accepting sin" any more than allowing a lottery is "accepting gambling." Gambling is still a sin. I don't see very many Christians complaining about the state-run lotteries, and yet gambling is as denounced in Scripture as much as homosexuality.
In fact, you know what one of the worst sins is? Denying Jesus. Yup. I think most people here would say if you aren't Christian, you're pretty much screwed, even if you're a heterosexual pro-life upstanding citizen. How is allowing such people to exist, let alone vote, run for office, and heavens, maybe even *gasp* teach in public school ... how is THAT legal?!?!?!?
Because we believe in FREEDOM OF RELIGION.
We do not make laws based on what is sin or not sin. If we did, there are a lot of things going on right now, like the war, just to name one, that would be WAY higher on God's list of "what the heck are you people doing" than allowing two non-Christian people who happen to like each other even though they're the same gender to share the same legal rights as any non-Christian heterosexual couple.
?we should legalize all things that enable equal rights, regardless of personal biases some religions may
"it seems like the laws of a nation shouldnt really matter. in the end, it's a personal choice, so who cares?"
What?...
How...
How...
How does one...even start thinking these things?
Yes, but i don't agree with you. For me as a christian it DOES matter that 'a handful of people in a room somewhere' decided to legalize 'gay mariage.' It isn't a mere passing of a law, because the decision itself defiles the sanctity of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. What i hold DEAR is made a mockery by legalization of ' gay marriage.' I hope i will get married some day, but i'm sure i will be appalled if i find out two guys decide to marry just before me, or that my church allowes gay marriages to be blessed. 'Gay marriage' does effect my spirituality; i've become more militant in my believes. I know now marriage is worth fighting for to prevent the gays from making it a mockery.
Really two men getting married ruins the sanctity of marriage? Not the 50%+ divorce rate among married couples already both christian and non-christian? Not the fact that people marry for money, citizenship, or pregnancy? But it's that two guys get married? Thats what ruins the sanctity of marriage for you? Marriage is a joke in modern society. Outside of the small percentage of people that actually do marriage the right way why are you so tangled up in the 'sanctity' of it? Thats something between you and God, Other peoples marriages dont ruin the sanctity of yours at all.
I'm fine with a lot of concessions in this area (tax breaks, etc) but it should never be recognized as a marriage by state or church...Most homosexuals I know are only fighting for the same legal rights straight couples get and Im fine with that
So because it's not our nations law I guess everything is just permisable at that point and we shouldn't worry about following any biblical prinicple at all, I mean that seems to be what you are implying.
In my mind and most peoples who are against it, allowing gay marriage is condining the sin. ''oh you like this sin, oh you want to be able to legally be partnered to a person of the same sex, oh that seems like a fine thing''
What else would you like since you did say earlier?
There's a lot of things that have defiled the sanctity of marriage. And you're right, those do too. But. So does to grant the gays the ability to marry.
The legal, secular right to marry has nothing to do with "sanctity."
Look it up. "Sanctity" means "the property of being blessed by God, or set aside as holy."
Nothing humans can do outside of God's command can every be sanctified. No marriage, gay, straight, whatever, is going to have "sanctity" unless and until God is there.
Gays don't want to marry because they want God's blessing. (At least most don't.) They are seeking legal, secular rights.
If two people get married in a church, God has blessed that union.
If two people get married without God's blessing, it doesn't matter whether it's a man and a woman, two men, two women, or a sperm whale and a platypus, it's not going to be "sanctified."
The laws concerning gay marriage have NOTHING to do with what God may or may not bless. As if it could (!)
Why is this so hard for you people to understand?
I don't comprehend exactly what you're saying here, but if I gather the gist of it correctly, you're asking, so if we don't base our public (national secular) law on the Biblical concept of sin, then you seem to think there is no standard for morality?
If this is not what you are saying, please clarify. DJ, you're usually more fluent in English, so I don't know why I'm having trouble understanding you ... maybe take a step back and think about what you're trying to communicate before you write it?
If this IS what you're trying to say, then I have to say I'm disappointed, because you're also usually smarter than this. You think the only source of morality is religion? Really? Surely, you must realize that is so wrong it's laughable. There are plenty of standards of ethics that have nothing to do with religion. You may not agree 100% with those standards, but they exist, surely you must realize that.
If people followed God we wouldn't have to legislate them, but you know that most things we do consider sins are in fact illegal. Most, not all.You seem to be indicating that homosexuality should remain illegal, just because it is a sin. Really?
Do you think that all sinful practices should be illegal?
Mark 3If so, then I'm curious, what do you think should be the punishment for those who choose to work on the Sabbath day -- should the government charge a fine to those businesses and individuals, or should we just arrest and imprison anyone who wants to labor on Saturday? What about taking the Lord's name in vain? Would there be some sort of sliding-fee scale based on the particular word used? And I'm curious -- if you've been canvassing the national media sources to eliminate all uses of swearing, why haven't I heard about this movement before?
What about coveting? How would one go about proving that another person coveted? Would I need to take a person to court and prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt, or could I be found guilty of coveting just on someone else's say-so?
And what about gossip? This is not only sin, but an entire industry (tabloid journalism) is based on it. So, are just the writers of these rags culpable, or does the crime extend to the readers, too? Oh, wait, and if you don't actually purchase the magazine, is it okay if you happen to look at the headline while you're waiting in line for groceries, or is even that a sin and therefore a crime? And don't get me started on gluttony.
Hopefully you see by now how ridiculous it is to claim that US laws should be based on sin.
In the US, laws are based on protecting the rights of the individual. You have the right to swing your arms. That right ends at my face. If your actions in any way hurt or negatively affect me, then the government needs to step in. Thus, driving while intoxicated is illegal. Not because it's a sin (which it is) but because it is highly dangerous for other people on the road. Fraud is illegal, because it takes advantage of others through deceit, not because it is lying, which is a sin. Certain types of murder are illegal, but not all. Killing to protect your property, for example, is lawful, even though the Bible would still call that a sin.
I am categorically and emphatically against any easement of laws against predatory sexual behaviors. This goes to gay and straight alike. Especially since most predatory sex is committed by heterosexual men, I'm not sure why this gets brought up every time someone talks about gay rights, but there it is -- being in favor of gay rights has nothing to do with child sexual abuse.
Other than that, I am hard pressed to think of any way what two men or two women do behind closed doors can possibly do to harm me.
What is the basis for objective moral values?I agree.
Creating a second class of citizens who are not entitled to the same rights as others seems completely against common sense, and certainly does not reflect basic morality.
Yeah...animal behavior should now be the standard in determining what is moral in rational beings.And your plea for "natural law" isn't going to help you either, since homosexuality is found in most animal species.
According to whom?See, that isn't what marriage should be.
Actually, this does matter, if the wife bears a child that is not the husband's. For most of the English-speaking world for the last 5-10 centuries or so, it was rather assumed that men and women would have lovers on the side, it was just important that no children result from said trysts, because the children would not be able to inherit either from their biological father or from their mother's husband.Because if we go on that limb, it doesn't matter if someone commits adultery.
Wha? Where do you get this?It doesn't matter if a husband beats his wife.
So did you not understand my post, or are you willfully pretending it wasn't written?Bottom line for the world. No God? Then no problem. They can do whatever, whenever.
Why is that so hard for people to understand?