Some facts about "shacking up."

[olger]

I understand your point, Rich. I have met some of those people as well. I like the analogy of taking the name of christian in a superficial way, comparable to shacking up. Pondering that...

G

[olger]

From facebook:

"I have a question for anyone who wants to answer......what is your opinion on living with your boyfriend/girlfriend before marriage???? Are you for it or against it??" AE

Some answers: "For it! That's the only way to really gauge whether you're compatible together in real life situations and not just the things you choose to do together." Melissa

"I'm for it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's 2011 and almost everyone lives together before marriage now a days......... Just my opinion........" Scott

"agreed! U don't really know the person unless u do....I don't think u should buy a house together tho sorry that's just a huge deal esp when u both own ur homes that's a major step." Kristen

"For it! For those of us divorced with kids, I think it's important for your partner to realize it's a "package" deal." Kristine

"totally for it. dave and i lived together four almost 5 yrs before we got married, i didn't care what anybody thought. do what u want. it's YOUR life and that's all that matters." Rachel

"For it. Like everyone else said. I know people who got married before they lived together and they didn't last a year." Heather

"I have been married twice and the first marriage we didn't live together and now we are divorced. Phil and I lived together first and we have been married for 13 years!" Amy

"Would you buy a car before test driving it? Buy a house without opening the front door? Present these questions to your church! Plus Amy you have to look out for number one!" FA

"For it! It serves as a probationary period. Dating a person is one thing, committing yourself to living with someone for the rest of your life is another! I don't see any negatives in it! I would much rather live with someone and realiz..." JR

"im for it but the final decision is between you & brian & how it would affect the boys. think & pray about it Amy. love ya." Jan

Out of thirty-two responses there was only one lady and myself opposed to it. Her post:

"I am obviously in the minority, but I don't agree with it. I have several reasons if you want to chat about it." MR

What do you think of the aforementioned responses? Lots of worldly reasons and no objective Biblical truth.

`g

[Gail]

I am against it, too. I remember, though, my 20th high school reunion and people were arguing for cohabitation. I was outnumbered...

[olger]

Times have changed, Gail. Times have changed...

Scripture to encourage your heart~

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. [14] But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; [15] And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:13-15).

`g

[Parade Orange]

It struck me as oddly ironic that as the ever increasing trend toward living together without the benefits of marriage among heterosexuals, the movement and efforts of homosexuals is in the exact opposite direction of seeking the benefit of marriage.

I am not too sure how to interpret that, but it does suggest to me that the campaign by conservatives against gay marriage as something that is bad for family values and an erosion of hetero-marriage is seriously misplaced, a fundamental non sequitur. The errosion of family values and marriage is within heterosexual relationships quite apart from anything to do with homosexuality. If every gay couple got married and lived happily ever after, would it change the fundametal problem with hetero-marriage suggested above? Would it mean that more hetero non-married couples would pack it in and choose to go with a more stable homosexual union? I think not.

i was thinking the same thing!

its weird that so many christians want gays not to marry but think should be happy just to live together.

and dont want straight couples to live together but should get married

the double standard are not lost on gays

its embarrassing

the want of stability shouldnt be a surprise

[phkrause]

Its a very sorry state of affairs this world is in.

[doug yowell]

its weird that so many christians want gays not to marry but think should be happy just to live together.

That's a gross misrepresentation of what most Christians "want" for gays. Bible believing Christians don't think that having sex with the same gender will bring either the participants or the society happiness. The living together part is irrelevent. Court and legislative edicts have granted gays the right to openly practice their lifestyle and are now attempting to force those who disapprove to also legally and socially redefine the moral acceptability of homosexual cohabitation.What you've described above is the forced legal concessions from Christians, not what they think gays should be happy with.Christians want gays to stop having sex with their own gender (repentence)and surrender their wills to their Creator.

[Parade Orange]

whosever.org

LINK

is a websight that doesnt hold to tradional biblical anti homosexual views and it goes verse by verse addressing the CONDEMING scriptures that have been tradionaly and even gleefully used against gays

there are christians who hold to these views

they are not popular but it may help u understrand where gay christians are coming from.

and that thing about wanting gays to stop having sex....

ummm...

[doug yowell]

[i was thinking the same thing!

its weird that so many christians want gays not to marry but think should be happy just to live together.

and dont want straight couples to live together but should get married

the double standard are not lost on gays

No double standard here.What's lost is the consistency of public condemnation for both lifestyles.As these studies show,straight couples who shack up are just as guilty of violating God's formula for happiness as are same sex couples. Living together apart from marriage is not considered by God to be marriage ("...and the one you have now is NOT your husband." John 4:17,18)any more than homosexual couples who might gain legal marriage status.The same Christians who oppose homosexual activity are the same ones who oppose shacking up. That's a single standard,also lost on those who've misplaced their moral compass.

[doug yowell]

the double standard are not lost on gays

its embarrassing

the want of stability shouldnt be a surprise

The double standard also applies to gays and heterosexual couples living in sin.---Oops there I go using the S word!!(I always speak in generalities since not all gays support either their lifestyle or the push for same sex marriage). Tom brings up a very interesting question: If traditional marriage is on the rocks and shacking up is the wave of the future then why are so many gays wanting to be let on the boat? "And if shacking up is so beneficial then why do so many cohabitors want to eventually get married? I guess the new, more intellectually astitute generation has yet to figure that one out.Maybe they just want to do what they want to do and to hell with the consequences and the rest of the world?

[Parade Orange]

the bible is THE moral compass but there are people who intepret it differently

MARRIAGE AND SABBATH insitutions came out of EDEN and were established before sin

and it is wrong to have sex outside of marriage

thats one of the reasons why gay christians want to get married

[John317]

The link you gave argues against the Bible's condemnation of the practice of homosexuality. It argues that God is OK with two men or two women living together.

http://whosoever.org/bible/

On 1 Cor. 6: 9-10:

http://whosoever.org/bible/corin.shtml

These are the same arguments I saw in the early 1970s at the gay churches I attended. If these views of the Bible's teachings are accepted by the SDA church, we will eventually see the practice of homosexuality accepted within the church.

[Parade Orange]

thats true JOHN317

and yes this stuff did come out the gay churches back then

[doug yowell]

whosever.org

LINK

is a websight that doesnt hold to tradional biblical anti homosexual views and it goes verse by verse addressing the CONDEMING scriptures that have been tradionaly and even gleefully used against gays

there are christians who hold to these views

they are not popular but it may help u understrand where gay christians are coming from.

I understand where these "Christians" are coming from.Attempting to twist the plainest teachings of Scripture to eliminate the fear of God's future judgment is nothing new and certainly not exclusive to gay "Christians" or their supporters.If the reinterpretation of those Scriptures keeps homosexual from acknowledging that his/her/it sexual practices are sinful then he/she/it will have no need to cry out to Christ for deliverance from those practices. Satan effectively uses Scripture on a consistent basis for a very good reason.

[Parade Orange]

i was among the number in slight ways in the 90's

i wish i knew about it in the 80's

my walk wouldnt have been so lonely

[doug yowell]

MARRIAGE AND SABBATH insitutions came out of EDEN and were established before sin

and it is wrong to have sex outside of marriage

thats one of the reasons why gay christians want to get married

Yes, I think that's a very good observation.

[John317]

and it is wrong to have sex outside of marriage

thats one of the reasons why gay christians want to get married

For gay people to get married to their lover/partner would only make them feel that having homosexual sex is blessed of God, and this would encourage them to go on practicing.

That's why I don't believe homosexual marriage is the solution. It is the opposite of teaching people that God would have us cease to practice homosexuality. I believe it deceives people into believing a lie, that God is OK with two men or two women having sexual relations.

[jasd]

QR frame:

Hmmm, seems to me that once tradtional marriages reaches the 50% divorce rate

all other relevant percentages becomes well - irrelevant , yes?

Just sayin' :(

[doug yowell]

QR frame:

Hmmm, seems to me that once tradtional marriages reaches the 50% divorce rate

all other relevant percentages becomes well - irrelevant , yes?

Just sayin'

Why?

[olger]

QR frame:

Hmmm, seems to me that once tradtional marriages reaches the 50% divorce rate

all other relevant percentages becomes well - irrelevant , yes?

Just sayin'

Hug your wife and be happy, JD !!

We need more good examples.

`g

[olger]

Great news !!

The gal who was contemplating shacking up, just made a decision. Her boyfriend and her talked it over and he proposed. She said yes!

May they walk with the King and be a blessing.

`g

(forgive me for getting excited...)

[Parade Orange]

amen OLGER!

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING

thats what the late ROBERT KING used to say!

what a godly man!

is that where u heard that?

[olger]

Robert A. Cook, yes. Good man. He & I wrote each other a couple times. I loved his laugh - reminded me of a friend's father !

Blessings to you all the way,

`G

[doug yowell]

Great news !!

The gal who was contemplating shacking up, just made a decision. Her boyfriend and her talked it over and he proposed. She said yes!

May they walk with the King and be a blessing.

`g

(forgive me for getting excited...)

That is pretty exciting!! Wooo hooo!!

[Guest]

That's great!