What Changed? Will the Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Cases Affect You?

[olger]

I stated several months ago that gender fluidity was coming rapidly down the pike. I was of course, correct.

g

[Tom Wetmore]

A few months ago, Michael Peabody, Juan Perla, Alexander Carpenter, and I discussed the pending oral arguments on the cases of Hollingsworth v. Perry and U.S. v. Windsor. The Supreme Court rendered 5-4 decisions in both cases yesterday and the two decisions in total are a fairly substantial victory for those who support the rights of gays to civilly marry in this country.[1]Certainly there are those who think the decisions went too far, and others who think the decisions did not go far enough. However, in both cases, I find the Court’s rationales to be fairly sound, from a legal perspective.

Rest of article:

http://religiousliberty.tv/what-changed-will-the-courts-same-sex-marriage-cases-affect-you.html

Nobody has really answered the question in the title of this topic. How has this effected you personally? What changes does it mean for your life?

[olger]

It could help cause people you love to be lost. Think of Lot's children, as example.

G

[kailooa]

Tom, thanks for reminding us. My own nuclear family (meaning just parents and kids) are not affected directly. I feel personally affected because so many people I care about and some I'm related to are personally affected. A close family member will be able to extend her military benefits to her wife and two children, after more than 30 years of honorable military service all over the world. Another couple is spared the expense and stress of a second-parent adoption since they are both now legally recognized as their child's parents. A couple from my church family is planning a legal wedding after 20+ years of commitment; they are very relieved to have legal protections for their estate and health concerns as they age. Many, many other friends, coworkers, and members of my extended family are affected in large and small ways, all positive. People who have been suicidal over the way they were treated, the messages they got from society, family and the church that they shouldn't even exist, are feeling a little more equal, a little more loved, a little more accepted. And that is beautiful to behold.

[M. T. Cross]

then next would be legalized pot lifestyles..

That would be bad how?

[CoAspen]

Quote:

How has this effected you personally? What changes does it mean for your life?

(TW)

[kailooa]

I have to laugh... I've never heard of a "legalized pot lifestyle."

[Naomi]

I have to laugh... I've never heard of a "legalized pot lifestyle."

Me neither, but could be a good description.

[M. T. Cross]

To answer the original question......

Gay marriage has been legal here in Canada for some time now. It has effected my life in only one way. I can be proud that my country was one of the forerunners in justice and liberty. Other than that....... I still have to pay bills, go to work, I still wake up each morning, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am still married to my wife of 21 years, still raise my children. I have to pay insurance on my car, pay for gas. I still go sit by the river and go hiking. Still play my guitar and do art. I still read books, write essays and poetry.

In short not one single thing has changed due to gay people being able to legally profess their commitment to the person they love, and the same goes for every single person I know.

[joeb]

M.T.,

I don't know how a person can say nothing in their life changed when the society around them changed. I find that to be an impossibility.

The change may not be immediately visible to the individual, but there has been change.

[M. T. Cross]

And yet nothing in my life has because of this. There are no more or less gay people because of it. In my life there always have been gay people. The only difference is that their marital union is now recognized by the Government. That has no effect on my life at all. I always recognized any commitment they made in a relationship as being just as valid as a hetrosexual couples. The only way it would effect my life is if I was gay or a hater of homosexuality. I am and have never been either.

[olger]

I like this scripture -

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,The people He has chosen as His own inheritance.[13] The LORD looks from heaven;He sees all the sons of men" (Psalms 33:12).

`G

[joeb]

And yet nothing in my life has because of this. There are no more or less gay people because of it. In my life there always have been gay people. The only difference is that their marital union is now recognized by the Government. That has no effect on my life at all. I always recognized any commitment they made in a relationship as being just as valid as a hetrosexual couples. The only way it would effect my life is if I was gay or a hater of homosexuality. I am and have never been either.

Whenever society changes it affects everyone in that society, whether or not they are directly affected by the change. For instance, you're not a theif, but if the laws concerning theft change, that change is going to affect you one way or another. It may not be in anything obvious at all, and it may not even be noticed by you. It may be that that the law makes shoplifting a riskier proposition, and so shoplifting becomes something that is done a little less often. That results in the price of some product that you use to drop by a penny or two. That has affected you, but you'll never know what caused the price to drop, and because the price dropped so little the effect on your life really isn't noticeable to you. But, the change did affect you.

The same goes for any other law that changes society in some way. It will affect you unless you're a hermit who lives completely isolated from all aspects of society.

[M. T. Cross]

Ah yes, the Butterfly Effect. Now you are starting down the road of metaphysical debate. On that level of course it has affected me. All things are connected and we are a part of the All. Therefore any and every thing that happens has an effect on everything else. Gwyddon philosophy 101.

[olger]

All things are connected and we are a part of the All. Therefore any and every thing that happens has an effect on everything else. Gwyddon philosophy 101.

That sounds like one-ism to me. Ever hear of it?

repent always,

`G

[CoAspen]

Yep, would agree! But then, I'm not a butterfly, maybe some others are, I don't know!!

[olger]

Yep, would agree! But then, I'm not a butterfly, maybe some others are, I don't know!!

You just agreed to monism, CoA. Were you intending to do that, or just confused?

g

[Don777]

Quote:

What Changed? Will the Court’s Same-Sex Marriage Cases Affect You?

In society, we all affect each other. Friends of mine, viewed by me as staunch conservative Adventists, learned that their daughter was lesbian. Not only are they conservative but they are compassionate. They discussed at length with their daughter; seeking to understand. As they did so, their views changed. I was amazed, but, because they were my friends, I became more aware of the complexity of the issue.

Have I changed? I think so. I still consider homosexual sex to be outside of God's will, or ideal. But, my sympathies have changed. Of Jesus it has been said, "a bruised reed He will not break." I am much more sensitive to the bruised reeds then I used to be.

[M. T. Cross]

Originally Posted By: M. T. Cross

All things are connected and we are a part of the All. Therefore any and every thing that happens has an effect on everything else. Gwyddon philosophy 101.

That sounds like one-ism to me. Ever hear of it?

repent always,

`G

To a degree it is. Do you have a point?

[M. T. Cross]

Originally Posted By: CoAspen

Yep, would agree! But then, I'm not a butterfly, maybe some others are, I don't know!!

You just agreed to monism, CoA. Were you intending to do that, or just confused?

g

Sounds like iamholierthanthouism. Familiar with it?

[CoAspen]

Probably not....but possible very confused due to assumptionism, very difficult to cure!!

[phkrause]

In society, we all affect each other. Friends of mine, viewed by me as staunch conservative Adventists, learned that their daughter was lesbian. Not only are they conservative but they are compassionate. They discussed at length with their daughter; seeking to understand. As they did so, their views changed. I was amazed, but, because they were my friends, I became more aware of the complexity of the issue.

Have I changed? I think so. I still consider homosexual sex to be outside of God's will, or ideal. But, my sympathies have changed. Of Jesus it has been said, "a bruised reed He will not break." I am much more sensitive to the bruised reeds then I used to be.

Excellent post. I believe that Jesus said we should love the sinner, but hate the sin.

[joeb]

Ah yes, the Butterfly Effect. Now you are starting down the road of metaphysical debate. On that level of course it has affected me. All things are connected and we are a part of the All. Therefore any and every thing that happens has an effect on everything else. Gwyddon philosophy 101.

Oh, no. I'm now a Gryddon.... LOL.

Actually, there's nothing metaphysical about this. If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples affect the entire surface, and the larger the stone the larger the effect. It doesn't take a genius to figure this out, all it takes is the ability to generalize from one thing to another.

Just being a part of a society in which changes are made(the stone) is enough to affect anyone in that society(the water in the pond). That doesn't require anyone to be a part of "the All". It doesn't require metaphysics at all. All it takes is being interested in(caring about) our fellow man and studying what happens in society.

Who knows how much our actions change society? A smile and a friendly greeting to the right person can have a pretty big effect if it keeps someone from committing suicide, or killing someone else because they felt like no one cared. Love changes us and those around us in ways we just cannot measure, but not because the changes aren't measurable.

If a loving action can change society in some small way, who knows how much a law can change it?