U.S. Christians : WHY concentrate on things like banning gay marriage, stem cell research & euthanasia when...

Question

... these issues do not AFFECT you?

Shouldn't you concentrate on doing good things like feeding the poor, helping the homeless, finding cures for diseases, protecting our environment for our future generations, promoting tolerance and love...? You spend all your time arguing about things that aren't hurting anyone. I'll explain:

A gay couple gets married... how does that affect you at all? And besides, even if they don't get married, do you think that will cause them to turn straight? No, they'll still be gay.

How does fetal stem cell research affect you? We have thousands of embryos that are destroyed daily at fertilization clinics - why not use these for good instead of the garbage dump?

Euthanasia... is completely up to the person. It's their choice. If you don't want to die and would rather suffer through a terminal illness, go right ahead. No one's forcing euthanasia. Why worry about it?

Answer 1

As a member of the human race shouldn't YOU -

concentrate on doing good things like feeding the poor, helping the homeless, finding cures for diseases, protecting our environment for our future generations, promoting tolerance and love...?

instead of perpetuating hate with a question like this?

Answer 2

Feed the poor and ignore those who are being murdered. That makes a lot of sense.

A homosexual couple doesn't get married, because such an arrangement violates the definition of marriage. Real marriage is the foundation of society, which is why society gives married couples certain incentives. Why should we allow people who are not really married but are only going through the motions to receive the benefits of marriage without the responsibiliies? Denigration of real marriage by ballowing such immitation "marriages" weakens and damages the foundation of society, and we all pay the price.

Fetal stem cell research cheapens human life by allowing the premeditated murder of human beings in the earliest stages of their lives. In a society where all life is not regarded as sacred, no-one is safe. If we can decide that these babies are expendable, then someone can decide that you are expendable ... which brings us to the next point ...

The Netherlands was the first country to legalize abortion. Predictably they became the first country to legalize voluntary euthanasia. Then they became the first country to legalize euthanasia by agreement between the doctors and the family, without the patient's consent. Today elderly people in the Netherlands are afraid to go to the hospital when they are ill because a doctor can decide to "euthanize" (murder) a patient without the knowledge or consent of the patient OR the family. We are on that same slippery slope, and halfway down it. That's why we should worry about it!

Answer 3

Hello everyone . I work in a hospital. I am a Bio med. I see patients everyday and yes I totally agree with euthanasia so would the majority of the nurses as well. When you see a patient laying in bed and pretty much waiting for the grim reaper you would not want to be in that situation. I am sure the patient would also agree as well. Now there is a difference between suicide and euthanasia. Also with the over population starting to happen and the cost of health care jumping up that is something to think about.
Besides what is the difference between pulling out the feeding tube or "pulling the plug" differ ant from Dr. Kevorkian's method like lethal injection?
The only difference is the time length of meeting god as you know him.
Thank You
David from L.A.

Answer 4

The fundies have some smart guys on their side.These guys know that the time in the sun for any extremist movement is short- so they have to get while the getting is good .That's an historical fact of life. They know that the only way to get to as many of there extreme programs enacted is of course to get politicians that support those programs [ or at least give lip service to them ] elected.
The name of the game therefore is winning elections . Most of the American electorate seems to have the attention span of a 9 year old boy w/ ADHD and as such they don't want to get bogged down in serious and not sexy issues so the smart fundie guys don't offer them those issues.
The SFG's know that Americans vote with their hearts and not with their heads .If the voted with their heads GWB would never have gotten elected President-twice
What the SFG's offer is basically unimportant but easily understandable emotionally charged issues that force the electorate to take sides.
If you asked 100 people for a yea, nay or don't know on almost any SFG issue , you will get very few if any "don't know" answers.
In America the poitics of polarization works.
The key to understanding the fundie thought process is being able determine when you are up against a literal argument and when you are up against an allegorical argument .
The things you mentioned are all allegorical arguments and a sure-fire way to drive yourself up a wall is to use reason to try to win an allegorical argument.

Answer 5

The problems that many Christians have with the three issues is religious. Alhough I am not Christian myself I have many Christian friends and aquaintances.

These are the reasons that they have given me for their opposition.

Gay Marriage -- As they believe that marriage was divinely ordained between a man and woman, they feel that using the term "marriage" to describe a gay relationship demeans the institution. This does not mean in all cases that they feel that this will prevent the relationship, in some cases they just don't want it "elevated" to the same level as heterosexual ones.

Fetal Stem Cell research -- that is more problematic. Most of the ones I have spoken to are concerned about creating embryos SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of being destroyed. Many of them have not included fertility clinics in that umbridge as the stated purpose is CREATING pregnancy.

Euthanasia -- many people, and here it is NOT just Christians, who are concerned with the question of who makes the decision. There have been some cases where the person who was euthanized in the US had someone other than themselves make the decision. Their concern is more legitimate in this case as the laws are unclear as to who has decision-making capability. Also, HISTORICALLY, Euthanasia, unlike the other two has been used as a tool of social control and genetic "purity". For example, when Hitler euthanized the insane and mentally retarded so that the "defect" would not reproduce.....

Answer 6

Gay marriage, as I'm told, wrecks the "American Family"... though I'm not sure how that is done... I know a gay couple lives around the block from me and I can honestly say I would rather have them as neighbors than the people who live right next to me with their howling dogs, trashy yard, mean kids and drunk friends....

According to them, stem cell research uses "babies"... as defined for me, they are aborting babies without the permission of the mother and using them (this is what I was told... I personally know better)

And Euthanasia, they consider suicide... to them it's much better if a person suffers in the flesh than to suffer in hell for eternity (their God is so loving and compassionate.... makes me want to hurl)

Most of the stuff they fight against, they fight against the falseness of it - as I listed here. The ideas behind them are derived from people they trust (trust doesn't mean the person is telling the truth... somehow they overlook that point) who come up with some wild ideas about a thing without even looking into it. They have this insatiable need to control everyone else.... probably because they can't control themselves and have to find that "control" somewhere. The sad thing is, a lot of people give them that control without question and believe everything those people say. It's a vicious circle and most likely won't be broken anytime soon.

Answer 7

These things DO affect all of us....they affect SOCIETY, which I am personally a part of. They affect CHILDREN. Have you not at all noticed the slow, but steady decrease in positive behaviors in children...the aggression, the not knowing right from wrong? (I work with children so I know what I am talking about). They have absolutely no role models any more. All these issues you bring up, the answers to whether they are right are wrong are found in God's word, the bible. And most Christians I know DO also focus on the "good" things you spoke of. If more people got off their butt and did so as well, there would be more done, simple as that.

Answer 8

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that laws, regulations and policies DO affects us ALL. Each of those CAN affect us, if it counters the teachings we have in our "religions" or belief systems. There's a conflict of interest if our kids are being taught something is acceptable and "normal" and our personal beliefs counter that. Maybe you're not a parent so you can't understand HOW or why these things affect us.
Personally, and the people who I am affiliated, run politically neutral outreach and support programs for street involved youth and adults, help feed the homeless, and are absolutely pro- medical science.
Have a great day =)

Answer 9

For me, these things are not important "political" issues. In my own mind at least, I understand and agree with most of the reasons I've heard people give when they speak out against all three in the political arena (related to laws instead of individual morals).

However, from a purely legal perspective, I don't have a legal objection to gay marriage, stem cell research or euthanasia. I'll explain:

I personally object to gay marriage because of my religious convictions but it would beyond the height of arrogance to suggest that my beliefs should be imposed on others. To deny someone else's right to individual freedoms is to deny my own!

Politically, I object to government intervention and involvement in marriage and I object to all government discrimination related to marriage. I find the concept of "legal marriage" somewhat repulsive! What right does the government have to tell me who I can and can't choose to share my life with (or who I can love) and to hand out rewards (e.g., extension of employment benefits) or penalties (e.g., the so-called "marriage tax") based on my marital status! This is discrimination and it is far beyond the legitimate scope of government power!

Personally, I'd prefer to see the government get completely out of the marriage business but as long as they discriminate based on marital status, I think EVERY adult should have the right to be "legally married".

Re: stem cell research, I understand the objection that the use of fetal tissue for research CAN be used to strengthen the foundation and support for abortion legislation. I'm personally opposed to abortion for religious issues AND I am politically opposed to abortion for political reasons! My political objection to abortion stems from the argument above...

However, I accept the fact that abortion is legal at this time and thus, I see the logic of using the by-products of that law (embryos from fertilization clinics, aborted fetuses...not a major difference). Thus, given the fact that abortion is legal, I don't have a political objection to stem cell research...perhaps it can result in some good.

Euthanasia...again, opposed personally but not politically. As with gay marriage, suicide (assisted or otherwise) is a personal decision that in no way interferes with another person's right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". Yes, it can cause other people pain and unhappiness but the constitution doesn't guarantee to provide happiness, it just grants the freedom to pursue it.

This philosophy is also the basis of my political objection to abortion. The legitimate role of the government is NOT to protect us from ourselves, it is to protect us from each other. ...or, more accurately perhaps, the government is responsible for ensuring our right to life, our freedom to make our own decisions, and our right to pursue our own concept of happiness. The government does NOT have the right to force us to live (euthanasia) or to deny our freedom to pursue our own happiness (gay marriage). By the same token, the government does NOT have the right to create laws that deny the rights of any person in favor of another person's rights (or beliefs, or happiness). At the moment of conception (or shortly thereafter), a fetus is alive...it is a living thing distinct from the mother. Abortion is legal sanction of the belief that this life isn't important and doesn't have any of the rights our government grants to all people until some arbitrary level of development is reached.

Answer 10

Maybe the homeless should start living with society instead of against it. Many homeless because they do not want to live with the laws of society with paying bills, having to work and conduct themselves in a manner fit for a sane society. They just want to drink, do drugs and do whatever they want.

Gay people can get married. They have the same rights as everyone else. No can prevent a gay man from marrying a woman or a gay woman from marrying a man. As no one can prevent me from marrying by law.

Stem Cell. Goes along with the abortion activists who are against it. I figure people get abortions anyways and if it does do good then why not? So far abortions are not outlawed so why should that? I can see being against abortion, but abortion is not illegal. . .

Euthanasia. Some doctors talk patients into doing this so they can either harvest their organs, out of cruelty, or other reasons. Look at Dr. Kevorkian, what he did, imagine if that was your family member he talked into death. Unless the person is of sound mind and say they do want to be put to death, then fine. If the person is suffering to great lengths and nothing can be done about it, either induce coma or if the family says it is ok and go through all the legal procedures to prevent lawsuits, fine do it. Should be up to the person who is being put to death, if not up to the family. Anyone else needs to butt out and not interfere with it at all. If a dispute happens between family members than interfere and give them a fine amount of time to figure it out if the deadline comes up the plug is being pulled for wasting space for other patients that can be helped.