I decided to write this post based on a controversial topic that we were having at work the other day. A co-worker (we will call her Elizabeth) said, "You know that gay marriage might be legal in DC now?" I replied, "Oh, really?" I guess she could hear in my tone that I did not really care. So she asked my other co-worker (We will call her Sunny). "So do you care if gay people get married." Sunny said, "No, why should I?" Elizabeth replied, "Because it would ruin the sanctity of marriage." I wanted to reply but both Sunny and I was laughing so hard we could not say anything.
Ruin the sanctity of marriage, hmmm.. Lets take a close look at this one. The sanctity of marriage has already been ruined by many heterosexual people, through lying, deceit, adultery and divorce.
She went on to say that the bible says, "A man should not lay with another man." I said, "So you don't agree with homosexuality?" Honestly, I would have been pleased with that, I mean she did just quote the bible. But instead she said, "No. Gay people can't help being gay. I just don't think we should let them get married."
"What? Did you not just say a man should not lay with another man? And that God did not make Adam and Steve?" I think that is what took the cake for me. Personally, I believe everyone interprets the bible differently. I also know that the bible has been used in many cases to justify people's belief, it has been used to justify slavery (which she did not agree with). It was also used to argue that interracial couples should not marry. Well..... If you are going to used the bible to argue that gay people should not get married, at least say that it is because you think that people should not be gay. I mean not one place in the bible does it say marriage is a sin.
Her friend came along, and he even went so far as to say, "We cannot give these people too many rights?" That was appalling. Control human rights? He said, "Next thing you know people will be marrying animals." That is ridiculous, animals can't even talk. Besides, that is not the issue at hand. We are talking about two human beings who love each other. Who are being violated, because they are being stripped away of a human right. 20 years together and nothing to show for it? I could not imagine that. I love my husband, and would have been devastated if the law had prevented us from marrying.
Elizabeth then mentioned, gay people raising children. FACT 1: Gay people are already raising children. Heterosexual children. If you really want to get technical. Gay people are the product of straight people. Many heterosexuals are raising homosexuals and vice versa.
Elizabeth then said, "If gay people get married, the world will end." The world has been corrupt for a long time. If that is what ends the world, so be it. Let God judge, let people's fate be in the hands of God and not other human beings.
But what really made Elizabeth angry was the fact that Sunny and I was really against child rape, she compared that to homosexual marriage. Are you serious? No one is getting hurt when 2 people love each other and get married. We are talking about 2 consenting adults in that situation. A child does not consent to rape. It is 2 different things. She said, "no it isn't they are both sins. Sins are equal in the eyes of God."
A rapist is a sinner. A liar is a sinner. A cheater is a sinner. A thief is a sinner. We are all sinners, but guess what? Those of us who are straight sinners are allowed to marry. Remember marriage is not a sin. Let God do his job, he knows what he is doing. Love all people, be them gay or straight, that is our job. Hope you enjoyed this, have a blessed day.
Being a sinner I have enough problems keeping the 10 commandments myself so I'm not about to judge homosexuality. It's really easy to say what other people should and shouldn't do when we have never walked in their shoes. I agree 100% that I am more concerned with child abuse, rape, murder, etc than I am gay marriages. Volunteering my time helping addicts and their families at a local church every week is where I put my energies
ReplyDeleteWOW. What a great post. I believe that love is love, and no matter the color or gender or whatever else!, you should be allowed the same rights regardless.
ReplyDeleteGreat post :)
Hugs.
.beee.
I beleive that marriage is something that biblically should be done between Man and Woman. now having said that I also beleive that if two people love one another rather m/m, m/f, or f/f...then they should be anle to enter a union that is honored and respected. I think we place too much emphasis on the administrative aspect of marriage...why is it necessary for some piece of paper to indicate that this union is built on a solid foundation that will lead to a lifetime of growing together? 250 years ago slaves just jumped a broom and that was it..But i shouldn't really be commenting on marriage since mine has fallen apart...but it happens...
ReplyDeleteGreat Post though!!
i couldn't help but laugh with some of your arguments, because they are so true. very nice post :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent post. Good to see common sense been utilised in these kind of arguments rather than the same old archaic nonsense that usually gets spurted. Once again, excellent post x
ReplyDeleteWonderful post, I have one good friend who is gay and here in canada it is legal and he is married and very happy. I am happy for him and I don't think anyone should be denied the right to be happy and to be in love with whomever they choose.
ReplyDeleteOkay your co-worker is a jerk and so is her friend if a guy wants to get married to another guy then that is their buisness i think she should keep her mouth shut because my mother always said if you don't have anything good to say don't say anything at all. oh yea by the way this is a great post.
ReplyDeleteSounds like your co-worker is a little close minded... My opinion is who cares!!! Let people live their life, if it doesn't effect you in any way what does it matter what the next person does. People need to really worry about themselves and stop judging people!! I hate that!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://ordinarymomandwife.blogspot.com/
This is hilarious! I absolutely hate the argument of "well if we let them (with this word said as if it is the evil spawn of the orgy between every swear word ever spoken) get married, then people will just start marrying goats and stuff!!" This makes no sense people and it makes you sound like an ignorant blubbering idiot!! Thanks for sharing this conversation, it is classic :)
ReplyDeletecool post , in this day an age id rather anyone marry anyone for love ....then be involved with a abusive relationship
ReplyDelete....it may be man and woman.
..yet what makes it good
i work in the wedding biz....and i do service gay couples
im having a giveaway on my blog
http://make14megives2u.blogspot.com
love is love
hating is easy , to love takes courage!
Very nice post. It was a good read for my first read post on this site...I agree with you also. Nice work =)
ReplyDeleteA nice post indeed.
ReplyDeleteI am from India, and until recently, there was a section in Indian Penal Court that actually criminalises sexual activity "against the order of nature." Which meant that gay men and women didn't even have the right to have consensual sexual intercourse.
I know couple of guys who are gay. And because of this law, and the way society here looks at gsy people, they never entered any relationship in life, let alone marriage. These guys have spent their whole life being single.
Although, the law has been overridden now and it is now legal for a man to love another man. But still there is a long way to go before majority of Indian society would treat this relationship with equal respect. And a long way to go before gay marriage is legalized.
There is a common myth that it's easier to be straight. It's not. I've been hoping for a relationship with a man I can care about for a long time. It's so hard to find someone who is on the same page. I've spent most of my life being single even though there is technically no law against me having a relationship.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Would read again.
ReplyDeleteThe Bible also says, "Judge not."
ReplyDeleteIt also says if you do happen to judge, "Judge with righteous judgment."
Who's righteous enough to judge? Only God.
But we can get an idea of what He wants if we read the Bible in the Spirit of Truth.
I feel sorry for gay men only because I feel they're missing out on having a relationship with the opposite sex.
Too, there's the question, "What did God make the anus for anyway?" It's not a vagina. It never will be. And, you have to admit that diseases are born from this kind of sex.
You'd have to ask a gay person though and see how he feels deep down and whether he's truly happy being married to a man. To each his own. We're all going to give an account of ourselves before God. But, whoever believes in Jesus has NO worries because we are already forgiven!
Sorry Mrs Robinson,
ReplyDeleteThe Bible was written by God and penned by man. Now, you either believe all of what the Bible say's or you don't believe anything about the Bible. We can't have it both way's. God did sanction marriage to be a replica of His church. God set marriage to be between a man and a woman. Anything else is not a Biblical marriage. Sin is sin there's no degrees of sin. You and everyone else can rationalize why this or that should be allowed. The courts of this land are going to do what they want, doesn't have anything to do morality. I'm afraid this country has lost all concept of that. Nothing is new, men lay with men and women with women even in Biblical day's. Yes, people were sinners back then too, that's why it was addressed in the Bible. The Bible say's men and women laid with animals, also. No, nothing new under the sun.
The bible is a collection of books written by different people. many other books were written and didn't make the cut. what you find in every hotel room today is a bible that has been edited, translated, and altered many many times throughout history to serve the purpose of whatever king or religious leader was in power at the time. not to mention that different religions follow different translations or adaptations, and everyone likes to interpret it differently from person to person, pastor to pastor, priest to priest. nothing is official. so until i get a final official word (which would only be from God himself) of what is real and genuine- i think its pretty dumb to follow the rules of a book that may or may not be correct.
ReplyDeletebut since people want to take the bible so literal- the bible also says you can't eat shellfish, or pigs. leviticus 11, i believe. or is that a rule worth breaking? so if that bitch wants to quote bible verses, you can tell her to stick to it ALL.
regardless of what this book may or may not say, it shouldn't matter. i don't understand how church and state are supposed to be seperated in this country and yet people still make laws that EVERYONE has to follow based on their religious beliefs. Even if I were a die-hard Christian, I would find myself voting for a law that everyone (from different or even NO religions) should follow simply because its what I believe. I can't be so cruel as to tell my neighbor "I want you to follow these rules even if you don't agree with them, because i'm more important and so is what I believe in."
People standing behind God in their hatred need to re-evaluate themselves.
Also, marriage isn't even completely religious anymore. People without religion have been getting married for centuries. Cultures that didn't believe in God had marriage-like ceremonies/bonds long before the bible ever came around. And if the rules of marriage are to remain religious-based, then the government shouldn't be giving ANY married people special rights. Gay or straight.
Can I just say - I agree with you. I grew up in a pretty fundamental christian home. Over time I have had to question why certain individuals out there have been granted by so many, the right to interpret what God intended. I think I'll leave that to God. And by the way, Love is so much better than hate.
ReplyDeletethis is my first blog i read since joining and i love it! you have such an open mind and clearly love all beings. in today's society marriage is also supposed to be "til death do us part" but the divorce rate is higher than ever, some of my friends are on thier 3rd marriage and in thier early thirty's.
ReplyDeletei think marriage is only looked at as a piece of paper UNTIL the gay issue is brought up, then people start quoting the bible, when we all forget how easily everyone throws around "till death do us part".
Wow, that's a great post you published,but you've explained this through bible...so i agree with that.
ReplyDeleteBut, one thing i just wanted to tell you from Hinduism point of view. i hope you will not delete this comment.
Now come to the real business. God created us only to realize who we are and why we've fallen to such miserable condition with free will. Since god is full of independence we also have such thing in very minute. If god not given such minute independence He can not claim you're my beloved child. or the concept would have become insignificant object...So,not for begetting children in any case. But, you may ask why He gave that sensual feeling for human. Its all about independence...
Human is rascal...he knows one day they will throw and criticize in many ways possible. So, God is so clever and he created a society that can run smoothly by marriage. In the Vedas (Srimad Bhagavadam) No marriage is neccessary until unless he/she willing to accept material life of enjoyment. So, if these things not organized,population will increase and everyone will suffer due to unwanted pregnancy.
So, by going through marriage ceremony on behalf of God everyone will be restricted to a circle such as he is my son, she is my daughter and there are my family and so on. If there is no marriage ceremony human population increases such as dog population who roams here and there looking for food and help.
So, what ever you take such enjoyment only leads to unwanted misery and little happiness. So, only serving to god that leads to full of enjoyment in spiritual world not in heaven...
I have a long story to tell you about...but due to time shortage i am unable to go through further...
O.K further request is that i become a follower of this blog...so you need to follow my site instead.....
I am waiting for your response...
Your best frined Ramesh
Great post & excellent open-minded points! As a woman going thru a divorce (see blog http://todaystrials.blogspot.com) I"m not touching the "sanctity of marriage" issues, lol. I do agree though that there are many folks who quote the bible "when convenient", then proceed to contradict it. My husband being one of them!
ReplyDeleteThere is no sanctity in marriage any more... At least not in our country. We have drive thru weddings and "who wants to marry a millionaire?", and a reality show about every famous newlywed that leads to their subsequent divorce.
ReplyDeleteThere's no sanctity in ANYTHING. Fertility treatments resulting in 6 to 8 kids, having your baby induced so you can take advantage of a tax credit, paying 20 grand to be able to choose which sex you baby will be. The best part is someone like Kate Gosselin who is a christian, has fertility treatment, get's pregnant with 6 kids and says she won't do a selective termination because God gave her 6 babies. No he didn't! He made you infertile!
And gay marriage is the one thing that will destroy our world... Right. The bottom line is that christians will use the bible and the idea of "God's will" to support their own selfish desires while condemning anything they don't like or don't understand.
Saying marrying animals is next is a desperate statement by someone who has no actual reasonable argument.
hello mrs robbinson i really appreciate the way you look at gay marriages. calling something sin is never in a person's hand untill he is a god himself. it is somethoing personal and no body has the right to meddle into someone's personal affairs.
ReplyDeletei hail from india(native land) and this issue is getting attention unprecedently in my country. government is very much keen to uphold the issue and to make it legal but sc orders still awaits.i congratulate to you to take such matter and express your opinions on it
I think this is a fantastic post! For those that thump their bible and wave it in your face saying "it's not GOD'S way!" Back up. You might have that Jesus is my Co Pilot sticker on your car but it doesn't give you the right to drive like an idiot. God gave us reason. He gave us CHOICE. He created us all equal, did he not? In his own image, did he not? So how can there be man and woman? Not to say God was transgender but why not? He was black, white, yellow and tan, why not transgender?
ReplyDeleteGod wants you to love and be loved. God wants you to be good to others and not judge them. If you are so wrapped up in hating and judging gays why not take a step back and find something GOOD you can spend your time on. Like the post says, child rape is real, it's out there. Quit complaining about gay people who aren't out there hurting people with their marriage and start a community group to nark on guys parked outside the schools trying to kidnap your kids. Do something productive!
As far as marriage as a whole goes. Overrated. Not to say I don't love my husband. I love him completely. But you have teens getting knocked up and married. Not because they are in love but because it's socially "right". You have straights getting married after a drunken night in Vegas or anywhere really and that's "ok". Gay folks have a right to a union just like we do. Straights don't "sanctify" marriage like they use to. So don't get married. Make them all unions. Unified families. Stop segregating any form of human. It wasn't right in the 1800s, it wasn't right in the 1950s and it's not right now.
Hey, randomly came across your blog when I saw the title on gay marriage! I waited and waited as the computer loaded and to my suprise this was not a post on anti gay marriage as I so so wrongly assumed....lovely piece of work, I 100% agree with you! x Happiness is the way to go ...
ReplyDeleteI concur. That being said, I'm not Christian. I've been through this around and around with various people, and their only argument over why homosexuals shouldn't be allowed to wed is because "God says it's wrong." My reply is, "so what. It's no skin off your ass if God hates them for getting married." This is usually followed by, "yeah, well you don't believe in God so your opinion doesn't matter." I'm a peaceful person, and I don't think that the government should have a say over who can and can't get married. It's ridiculous. I've come to depend on the phrase, "who died and made you God?"
ReplyDeletehttp://graphjam.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/gaymarriage.gif
"A rapist is a sinner"...thank you for being so bold. :) They should have the right to marry, I don't see anything wrong with it.
ReplyDeleteThat's the way the world goes around. Only you can change how you view the world. I do my best to accept things as they are.
ReplyDeleteExcellent post, but at one point you said; "If you are going to used the bible to argue that gay people should not get married, at least say that it is because you think that people should not be gay. I mean not one place in the bible does it say marriage is a sin." I'd just like to say that while the person you were talking to may not have shared this view, there are belief structures wherein you can believe it's wrong to marry while still accepting homosexuality. Essentially the belief goes that homosexual orientation is a result of the fall of man (or us sinning in the garden of eden) and is therefor unavoidable. That being said homosexuals are still subject to laws just as anyone else who believe in God and the bible. And most of what the bible says about homosexuality is against the sexual act (But I have yet to see a verse that is against the sexual orientation). Now since marriage being a union of a man and a woman is still the crowd favorite among most Christians it is entirely understandable that someone could believe that homosexuality is natural while being against their rights to marry. I'm not 100% sure where on this spectrum I lie, and having friends and relative of this orientation perhaps it's better that way. But none-the-less I just wanted to say that if one knows enough about the bible it's not too difficult to make an argument that homosexuality isn't wrong but gay marriage is.
ReplyDeleteEveryone is accountable for himself/herself. A Christian is not complete without knowing the Bible. The Bible is where we learn what it means to be a Christian. To call oneself a Christian and yet rejects the truth in the Bible is akin to denying the gospel truth, thereby rejecting Jesus Christ as Saviour, Lord and God.
ReplyDeleteAbout gay marriages...read Romans chapter !..it's self-explanatory. About marriage.... In Genesis 2:24, it says "Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and and cleaves to his wife...." The wife here is Eve (a woman), not Steve as aptly quoted by someone earlier.
It's not my problem who marries who or what. It is the married couple's responsibility. Nevertheless, God will have the last word! For those who do not know or forget the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah...God destroyed those two great cities with brimstone and sulphur and fire! Read Genesis 18:16 to 19:29.
It's alright if you hate the Bible but the Bibles declares great truth and true events in history that make known God's true moral character. If you don't read the Bible, you reject or go against it blindly. If you ernestly seek God and His truth, you will find Him and know Him! By the way, God is GOD! God isn't religious! God is Spirit! God is Truth! God is Fair! God is Just! God is Righteous! God is Great! Awesomely Great and Loving. But sinners need to repent to receive forgiveness and eternal life, which are far more important than rights to marry....
There's more to life than just getting married! Live life abundantly..the way we are meant to...and willed by God...through Jesus, the Spotless Lamb of God.
Know Jesus...Know Life!
No Jesus.....No Life!
If you seek God with all your heart, you will find Him...and be found by Him. Finally, God loves you. Get right with Him and you will find the greater Life. God bless you. (From a child of God)
every religion believes that their god or gods are the real ones. They all have dogma that they follow. it just so happens that Christianity is the most widespread (thanks to missionaries and the crusade among other things). This doesn't make it the TRUTH or RIGHT. I grew up catholic - but now follow no religions.
ReplyDeleteI believe that personal rights and freedoms should not be decided by any church. You can be moral and not be religious.
great post!
Isn't it funny....and sad how so many Christians label the "bad" sins as those which do not tempt them. I personally don't feel that a homosexual relationship falls within the guidelines outlined in the bible, however, neither does a hetrosexual one outside marriage. And big newsflash....the act of sodomy condemned in the bible was not limited to that btw two men. So, the bedroom of many so called "christian" couples could be open to scrutiny as well.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your posts and am now following your blog. I just - yesterday as a matter of fact - created my first blog and would love your opinion. You may access it through my profile or at treasuremap1205.blogspot.com.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePersonally I have been taught a philosophy that I believe to be true to what the bible says. It is true that people use the bible to justify judging others. But as you can see it leads to major problems. People in general have not been given authority to judge other people. I believe in loving the sinner and hating the sin. I also believe that homosexuality is like being an alcoholic, drug addict, gossiper, liar; sinner. Our personalities are inevitably influenced by the inherited traits of our parents. Therefore, some people have the tendencies to fall into alcoholism just as other do into homosexuality. I personally, have in my genes, the tendencies to fall into depression. Now don't get me wrong depression is a clinical problem, (which I have been diagnosed with) and should be treated as such. But giving into my depression and not trying to be proactive about it is a sin. It means I am giving up on the life that God has given me to live. So in other words, to give into your homosexual tendencies is wrong. Now should we ban gay marriage to stop it, no I don't think we should, but I don't think I should be judged because I disagree with it.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the long comment,
g2bhapi26
Yikes! You work with some pretty intense people!
ReplyDeleteHere's my take on strategy when it comes to how to guarnatee the rights of a minority....
http://daisybrain.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/seme-sex-marriage-the-maine-event/
I hate the fact that you can't un-type typos once they fly into cyberspace. I meant "guarantee," not "guarnatee".
ReplyDeleteWe need to make divorce illegal.... Is there a 'sanctity' of marriage anymore? In a world where you can get married by Elvis? In a world where it's almost as easy, if not easier, to get divorced as it is to get married?
ReplyDeleteI signed up to be a pastor online.... I can marry people and I'm just an everyday schmoe.... That should tell you something about the 'sanctity' of marriage....
http://asblackasobama.blogspot.com