Should committed same-sex relationships be recognized by the government? (morals, homosexuals)

[Pah]

Originally Posted by Melody

It depends on on which bible laws you are talking about. We are no longer under obligation to obey the religious laws (dietary laws, etc.) or civic laws (stoning someone for a crime) but are still required to obey the moral restrictions.

Some Christians will disagree with you. If you can pick and choose from the Old Testament, they would say you are not a true follower of God

The whole point of faith is that, despite all reason and logic, there is something that tells us that this is truth. I can't convince you. I can only explain my point of view. If you choose to disregard it, then that is your free will. However, I must live by my faith. If I do not, then God is no longer first in my life and my faith says He must be. To live any other way would be hypocrisy.

I agree with everything you have just said - just don't try to force that on others.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by pah

I have no problem and a great deal of respect for your chosen worldview. I only ask, as is my right, that you not try to force me to it. Not voting at all would seem to satsify both worldviews.

Pah,
To be perfectly honest, I've often wondered if I should have just sat silently by....but could not convince myself (at the time the vote was held) that was the best course of action. I haven't yet decided if I'm being hypocritical if I sit back and do nothing.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by pah

Some Christians will disagree with you. If you can pick and choose from the Old Testament, they would say you are not a true follower of God.

Yes....fortunately I don't have to answer to them. I don't have my bible with me at work so can't find the quote in the NT that speaks to this issue of following the laws of the OT.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by Holly

Yes, with full fledged marriage rights that are equal in all way to heterosexual marriages! I am bisexual and personally, I don't understand why people want to deny GLBT community rights. I mean, why? What is so wrong with letting us have rights? Are we subhuman or something??

Holly,
I've always hated the glib little "hate the sin, not the sinner" that some christians throw out. How can you hate one and not the other. I don't hate homosexuals or considered them subhuman or somehow less worthy. I just can't agree that it is right because it goes against my faith.

[Mr Spinkles]

Melody-- It would seem to me that not believing in the divinity of Christ is far more serious than a gay couple being allowed to visit each other in the hospital when the other is sick. Why not concentrate on getting an amendment passed that bans anyone from blaspheming the name of Christ by claiming he is not Divine?

Maybe governments instituted by people should concentrate on enforcing laws that protect the rights of people to pursue happiness the way they see fit. I don't agree with Muslims, Christians, or Satanists beliefs, but I would defend their right to have those beliefs, and to live out their religion/beliefs in any way they choose as long as they do not infringe on the rights of others. If it's against God's law to claim that Christ is not Divine, or to share health benefits with a gay partner, then so be it, but let God enforce God's laws. I don't think, if he exists, that he needs the help of the Ohio State legislature.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by Mr_Spinkles

Melody-- It would seem to me that not believing in the divinity of Christ is far more serious than a gay couple being allowed to visit each other in the hospital when the other is sick. Why not concentrate on getting an amendment passed that bans anyone from blaspheming the name of Christ by claiming he is not Divine?

There is a difference between the two but I'm not sure I'm able to put it in words right now. I'll work on it. In the meantime, we have a lot of laws on the book that are very much biblically based, which the courts (at the time) had no problems with. However, they always stopped short of a law that tells people they *must* be Christian. Apparently they saw the difference as well.

At this point in time, I can't in all good conscience vote for something that is against my beliefs. I'm on the fence as to whether abstaining from voting is an option or just a cop-out.

[Mr Spinkles]

Originally Posted by Melody

At this point in time, I can't in all good conscience vote for something that is against my beliefs.

So if they put it up to a vote whether or not people should be allowed to worship idols, you would vote to make it illegal?

See this is the problem with our society nowadays. We think the government should be ruling our lives, setting religious and moral standards, raising our kids for us, etc. Since when did Americans stop believing in liberty?

[Fluffy]

The whole point of faith is that, despite all reason and logic, there is something that tells us that this is truth. I can't convince you. I can only explain my point of view. If you choose to disregard it, then that is your free will. However, I must live by my faith. If I do not, then God is no longer first in my life and my faith says He must be. To live any other way would be hypocrisy.

I just find it so saddening that in the end, there is no real compromise that can be reached. It has come to a difference of beliefs where yours are vested in the Bible and mine are not. Since we don't accept a common sector for the basis of our belief, are we really forced into relying on a vote of the masses? This won't determine the right or wrong of the situation, it will just prove that more people believe in the Bible than not or vice versa. So in the end the issue becomes nothing to do with what it should be.

What I want is for those people who believe that it is wrong for homosexuals to be allowed to marry, and we aren't talking about a Christian marriage here, to come up with an arguement for why this is so beyond "it says so in the Bible". There HAS to be a reason behind why God has told you this so I challenge you to find it. It has been done for a large portion of the rest of the morals found in the Bible so why not this one as well?

[Druidus]

I agree with Spinks. I wouldn't vote that people should stop eating animals, because it isn't my right to interfere with the choices of others. However, I do believe they shouldn't. I would vote to allow them to do so, if they wanted to. That way, both sides could be happy. Stop trying to mediate the morals of other people, and worry about yourself.

[Mr Spinkles]

Originally Posted by Druidus

Stop trying to mediate the morals of other people, and worry about yourself.

Although I agree with you in principle, Druidus, I think it's important to note that being against government laws against something is not equivalent to "stop trying to mediate the morals of other people". There are many ways, besides enacting amendments and laws, that a person can influence the morals of others. How about distributing pamphlets?