Why do the conservative reactionaries try to tell us that gay marriage is against Christian religious traditio

Question

But the plain facts contradict this claim. It's not just non-Christian religion that accepts gay marriage.
Many Christian churches have religious ceremonies consecrating weddings for homosexual couples. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Unity Fellowship Church, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Canada, and Reconciling congregations of the United Methodist Churches include gay marriage within their set of religious rituals. So, when George W. Bush and his Republican supporters say that they want to use the power of government to forbid gay marriage, they are taking sides in a struggle between religious groups, supporting conservative religious beliefs and opposing liberal religious beliefs.
The federal government has no place stepping into the middle of a battle about theology and telling Americans which religious beliefs are right and which ones are wrong. On that basis alone, the effort of George W. Bush and his Republican elite extremists to restrict the authority of churches from practicing marriage ceremonies for gay couples is an unconstitutional and illegal blunder.

Answer 1

Actually, those who claim the Bible opposes same-sex unions hasn't read the story of Ruth and Naomi, which details a covenant marriage between two women.

Then again, same-sex marriage isn't a religious issue. The debate that the govt is involved has nothing to do with religion. It is all about who can get legal benefits as a couple. And if we're at the point where any particular religion gets to decide secular law, then we've already abandoned one of the core principles this country was founded upon, and gay marriage is the least of our problems.

{EDIT to Dallas} You said "the govt has to step in on some moral issues"

And if the government happens to think that enforcing the moral codes of Judaism or Islam or Buddhism is the best for everyone, you'd be fine with that, I suppose. As long as the government enforce some particular religious morality, it doesn't matter to you what religion, correct?

Your argument about the "slippery slope" is also laughable. Removing the line based on gender-discrimination, and keeping the line to only allow two consenting adults is a trivial legal change that doesn't affect anything else in the system. Gender is not legally relevant to marital benefits, so changing the gender of the participants affects nothing. Any other change requires massive rewriting of many different laws that are all premised about two human people.

{EDIT to WalterRidgeley} So, you get to decide what a valid church is and what is not. Based on what authority?

Answer 2

They are not using the Bible, certainly. The Bible nowhere condemns Gay marriage. In fact, there is one parallel to gay marriage in the Bible, the story of David and Jonathan. Traditional marriage in the Bible includes polygamy and other practices which would not be legal anywhere in the US. Up to a few centuries ago, most people never officially had a church marriage, because it was too expensive.

In fact, the reason that conservative Christians are so opposed to gay marriage is because it is a wedge issue for their adherents, not because there is any scriptural reason. The evangelical political agenda is to sway their voting blocks by any means necessary. In the US today, voting levels are so low that if a small but significant minority shows up at the polls and votes regularly, they can sway the elections.

By pressing these 'hot button' issues such as gay marriage, abortion, stem cell research and flag burning, religious political activists motivate their adherents to get out and vote each and every election. It's as simple as that.

Answer 3

Throughout the course of human events, some things have always been an abberation, although at times tolerated. Rome and Greece of ancient classical period tolerated it--but it was never a marriage. Throughout the Christian church history, it was never accepted--except by some such as you mention and then only in the last few decades. It may be politically correct in your mind, but is an insignificant presence in human experience that has only lately come to be. It isn't just a church/state issue. Rare has it been accepted anywhere and even there not for long.

Answer 4

Gay marriage means that more people in our society can live happy and fulfilling lives, as well as those of us who are heterosexual. The belief that gay sex is sinful is based on the barbaric laws and attitudes in Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:24-27 (which also has a go at lesbianism), 1 Corinthians 6:9 and Jude 1:7. In my view, people can by all means apply the belief to themselves, but I think they're wrong to impose their hateful beliefs on others. Proposition 8 in California was a shameful example of this. I don't accept that someone can "hate the sin but love the sinner", although I did think it made sense when I was religious. I now think that if a believer seeks to make people feel uncomfortable, or even under threat, or deprive them of personal freedoms and human rights, that behaviour is hatred of their fellow humans, and persecution of a minority, whatever else is claimed. And I also wonder why anyone would want to be associated with beliefs that are based on a lack of compassion. I came across this article by Anjana Ahuja, The Times, July 12, 2005: In Born Gay, Dr Glenn Wilson, reader in personality at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, and Dr Qazi Rahman, a psychobiologist at the University of East London, declare that “the accumulation of evidence from independent laboratories across the world has shown that the biological differences between gay and straight people cannot be ignored . . . our sexual preference is a fundamental and immutable component of our human nature”. Wilson and Rahman’s account goes beyond whether there is a gay gene — there is no single gay gene but genes do contribute — and considers the effect of sex hormones to which foetuses are exposed in the womb. The boldly titled book says the research leaves absolutely no room for parental or societal influence on this intimate trait. Children cannot be seduced or otherwise led into homosexuality — which makes a nonsense of Clause 28, the law banning the promotion of homosexuality — and, however overbearing the mother or absent the father, no amount of poor parenting can waylay a child born to walk the path of heterosexuality. (Note: Clause 28 was brought in by the Thatcher government. It outlawed the promotion of homosexuality. It was repealed under the Blair government.) No serious, evidence-based scientist, they charge, would deny that sexual orientation is fixed at birth. The authors also speculate that we face an evolutionary future in which homosexuals become more prevalent. The genes that are implicated in gayness do not just influence sexual orientation — in low doses, they might confer personality advantages to heterosexual men (such as making them loyal, empathic and considerate), turning them into attractive mates and thus propagating those genes further.

Answer 5

"The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, the Unity Fellowship Church, the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, the United Church of Christ, the United Church of Canada, and Reconciling congregations of the United Methodist Churches..."

These are not churches in the conventional sense of the word. Nor does having the word "Church" in the title of an institution make the institution a church.

Answer 6

Because it IS against Christian Tradition. But many today realize
that gay and lesbian people still have a spirit within, and they are not so self-righteous about it.
We are trying to find a balance within ourselves, between the two aspects of the Lifeforce, we understand as the masculine and feminine. But we are doing it in external ways. Dressing up, acting out, and through sexual experimentation.
We should not condemn others. Niether should we condone things that are not beneficial to ones spiritual growth.
Sex is not just a physical act. It is a spiritual act as well. We are
helping to create LIFE! And there are real spiritual energies that
come into play. Even so-called straights, that engage in beastial
types of sex. Just for the sex. Pollute our world with negative
energies.

Answer 7

Telling somone that they cannot be married or anything is racist to begin with. Next letting religion run your decisions violates the seperation of church and state. Being gay is a hormonal problem in the brains where they may feel as somone else. They do not control what their brain causes them to feel. Does anyone remember that people are not suppose to be descriminated against because of race,religion,sex,or sexual orientation. But I guess all you devout Christians cant see through your own racism

Answer 8

First of course none of the Unity or Universalist churches are Christian at all. And next any religious christian person will say it is against the bible and against God. Those that accept it are no longer following Christian view points and are in reality no longer a real Christian but merely a fake one using a form of man made religion.

Any church that accepts gay marriage or accepts gay lifestyle as acceptable to the church are no longer a real christian church.
That is a very simple concept they are merely following man made ideas to keep membership roles and the large donations of the gay groups.

Next gays have no right under the constitution to marry, that is plain and simiple, marriage is a state law, not a federal law.

Answer 9

I see a lot of "christians" who feel it is their duty to spread what their Opinion is on the bible. You will find most have never read the bible or only read parts that further their cause, directed by some one of the same nature. The honest truth is, most of these people only see homosexuality as man/man.. but when you put two hot women together.. its okay (which by all means is okay!!!) .

Repressed sexuality and fear of their own sexual organs would cause these people to fear that of an alliterative lifestyle. They say its against God, I say let God decide. Actions like murder and rape are against Man... let man decide the fate. Politics and religion should not be wield with the same stick.

Answer 10

The practice of homosexuality is destructive to the human soul and God gave His warnings about this in the Bible. Supporting gay marriage is a sin because it means to support homosexuality. If a nation legalizes gay marriage, that nation will be cursed.

Iniquities (sinful tendencies) pass down the generation line if they are not removed by the Blood of the Lord Jesus. Homosexuality is caused by iniquity and the Blood of Jesus cleanses the iniquities of all who accept Him as their Saviour.

After a person accepts the Lord Jesus as their Saviour, they are transformed and made a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). So the gay person would be changed and so would the alcoholic, liar, drug addict, fornicator etc. It's the power of the Blood of Christ and the Holy Spirit in the believer that brings about this transformation.

REDEMPTION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

Because mankind is incapable of meeting God’s standard of perfection necessary to abide in God’s presence (Romans 3:19-20,23), God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the total debt for the believer’s sins and mercifully credits to his account Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-28,5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus’ gracious act of atonement was complete and covers all sin (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). Salvation is not based on good deeds but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:4-5). Believers are justified by faith; it is a gift by God’s grace (Romans 4:3-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). A true, living faith will result in a desire to live a holy, loving life of good works (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26), but failure to be absolutely successful at righteous living does not negate the believer’s justified status.

If you sincerely say this prayer, your sins will be washed away, you will be redeemed to God, be saved from eternal torment and inherit the Kingdom of God:

"Dear Jesus,

I am a sinner.
I repent of my sins.
Please forgive me and save me by your shed blood;
come into my heart.
I want to receive you as my own personal Lord and Savior.

Amen"