B/W Photodude Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 It was predicted that this would occur and here it is! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/02/polygamous-montana-trio-applies-for-wedding-license/ Quote >>>Texts in blue type are quotes<<< ***************************************************************************** And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. --Shakespeare from Hamlet ***************************************************************************** Bill Liversidge Seminars The Emergent Church and the Invasion of Spiritualism Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonnie Posted July 2, 2015 Share Posted July 2, 2015 (edited) It was predicted that this would occur and here it is! http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/07/02/polygamous-montana-trio-applies-for-wedding-license/ Sounds reasonable. Who would it hurt,it would not affect my marriage. God loves polygamous individuals as well as straight and gay/lesbian. Don't they deserve the same respect and dignity of the homosexual and straight community? It really is all about love,isn't it. Who has the right to deny three individuals that love each other the right to the same legal rights that homosexual and straight couples that love each other have. How can you claim to be a christian and voice any objection? Doesn't the below include sincere loving polygamous threesome or more,isn't it only reasonable? I would think soon a Pride parade celebrating this when as more and more demand this? . As christians we certainly don't want to lose anymore by reading that misunderstood antiquated book We gave those who live outside of our faith tradition, very little reason to move any closer. By choosing to be rude and argumentative and hateful, we made Jesus fairly irrelevant; an option not really worth considering. Make no mistake, the eyes of the world were fully on the American Church this week, and too much of what they saw was a pretty lousy testimony to a God of love. Many people looked at the rotten fruit of our faith and simply turned away for good. Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come, but woe to the person through whom they come! Matthew 18:7 This stuff should simply break our collective hearts. All of us who claim Christ need to do some honest, invasive personal reflection. Regardless of our feelings about the Supreme Court’s decision, it’s clear that Christians lost far more valuable things than a 5 to 4 vote this week; things that we better fight like Hell to get back. Edited July 2, 2015 by bonnie Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted July 6, 2015 Author Share Posted July 6, 2015 Home Politics Culture Beliefs Institutions Ethics Blogs About Contact Donate After gay marriage, expect social amnesia Show caption Often the losers knit together a version of past events that disposes of the more damning details and casts their side in a more favorable light. Expect social amnesia as Christians debate sexuality. – (Image courtesy of Dave Schumaker – http://bit.ly/1KweZJq) History is not always written by the victors. Often the losers knit together a version of past events that disposes of the more damning details and casts their side in a more favorable light. In the 1970’s, UCLA history professor Russell Jacoby studied trends in the collective forgetting of groups of people. He dubbed it “social amnesia.” Others since then have also noted the tendency of groups to collectively repress history, usually because remembering the facts is not in the group’s best interest. Conservative Americans—and particularly conservative Christians—lost a decades-long cultural battle last week when the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. The decision, though expected, plunged conservatives into varying states of mourning, uncertainty, retreat, and retrenchment. But as the dust settles and reality sets in, we’re already witnessing signs of social amnesia. Expect to see more. On the day of the decision, I posted a satirical tweet about how millions of straight conservative Christians were shocked to discover their marriages had not actually been harmed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Some conservatives responded that this was “straw man” and a “bogus red herring.” They contended that conservatives never made such arguments. Karen Swallow Prior, an author and professor at Liberty University whom I respect, objected that “no conservative Christians ever made that argument.” Another said I was “mocking an argument that no one is making.” But there are plenty examples of such arguments being made by high-level conservative Christian leaders in recent history. And they are easily accessible via a global information search engine that researchers are now calling “Google.” To wit: – A pamphlet produced by the Family Research Council argued that if gay marriage were legal, fewer married people would “remain monogamous and sexually faithful.” It went on to say, “Worse than this, people would be more likely to get divorced after gay marriage is legal.” And because tragedy always comes in threes, the pamphlet adds that legalizing gay marriage would result in “lower birth rates than if it had not been legalized.” – In 2010, Bishop Harry Jackson penned an article at CNN.com titled, “Same-sex marriages will hurt families, society” in which he stated, “Advocates of making same-sex marriage a legally recognized right claim that this will have no impact on traditional marriage — that it can peacefully coexist alongside traditional marriage. On the contrary, it will have profound impacts.” – In 2013, Dr. John Barber, a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination offered “Ten reasons why ‘same-sex marriage’ affects your marriage.” He claimed that gay marriage “reduces the worth” of straight marriage, “challenges the nature” of straight marriage, and “makes the concept of husband and wife irrelevant in your marriage” among other things. – In 2014, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) posted an article on their website written by a college professor named Denny Burk titled, “How gay marriage will impact your marriage.” It offered an ominous warning: “legal gay marriage could hurt straight marriage in ways that people never anticipated.” – Mark Regnerus, a favorite sociologist of Christians on the right, penned a lengthy article for The Witherspoon Institute titled, “Yes, Marriage Will Be Changed—And Here’s How.” He wrote, “This, I predict, will be same-sex marriage’s signature effect on the institution—the institutionalization of monogamish as an acceptable marital trait. No, gay men can’t cause straight men to cheat. Instead, the legitimacy newly accorded their marital unions spells opportunity for men everywhere to bend the boundaries. Dan Savage will be proud.” These leaders were invited to speak at major churches, Christian conferences, and religious colleges without protest from the faithful. Their organizations were—and in some cases, are—funded on the scale of tens of millions of dollars per year. So how have their comments been forgotten so quickly? It’s not that conservatives are denying the existence of arguments they know were made by the organizations to which they pledge allegiance; rather, they have collectively (and conveniently) forgotten that such arguments were made. As gay marriage becomes less taboo in American culture, you can expect this trend to continue. In the days ahead, you’ll hear many Christians crying about “militant gays” and “liberal bullies” in the days to come. But examples of militant, bullying Christian extremism will be absent from their speeches. They’ll forget they supported damaging ex-gay therapies. They’ll disavow leaders like Tony Perkins and Jerry Falwell, pretending that they were created by CNN and not catapulted into the social stratosphere through their donated dollars. They’ll never mention that their sermons once stated that HIV/AIDS was God’s judgment on LGBT persons, or spoke of sexual minorities like disgusting deviations of the human species. They’ll forget all about how their leaders pressured politicians to block or reduce funding for AIDS research—actions that contributed to countless deaths of LGBT persons. They’ll preach from their pulpits that repentance and confession for past mistakes is necessary for healing, all the while failing to do either. Do not expect to hear conservatives mention that the still-revered Presbyterian pastor D. James Kennedy he once reacted to a notion of gays serving in the military by sending out a letter asking, “Honestly, would you want your son, daughter, or grandchild sharing a shower, foxhole, or blood with a homosexual?” Do not expect them to recall that Ten Commandment crusader and Alabama Judge Roy Moore called homosexuality an “abhorrent, immoral, detestable crime against nature” that should be punishable by law. Do not expect them to tell you that Family Research Council Tony Perkins claimed that the “homosexual movement” is actually responsible for gay youth suicides. Or that his orgnization gave its highest award to a man who compared LGBT persons to maggots and murderers. Do not expect them to make mention of how one of their favorite historians, David Barton, once asked, “Why don’t we regulate homosexuality?” comparing gay men and lesbians to trans-fats, fast food, cigarettes, liquor, and salt. All of these stories will have been collectively forgotten, replaced by stories of grandmother bakers penalized for not providing cakes to LGBT couples. If conservative Christians want to engage these conversations honestly, they must begin by remembering their own past and repenting of their sins. They must own the role they played in promoting reparative therapies, blocking political solutions to the AIDS crisis, and contributing to depression that led to gay youth suicides. And they must admit their collective silence when they and their leaders spoke of LGBT persons as if they were scars on the face of an otherwise beautiful human population. A Palestinian poet once wrote, “If you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story and to start with ‘secondly’.” As conservative Christians attempt to preserve their beliefs on sexuality amid a rapidly shifting landscape, they will tell many stories that begin with “secondly.” In those moments, it is incumbent on the rest of us who haven’t forgotten the facts to clear our throats, open our mouths, and remind them of the “firstly.” My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. Share this: When it comes to history, forgetting the facts is a most dangerous delusion. Comments are closed - See more at: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2015/07/02/after-gay-marriage-expect-social-amnesia/#sthash.KSahY5OR.dpuf 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. Share this: Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
After gay marriage, expect social amnesia Show caption Often the losers knit together a version of past events that disposes of the more damning details and casts their side in a more favorable light. Expect social amnesia as Christians debate sexuality. – (Image courtesy of Dave Schumaker – http://bit.ly/1KweZJq) History is not always written by the victors. Often the losers knit together a version of past events that disposes of the more damning details and casts their side in a more favorable light. In the 1970’s, UCLA history professor Russell Jacoby studied trends in the collective forgetting of groups of people. He dubbed it “social amnesia.” Others since then have also noted the tendency of groups to collectively repress history, usually because remembering the facts is not in the group’s best interest. Conservative Americans—and particularly conservative Christians—lost a decades-long cultural battle last week when the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide. The decision, though expected, plunged conservatives into varying states of mourning, uncertainty, retreat, and retrenchment. But as the dust settles and reality sets in, we’re already witnessing signs of social amnesia. Expect to see more. On the day of the decision, I posted a satirical tweet about how millions of straight conservative Christians were shocked to discover their marriages had not actually been harmed by the Supreme Court’s decision. Some conservatives responded that this was “straw man” and a “bogus red herring.” They contended that conservatives never made such arguments. Karen Swallow Prior, an author and professor at Liberty University whom I respect, objected that “no conservative Christians ever made that argument.” Another said I was “mocking an argument that no one is making.” But there are plenty examples of such arguments being made by high-level conservative Christian leaders in recent history. And they are easily accessible via a global information search engine that researchers are now calling “Google.” To wit: – A pamphlet produced by the Family Research Council argued that if gay marriage were legal, fewer married people would “remain monogamous and sexually faithful.” It went on to say, “Worse than this, people would be more likely to get divorced after gay marriage is legal.” And because tragedy always comes in threes, the pamphlet adds that legalizing gay marriage would result in “lower birth rates than if it had not been legalized.” – In 2010, Bishop Harry Jackson penned an article at CNN.com titled, “Same-sex marriages will hurt families, society” in which he stated, “Advocates of making same-sex marriage a legally recognized right claim that this will have no impact on traditional marriage — that it can peacefully coexist alongside traditional marriage. On the contrary, it will have profound impacts.” – In 2013, Dr. John Barber, a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America denomination offered “Ten reasons why ‘same-sex marriage’ affects your marriage.” He claimed that gay marriage “reduces the worth” of straight marriage, “challenges the nature” of straight marriage, and “makes the concept of husband and wife irrelevant in your marriage” among other things. – In 2014, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) posted an article on their website written by a college professor named Denny Burk titled, “How gay marriage will impact your marriage.” It offered an ominous warning: “legal gay marriage could hurt straight marriage in ways that people never anticipated.” – Mark Regnerus, a favorite sociologist of Christians on the right, penned a lengthy article for The Witherspoon Institute titled, “Yes, Marriage Will Be Changed—And Here’s How.” He wrote, “This, I predict, will be same-sex marriage’s signature effect on the institution—the institutionalization of monogamish as an acceptable marital trait. No, gay men can’t cause straight men to cheat. Instead, the legitimacy newly accorded their marital unions spells opportunity for men everywhere to bend the boundaries. Dan Savage will be proud.” These leaders were invited to speak at major churches, Christian conferences, and religious colleges without protest from the faithful. Their organizations were—and in some cases, are—funded on the scale of tens of millions of dollars per year. So how have their comments been forgotten so quickly? It’s not that conservatives are denying the existence of arguments they know were made by the organizations to which they pledge allegiance; rather, they have collectively (and conveniently) forgotten that such arguments were made. As gay marriage becomes less taboo in American culture, you can expect this trend to continue. In the days ahead, you’ll hear many Christians crying about “militant gays” and “liberal bullies” in the days to come. But examples of militant, bullying Christian extremism will be absent from their speeches. They’ll forget they supported damaging ex-gay therapies. They’ll disavow leaders like Tony Perkins and Jerry Falwell, pretending that they were created by CNN and not catapulted into the social stratosphere through their donated dollars. They’ll never mention that their sermons once stated that HIV/AIDS was God’s judgment on LGBT persons, or spoke of sexual minorities like disgusting deviations of the human species. They’ll forget all about how their leaders pressured politicians to block or reduce funding for AIDS research—actions that contributed to countless deaths of LGBT persons. They’ll preach from their pulpits that repentance and confession for past mistakes is necessary for healing, all the while failing to do either. Do not expect to hear conservatives mention that the still-revered Presbyterian pastor D. James Kennedy he once reacted to a notion of gays serving in the military by sending out a letter asking, “Honestly, would you want your son, daughter, or grandchild sharing a shower, foxhole, or blood with a homosexual?” Do not expect them to recall that Ten Commandment crusader and Alabama Judge Roy Moore called homosexuality an “abhorrent, immoral, detestable crime against nature” that should be punishable by law. Do not expect them to tell you that Family Research Council Tony Perkins claimed that the “homosexual movement” is actually responsible for gay youth suicides. Or that his orgnization gave its highest award to a man who compared LGBT persons to maggots and murderers. Do not expect them to make mention of how one of their favorite historians, David Barton, once asked, “Why don’t we regulate homosexuality?” comparing gay men and lesbians to trans-fats, fast food, cigarettes, liquor, and salt. All of these stories will have been collectively forgotten, replaced by stories of grandmother bakers penalized for not providing cakes to LGBT couples. If conservative Christians want to engage these conversations honestly, they must begin by remembering their own past and repenting of their sins. They must own the role they played in promoting reparative therapies, blocking political solutions to the AIDS crisis, and contributing to depression that led to gay youth suicides. And they must admit their collective silence when they and their leaders spoke of LGBT persons as if they were scars on the face of an otherwise beautiful human population. A Palestinian poet once wrote, “If you want to dispossess a people, the simplest way to do it is to tell their story and to start with ‘secondly’.” As conservative Christians attempt to preserve their beliefs on sexuality amid a rapidly shifting landscape, they will tell many stories that begin with “secondly.” In those moments, it is incumbent on the rest of us who haven’t forgotten the facts to clear our throats, open our mouths, and remind them of the “firstly.” My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. My chronicle of courage 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. 30 June 2015 #HateWins: the love war By Elizabeth Syson This week, the landscape of my social media changed. Videos of toddlers tipping over and puppies meeting mirrors gave way to rainbows, Bibles, and wedding rings. This week, the invisible but apparently insuperable trench between my liberal friends and my conservative friends widened and became a war zone—not because of a Supreme Court decision, but because of our reactions to it. Angry words fly. New hashtags appear in favour of—or in fury against—recent events. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards equality this week celebrate. And they have reason to celebrate; to them, this is a victory for an oppressed minority. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who won and then rubbed the loser’s face in it. Please, my liberal friends, win gracefully. If #lovewins, demonstrate it by showing love to those who fought against you at every step. Remember that they, too, are fighting for convictions—beliefs they hold as deeply as you do yours. My friends who believe our country has taken a great stride towards destruction this week mourn. And they have reason to mourn; to them, this is a desecration of something holy. But I’ve always hated the kid on the playground who lost and then pouted. Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins. Share this: When it comes to history, forgetting the facts is a most dangerous delusion.
bonnie Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 The Use of Christian Websites to Attack Born-again Christians I have personally investigated more than a dozen Christian online magazines that allow readers to comment on their feature articles, and almost every one of them permits gay activists to freely use these very same psychological attacks, via their Comments, against the born-again Christians who are among their readers and commenters. These publications are free to filter comments any way they want to; the First Amendment does not prohibit them from doing so. Now, I don’t know if the editors of these magazines are simply not aware that the homosexual movement is using them in this way – as a Trojan Horse, in effect — to attack born-again Christians; or if, perhaps, they already know this, but have their reasons to permit it anyway. But I do know this: everything is done for a reason, but not everything that is done has an excuse. And I do know that born-again Christians should be able to read Comments on Christian magazine websites without being subjected to psychological attacks by gay activists. Kirk and Mardsen 1989 working very well Some of the more interesting things found in this book are...... How many of these tactics can be denied. Desensitization: Talking about Gays and Gayness as Loudly and as Often as Possible And I quote: “To desensitize the public is to help it view homosexuality with indifference instead of keen emotion.Desensitization aims at lowering the intensity of antigay emotional reactions to a level approximating sheer indifference. The principle behind this advice is simple. Almost any behavior begins to look normal if you are exposed to enough of it at close quarters and among your acquaintances. The acceptability of the new behavior will ultimately hinge on the number of one’s fellows doing it or accepting it. The way to benumb raw sensibilities about homosexuality is to have a lot of people talk a great deal about the subject in a neutral or supportive way. And I quote: “While public opinion is one primary source of mainstream values, religious authority is the other. When conservative churches condemn gays, there are only two things we can do to confound the homophobia of true believers. First we can use talk to muddy the moral waters. This means publicizing support for gays by more moderate churches, raising theological objections of our own about conservative interpretation of Biblical teaching and exposing hatred and inconsistency. We can undermine the moral authority of homophobic churches by portraying them as antiquated and backwards, badly out of step with the times and with the latest findings of psychology.” Another popular strategy used to undermine the moral authority of Christian churches is to repeatedly point out the moral failings of churches and their leaders. Unfortunately, there are more than enough of such moral failings to keep the gay activists supplied with fresh ammunition. Jamming: Creating an “Incompatible Emotional Response” And I quote: “In Jamming, the target is shown a bigot being rejected by his crowd for his prejudice against gays. The ‘incompatible emotional response’ is directed primarily against the emotional rewards of prejudicial solidarity. All normal people feel shame when they perceive that they are not thinking, feeling, or acting like one of the pack. The trick is to get the bigot into the position of feeling a conflicting twinge of shame, along with his reward, whenever his homohatred surfaces, so that his reward will be diluted or spoiled. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways,all making use of repeated exposure to pictorial images or verbal statements that are incompatible with his self-image as a well-liked person, one who fits in with the rest of the crowd. Thus,propagandistic advertisement can depict homophobic and homohating bigots being criticized, hated, shunned. It can depict gays experiencing horrific suffering as the direct result of homohatred–suffering of which even most bigots would be ashamed to be the cause. It can, in short, link homohating bigotry with all sorts of attributes the bigot would be ashamed to possess, and with social consequences he would find unpleasant and scary. The attack, therefore, is on self-image and on the pleasure in hating. Remember, a bigot seeks approval and liking from ‘his crowd.’ When he sees someone like himself being disapproved of and disliked by ordinary Joes, he will feel just what they feel –and transfer it to himself. This wrinkle effectively elicits shame and doubt, Jamming any pleasure he might normally feel. Our effect is achieved without reference to facts, logic, or proof.” Examples of “Jamming” would include: 1) the repeated use of name-calling, e.g., “bigot”, “liar”, “fundie”, “bible-thumper” and “homophobe” to create a feeling of shame; and 2) the repeated use of potentially disturbing accusations, e.g., “you are part of an ever-dwindling minority”, “more and more churches are supporting gay rights”, “you’re losing” and “all of the mental health and medical associations say that there is nothing wrong or bad about being gay”, all of which are designed to make the opposition – such as born-again Christians — feel isolated, marginalized and out of the mainstream of society; 3) derogatory references to God as “your mythical sky fairy” and to His Word as the “buy-bull”; and 4) witness this trail of vitriolic comments from a single commenter concerning just one article re. homosexuality published on a Christian website… Portray Gays as Victims, Not as Aggressive Challengers And I quote: “Gays must be cast as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to assume the role of protector. If gays are presented, instead, as a strong and prideful tribe promoting a rigidly nonconformist and deviant lifestyle, they are more likely to be seen as a public menace that justifies resistance and oppression. For that reason, we must forego the temptation to strut our ‘gay pride’ publicly when it conflicts with the Gay Victim image. A media campaign to promote the Gay Victim image should make use of symbols which reduce the mainstream’s sense of threat, which lower its guard, and which enhance the plausibility of victimization. In practical terms, this means thatsympathetic figures of nice young people, old people, and attractive women would be featured.” And I quote:“The mainstream should be told that gays are victims of fate, in the sense that most never had a choice to accept or reject their sexual preference. The message must read: ‘As far as gays can tell, they were born gay, just as you were born heterosexual or white or black or bright or athletic. They never made a choice, and are not morally blameworthy. What they do isn’t willfully contrary –it’s only natural for them. This twist of fate could as easily have happened to you! Straight viewers must be able to identify with gays as victims. To this end, the persons featured in the public campaign should be decent and upright, appealing and admirable by straight standards, completely unexceptionable in appearance.” Give Heterosexual Protectors a Just Cause And I quote: “Our campaign should not demand direct support for homosexual practices, but should instead take anti-discrimination as its theme. The right to free speech, freedom of beliefs, freedom of association, due process and equal protection of laws–these should be the concerns brought to mind by our campaign. It is especially important for the gay movement to hitch its cause to accepted standards of law and justice because its straight supporters must have at hand a cogent reply to the moral arguments of its enemies. The homophobes clothe their emotional revulsion in the daunting robes of religious dogma, so defenders of gay rights must be ready to counter dogma with principle.” Familiar examples would include couching “gay marriage” in terms of “civil rights”, insisting on adoption “rights” for homosexual couples and demanding that openly gay boys and teens be welcomed into the Boy Scouts of America because “it’s not their fault” that they like boys. All of these issues are being promoted in the name of “equality”, and mainstream America is buying into it. Conversion: Make Gays Look Good to the Public And I quote: “In order to offset the increasingly bad press that these times have brought to homosexual men and women, the campaign should paint gays as superior pillars of society: ‘Did you know that this Great Man (or Woman) was ____?’ We are safest, in the long run, if we can actually make them like us. Conversion aims at just this. We mean conversion of the average American’s emotions, mind, and will, through a planned psychological attack, in the form of propaganda fed to the nation via the media. In Conversion, the bigot, who holds a very negative stereotypic picture, is repeatedly exposed to literal picture/label pairs, in magazines, and on billboards and TV, of gay- explicitly labeled as such!–who not only don’t look like his picture of a homosexual, but are carefully selected to look either like the bigot and his friends, or like any one of his other stereotypes of all-right guys– the kind of people he already likes and admires.The image must be that of an icon of normality.” And I quote: “The objection will be raised that we are exchanging one false stereotype for another equally false; that our ads are lies; that that is not how all gays actually look; that gays know it, and bigots know it. Yes, of course–we know it, too. But it makes no difference that the ads are lies; not to us, because we’re using them to ethically good effect. In Conversion, the target is shown his crowd actually associating with gays in good fellowship. Once again, it’s very difficult for the average person, who, by nature and training, almost invariably feels what he sees his fellows feeling, not to respond in this knee-jerk fashion to a sufficiently calculated advertisement.” Make the Anti-gay Victimizers Look Bad And I quote: “At a later stage of the media campaign for gay rights it will be time to get tough with remaining opponents. To be blunt, they must be vilified. Our goal here is twofold. First, we seek to replace the mainstream’s self-righteous pride about its homophobia with shame and guilt. Second, we intend to make the antigays look so nasty that average Americans will want to dissociate themselves from such types. The public should be shown images of ranting homophobes whose secondary traits and beliefs disgust middle America. These images might include: the Ku Klux Klan demanding that gays be burned alive or castrated; bigoted southern ministersdrooling with hysterical hatred to a degree that looks both comical and deranged; a tour of Nazi concentration camps where homosexuals were tortured and gassed. A common tactic used nowadays to vilify born-again Christians is to claim that the Bible approves of slavery, polygamy, incest, etc., in order to portray Christians as rank “cherry picking” hypocrites for selectively condemning the practice of homosexuality. Another common tactic is “jamming”, as described above, where born-again Christians, in particular, are constantly subjected to name-calling, e.g., “bigot”, “liar”, “fundie”, “bible-thumper” and “homophobe.” And, of course, this strategy depends entirely upon the eager cooperation of our mainstream, liberal media – TV, movies, magazines, newspapers, comics, theater, billboards and the internet. And, as you will see below, even Christian online magazines are joining in. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeMo Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 Gay said: "Please, my conservative friends, lose gracefully. If you claim to follow a loving God, demonstrate it by showing His love to those whose lifestyles counter yours daily. Remember that for them, too, your Saviour died—for sins no blacker than yours. My liberal friends, remember that if your open-mindedness extends only to those who share your convictions, it masks intolerance. My conservative friends, remember that you follow the Jesus of prostitutes and thieves, and if your love ends at the church doors, it masks hate. I beg for grace, from both sides and for both sides. Because your identity is so much broader than which side of this trench you claim. Your life is far too complex, too rich, too unique to be encapsulated in this one opinion. And so is every other life around you. I’m exhausted by the sneers, the jabs, the hate. I see a battlezone strewn with hurting people firing indiscriminate barbs at other hurting people. I ache for a day when love truly wins." I agree with you that if believers claim to love God and their fellow man, we need to embrace all people and all cultures and all sinners with love and compassion. I do NOT agree that all believers -whether right or wrong - are obligated to accept the revision of God's definition of marriage by a secular humanistic government. It is one thing to accept gays as they are. It is a totally different thing to condone it and celbrate it in our congregations with government-sanctioned sacramental ceremony. God has defined marriage as the union of a man and woman; and the government has no right to revise that definition or persecute people who are following thier religious liberty right to believe what they think God says - right or wrong. This is IMO a blow against religious liberty and freedom of belief - not a victory of gay rights. Naomi and phkrause 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whbae Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 This is such a great statement. Absolutely loved it. The justices will have to answer to God someday. Thanks for sending this & I'll share it with some of my friends. Naomi 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8thdaypriest Posted July 7, 2015 Share Posted July 7, 2015 I stumbled on the "godbeforegovernment" website this morning. There is a "Christian Flag". I didn't know that. Anyway, pastors all over the country have begun to fly the Christian flag ABOVE the United States Flag on their church properties, to send the message "one nation, UNDER God". Personally - we are NO LONGER "one nation under God". The court's decision made THAT perfectly clear. But I totally agree with the Pastor's statement, "God BEFORE government". Naomi and phkrause 2 Quote 8thdaypriest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted July 14, 2015 Author Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Nobody chose to wear the Mantle. We were chosen without realizing it.. Edited July 14, 2015 by GayatfootofCross Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted July 16, 2015 Author Share Posted July 16, 2015 Phony Martyrdom and Mutiny Over Marriage Equality 0 Wayne Besen June 16, 2015 (Weekly Column) For nearly two decades gay couples have fought for the right to marry. When we appeared in state offices we were turned away with clerks saying: “Sorry, but gay marriage is against the law.” So it was, and we walked away dejected but – as good Americans – respecting the law as it was currently written. These laws were humiliating, hurtful, and legally damaging. For LGBT Christians, Jews and other people of faith these bigoted obstacles to marriage equality desecrated their sincerely held religious beliefs. However, our values and beliefs meant little more than a heap of garbage to our foes on the Religious Right. With moral certitude, they proclaimed, “the law is the law” and if you don’t like it, change the law or leave America. The anti-gay extremists were correct. In a free and orderly nation there is a process to petition for altering laws. LGBT advocates spent millions of dollars fighting for equality. We had to endure painful and emotionally trying referendums that lied about our lives and essentially put our families on trial. Putting our most basic rights up for a vote was a grotesque perversion of democracy – and I wish it on no other group of people. We also took the prohibitively expensive route of the courts, because these discriminatory and unconstitutional laws are based on pure anti-gay animus and serve no legitimate societal purpose. This drained our personal time and money. It put us on a slow, laborious path while our relationships remained stuck in a bizarre state of legal limbo. Many LGBT people saw a partner die before the legal process played out. Not only did they endure the trauma of losing a loved one, but in the midst of mourning had to suffer though unbearably cruel legal obstacles that treated these couples as if they had been strangers. Still, we soldiered on against incredible odds. We lost referendum after referendum, where our neighbors went to the ballot box to invalidate the very core of our existence. We marched door-to-door, in often-inclement weather, to persuade the community that our relationships were worthy of dignity and respect. During this entire period, our opponents assured us that we were in a culture war. Both sides would fight hard within the framework of the law. There would be winners and losers. The Religious Right was fine with these rules of engagement – as long as they were winning. Now that they are losing in both the courts and the court of public opinion, they want to change the rules of the game. This shows that they are lowdown cheaters who aren’t interested in democracy or in American values. (Perhaps this is why so many of them, like C-Fam’s Austin Ruse, worship Russia’s police state tyrant Vladimir Putin) In a full-page newspaper ad in USA Today in anticipation of a Supreme Court ruling on gay marraige, a who’s-who of religious extremists demanded: “We ask you not force us to choose between the state and the Laws of God.” These fundies must be terribly confused. They live in the United States of America, not “The United States of God.” They aren’t special and will have to follow the rules, just like we did. It’s instructive that these fanatics had no issue forcing pro-LGBT religious congregations to choose between oppressive state marriage laws and their “laws of God.” Hypocritically, it seems that the only people that truly matter are fundamentalists. As far as these intolerant demagogues are concerned, democracy and religious liberty are merely convenient tools that are cynically invoked to their political benefit. The moment they begin to lose they start to make threats, pretend to be martyrs and victims, and work feverishly to undermine and delegitimize key American institutions, such as the courts. In the USA Today ad, noteworthy theocrats such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), Rev. Franklin Graham, and Alan Keyes, threatened to “not honor any decision by the Supreme Court which will force us to violate a clear biblical understanding of marriage as solely the union of one man and one woman.” This un-American declaration of mutiny is disgraceful and traitorous. The U.S. is not the Christian version of Iran and these rebellious malcontents do not get the special right to obey only the laws they fancy. What they are truly demanding is a state of chaos and anarchy. Our opponents understand that the vast majority of Americans heartily reject their phony plea that America is a “Christian Nation.” Thus, they can only achieve their nefarious goals through coercion, confusion, cheating, and force. Don’t be fooled by the tantrums and tirades. No one is compelling any of these bigots to gay marry. No one is forcing them to violate their so-called consciences and perform gay weddings. They are simply sore losers who are apoplectic because they may be losing their ability to wantonly violate the consciences of others with impunity. ...... I agree withmuch of the principles but not nec. the approach. Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted July 19, 2015 Author Share Posted July 19, 2015 (edited) God V. Gays Is a False Narrative In the days since the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, a number of false narratives have started dominating our airwaves and social media. People of faith are pitted against the LGBT community, which is positioned as both godless and faithless. Let's be clear -- many LGBT citizens are people of faith and hold strong religious beliefs. And every faith community in this country includes LGBT people in its pews. The talking heads on cable claim that religious people's beliefs are under assault and that their churches will be forced to solemnize same-sex nuptials. Let's unpack those concerns. Freedom of religion, enshrined in the establishment clause of the first amendment, makes it crystal clear: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The right of every citizen to freely practice his or her religion is fundamental and inviolate -- as is the separation of church and state. That means that everyone is free to practice and believe what he or she likes. That was true on June 25 and remained true in the wake of the marriage decision on June 26. It has always been the prerogative of each religious institution to decide whom it would and would not marry and if that marriage would take place in its sanctuary. Those decisions remain solely in the hands of clergy and congregations. Some churches will decide that they will perform weddings for same-sex couples, others will not. Some clergy will perform marriages and others won't. For some perspective, my very straight Catholic mother and Episcopalian father were not permitted to marry inside my mother's parish Church. (For the record, they were granted permission to marry on the steps outside of that Church.) It is essential to understand that the marriage ruling granted same-sex couples a civil right to marry with no religious component whatsoever. That's why wedding officiates -- from judges to rabbis to priests -- conclude marriage ceremonies, saying, "by the power vested in me by the state..." Another false narrative that has emerged is the notion that people of faith are having their religious freedom trampled because LGBT couples can now marry in every state. They argue that they should be allowed to refuse services based on their personal religious convictions. Let's examine the not so hypothetical case of the county clerk who feels that his freedom of religion is under assault because he must now issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The clerk, a civil servant, holds deep religious convictions and feels that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. The clerk is unfettered to believe that and freely express his opinion. Nevertheless, as a civil servant, employed by the county and being paid by the people of that county to carry out certain duties, he cannot start picking and choosing which civic duty he will perform based on his personal religious belief. If he won't issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, he has a very simple option to find a job that better conforms to his conscience. The free expression of his religious belief remains completely untrammeled. One reason these false narratives flourish is that the media picks the most extreme anti-LGBT religious spokespeople to make a case. A 2012 study by the University of Missouri examined 316 news stories about LGBT issues over three years on TV and in print. 1,387 different religious sources were quoted in those stories. The study found that "three out of four religious messages came from people whose religions have formal policies opposing LGBT equality." That unbalanced dynamic has been in overdrive since June 26, excluding the voices of so many people of faith who hold more accepting views of LGBT people and giving a megaphone to those who don't. As an LGBT person of faith, I hope that we set aside these false narratives and start the hard work of building understanding and acceptance. While I fully understand that some people with firm religious beliefs may never agree with me, I have faith that many more will. Especially if we can cut through the noise and start focusing on what should unite us, which is love and the golden rule. Edited July 19, 2015 by GayatfootofCross Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GayatfootofCross Posted August 9, 2015 Author Share Posted August 9, 2015 (edited) Benham Brothers say marriage equality is the worst thing to happen in America LGBTQ Nation Friday, August 7, 2015 Share on facebook4.6K Share on twitter32 Share on reddit More Sharing Services The Benham brothers Right Wing Watch reports that on Saturday, Jason and David Benham were guests on a radio program hosted by former Alaska GOP Senate Candidate Joe Miller to promote their new book, “Whatever The Cost.” In regards to gay marriage, Jason said: “The Supreme Court’s decision on marriage – it was the worst thing that could have happened to our nation but it was the best thing that could have ever happened to the Church. Because now we get a chance to experience real persecution and when persecution comes that’s God’s prescription to purify us. And we now as a Church are going to be able experience that purification and it will separate the weak from the chaste.” Edited August 9, 2015 by GayatfootofCross Quote For all Eternity God waited in anticipation for You to show up to give You a Message - YOUR INCLUDED !!! { a merry dance }?️? " If you tarry 'til you're better You will never come at all " .. "I Will Rise" by the late great saved Glen Campbell If your picture of God is starting to feel too good to be true, you're starting to move in the right direction. "My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." Romeo and Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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