If holy scripture condemns homosexuality, does that justify anyone in opposing gay marriage on legal grounds?

Question

If someone's god is said to disapprove of homosexuality, does that mean followers of said god should feel justified in legislating their religious doctrine into secular law?

Similarly, should it be OK for a religious group to legally require others to adhere to their dietary restrictions, or to pray in the manner they pray, or to deny themselves nourishment on fasting days?

EntWife, Christianity "invented" marriage?? That's news to me. I thought the marriage concept also existed in Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic tradition, and already existed long before the alleged birth of Christ and Christianity. It existed in pre-Christian Egyptian society, for example, and among the Celtic.

And marriage IS now a civil contract whether you like it or not. If marriage DID ever belong to Christianity (which it didn't), it now also belongs to the state and you should darn well get around to accepting it. You're denying same-sex couples equal marriage rights because you think you and your religion are "entitled" to determining the usage of the WORD "marriage", but you're not. The state controls civil marriage, and civil marriage contracts have NOTHING to do with religion.

I've argued this with you before and you used the same BUNK argument then as you are now. Again, no, marriage doesn't belong to and wasn't "invented" by Christians and Christianity.

Answer 1

Absolutely not. You're right--if Jews and Muslims demanded that the local barbecue joint get closed down or McDonald's stop serving cheeseburgers because those things violate their religious beliefs, the conservative Christians would be very upset. And for the most part, conservative Christians understand that they can just not participate in some things, like short skirts or rock music or certain movies. Why not just not do this, as they just don't do interfaith marriages, for instance? (Remember that interfaith marriages are perfectly legal, even if the couple has to go to city hall. That's all we want--city hall.)

Answer 2

As long as things are the way they are, we will have the war against ideas. Some will be on the side that says 'it offends me', while others on the other side say, " Why can't I."

I do not agree, though I am a Christina, with wasting time of the devisive issue of Homosexual Marriage. It is too chasm forming to the real thing Christians ought to preach, which is: Jesus saves those who believe in Him.

As far as law making goes, I would make the government meet only a few times a year and make them make their money doing whatever they can in the private sector. Full time politicians lead to more corruption.,

Answer 3

ZC - This was an excellent question responded to by the most ridiculous zealots I've ever seen (not those who answered it with a semblance of normalcy, of course). There are more holy scriptures than these people fail to realize. This is NOT a Christian nation, NOT a theocracy, and the forefathers of America were quite clear in our Constitution about that. Absolutely no one's supposed 'holy' scripture should be law in this country or in this world.

How would you Christians like it if Muslims could make their prayer practices a law, and you couldn't worship as you pleased? How would you like it if the Jews made their dietary practices law? Or if the Pagans announced that their gods were the only true gods and everyone must worship what their gods said? Do you know read what ZC is asking you? What kind of ridiculous sickness is it to compare the love between two consenting adults to pedophilia and bestiality? The fact that so many of you do it when a question like ZC's comes up that you have no well-spoken thought-out, non-scriptural thoughts for make Christianity nothing more than Fascism in my eyes.

P.S. Zero - Hope you don't mind, I put a link to your question in one I asked after I read this:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Aq_AnHWtXBxnCCrl11OLRnDsy6IX?qid=20070714100011AAdficK

Answer 4

First you have to make the assumption that the "holy" scripture in fact condemns homosexuality. But even if that's the way you feel, no, it should have nothing to do with laws. At least the people against abortion have an argument, that someone, or something is being killed. Or being against war, or fighting poverty through legislation. But I fail to see how restricting someone's personal freedom on the basis of one's religion would further the religion.

As far as any religious group making legislation because of diet or whatever people do in their own time, of course it is NOT okay. There would be so many restrictions, it would be like living in the middle east.

Answer 5

It is justification enough for the particular religious group who claims to have the fullness of righteousness between the covers of their particular book.

Many such claim to be the only true followers of the singular true god. As such, the rules and commandments in their book are seen as the ultimate in justice and righteousness, and compelling others to follow them is simply a gift. They don't understand that freedom of religion also means freedom from that which they don't recognize as tyranny.

Some go so far as to believe that the United States should be a theocracy; that all religions other than Christianity should be given second-class status at best, and allowed to be practiced so long as they don't in any way go against the rules of Christianity.

It is a matter of perception. They think that they've got the best apple on the tree, and that everyone else should naturally want a bite. They don't realize that there may be peole who don't like apples.

Answer 6

The form of government we have is a democratic republic, which is government by elected representatives. The way one gets elected into office is by campaigning, in which one's views on different issues are made public, and the public votes for the candidate who represents their views the closest.
Homsexual marriage is NOT an issue in our culture which is supported by a majority of voters. Twenty-six states have constitutional amendments explicitly barring the recognition of same-sex marriage, confining civil marriage to a legal union between a man and a woman. Forty-three states have statutes restricting marriage to two persons of the opposite sex, including some of those that have created legal recognition for same-sex unions under a name other than "marriage."
There is even a movement underway to ammend the Federal Constitution: In 2006, the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex marriages, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee, on a party line vote, and was debated by the full United States Senate, but was ultimately defeated in both houses of Congress.
I must admit I don't have a clue as to why you or anyone would make such a statement as "legislating their religious doctrine into secular law?" Here's why: ALL LAWS ARE SOMEONE'S MORALITY. The question has never been "Can we legislate morality?"--The question is "Whose morality are we going to legislate?" Whether or not you agree with Adolph Hitler or Dr. Billy Graham or the KKK; you will vote your religion or lack of it. Religion/Politics/Morality are inextricably intertwined and cannot be separated by any judicial ruling or written law. Are you an American Citizen? Do you consider yourself to have a constitutional "right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?"
The Founding Fathers considered these rights to be bestowed by "the laws of Nature, and of Nature's God." Where do you think they got that phrase? Hint: Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on The Law. If you would do a little research, you would discover that basically ALL OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION'S LAWS originated from the Ten Commandments.
The last known location where homosexual marriage was OK was probably Sodom and Gomorrah; and God took care of that.

Answer 7

I am here cause that adorable cookie monster linked to this question. We already solved this issue...

Marriage predates the constitution and is a religious institution defined by God. The government intervened into a religious institution the second they starting making laws about it.

Civil unions are completely secular and involved legal rights.

And never the twain should meet.

And to everyone else reading this...for crying out loud, Zero Cool is a WOMAN.....pretty please stop calling her "sir."

Answer 8

You know, it isn't only Christians who have a negative outlook on homosexuality; the only difference between us and the other guys is that we say God forgives them and loves them anyways. I am not sure exactly what you are getting at.

And even if I weren't a Christian I still would not want open homosexuality being "normalized" in the media and in society, and I don't want my kids getting the impression that they should experiment with sexual deviations, or that something that is unnatural, illogical, and dangerous is just another "completely normal" life choice. I really could keep going, but I'll leave it alone for now.

Answer 9

Christians have no right to do so. In Christianity, we like to call this legalism, which runs rampant. Christians instead are called to love these people, not condemn them and tell them they are going to hell. Christians always say "Love the sinner, hate the sin" but even I have a hard time doing that one sometimes. There's no excuse for that behavior of hatred. Hate the sin, but dangit, we always have a hard time loving the sinner which in turn, makes Christianity look horrible

Jesus addressed this issue directly against that group called the Pharisees. Seems we have a lot more Pharisees today than would like to admit it.

Answer 10

What about the owning of slaves in the Bible!
I seem to remember God telling two daughters to get their father drunk, and have sex with him, to impregnate them, to start a new nation!
Uh, I thought that was incest!
Get over it! You can find whatever you want to find in the Bible to back up your particular claim!
As for th e gays getting married? Marriage is only a piece of paper! Without a commitment of two people working for the same goals, it will not work! Look at all of the divorce statisitics!
Oh, yes marriage is such a success! But if two people want to get married, they should be able to get married, regardless of what gender they are!
Hey, all of you straight people? You stay out of my bedroom, and Ill stay out of yours!
Pedophiles,, and child molesters have nothing to do with gays wanting to get married!
And as for the rest? I eat when I get hungry, and fast when I choose! And I eat what I want to eat!
And as for prayer? Do it in the closet, where you are supposed to pray! Those who pray in public, LEAVE ME COLD!