Gay Marriage and Religion

[andrewsgal]

I am not here to debate. I simply am looking for answers can anyone answer these questions pertaining to comments I have seen on FB.

1. How is gay marriage a threat to my marriage or family? This one is pretty common and I don't understand the thought process behind it.

2. What is the "gay agenda"?

3. Do Christians really believe that marriage is simply for procreating?

4. Do they really believe the slippery slope argument or is it just for shock value?

I have never actually been in a church that touches on homosexuality at all so I am curious what is being taught/preached on this subject.

[auroraloo]

I can only speak for myself as a Christian.
1. It's not. I have no idea why people think this is an issue.
2.
3. Nope. Marriage is a partnership, a celebration, and all sorts of things.
4. I do not. Nor do I say it.

I know this isn't what you're looking for, but honestly, I can't fathom where some "Christians" get these arguments.

[auroraloo]

If you look up "The Gay Agenda" there is some scary shit out there conservatives have published.

[rosesandpetals]

I don't actually believe any of this offensive nonsense but I do know some of the arguments.

1) because it is celebrating sin. We ask God to be merciful to our country and to protect us but more and more we give him no reason to do so. It also trivializes marriage and makes a sacred bond something people do for funsies, like marrying a tree. Marriage is a reflection of God's love for us and if we trivialize it, what does that say about God's love for us?

The gay agenda has a lot of things but primarily to turn others gay, too, and away from God.



And yes, many actually do believe it is only for procreation. And the slippery slope argument is believed by some.

The Catholic church for example, officially does not allow IVF or surrogacy. The first interferes with God's plan and the second is akin to prostitution and selling your body.

[lala]

I think a lot of times normally intelligent, inquisitive people have blinders on when it comes to things related to their religion. So, if at any point in their life a pastor or other "Godly leader," said something they believe it and regurgitate it. I think it's a lot of talking points that just get passed around and reused over and over.


My church, of course, touches homosexuality all the time, but b/c we have a gay pastor & b/c the other was a pastor in CA during Prop 8 & stopped performing marriages until marriage equality was restored.

I've been on the "progressive" side for so long I have trouble remembering the rhetoric and what it's all supposed to mean.

I shared this on Fb, not sure if you saw, AG, but I love Rachel Held Evans, this was her status yesterday:

Here is what I genuinely don’t understand about the argument against civil rights for same-sex couples: The argument holds that because some citizens believe that their religion forbids same-sex marriage, it should be illegal for everyone. Okay. Some citizens believe that their religion forbids remarriage for divorcees (Matthew 19). Should we make that illegal? Some citizens (and MANY citizens up until the 1970s - correction: 1990s - ) believe their religion forbids interracial marriage. Did the Supreme Court overreach when it declared in 1967 that state laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional? Still others believe their religion teaches the sole purpose of marriage is procreation. Should it be illegal for infertile people to get married or couples over 60? Nothing about yesterday’s decision forces people with religious convictions against same-sex marriage to perform those marriages. That freedom is preserved, just as it remains totally legal for a church today to refuse to marry an interracial couple. Yesterday's ruling simply allows for those who do not share that same religious conviction to enjoy the same civil liberties that the rest of us enjoy. Furthermore, is it not a more serious violation of religious liberty to tell a same-sex couple whose religion allows for, and in fact celebrates, marriage that they cannot practice that religious conviction because some of their fellow citizens do not agree with their particular expression of it? Civil rights aren’t up to a vote. They aren’t up to public opinion. Civil rights are part of what it means to be an American citizen. Theological arguments around marriage set aside for another day, I simply cannot find a single compelling argument in support of denying civil rights to LGBT people that does not rely on an unhealthy marriage (sorry!) between church and state. [Note: There's a great, civil, and informed conversation following Anand's comment below about how the decision could affect religious schools and organizations. Definitely worth reading for a variety of perspectives.]

[scattered]

The problem is people are confusing "matrimony" and "marriage." Matrimony is governed by God. Marriage is governed by law. The two terms are not interchangeable because they are not the same concept.

[scattered]

So that is to say, it is absolutely unacceptable to deny marriage rights to anyone.