Hi
Syriusly!
A- how? Why would you object if my church or community decided to have same sex marriage?
A: I don't object, that's not what that point is referring to.
I am comparing the difference between keeping things private where you already have religious freedom to exercise your beliefs (any bans here are clearly Unconstitutional by religious freedom)
VERSUS
public policy where you cannot impose your beliefs on others.
If liberals want to suddenly go against all past arguments for 'separation of church and state'
here's your big chance. Sit down with the Parties and write out an agreement that if you INSIST on pushing gay marriage into the public sector as 'tolerance of diversity'
then religious people can push:
* crosses in public, Bibles, prayer, creation and all THEIR beliefs -- all these will be ALLOWED
as "diversity" and "tolerating differences"
* prolife legislation will no longer get blocks on the basis of imposing beliefs
* etc.
Just write out all the beliefs YOU want to push (right to health care, right to vote) uncontested,
and so will the other groups, and NEGOTIATE "what is an ACCEPTABLE belief to push in public"
and what is still on the NO GO list.
Great! Go for it. I applaud you all the way.
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B- I have no idea what you mean- same sex marriage is national- 37 of 50 states, and the District of Columbia- how does that affect anyone that is not getting married to someone of the same gender?
you will not be forced to marry another woman, nor will you be forced to attend any wedding you don't want to.
IF your state has public accommodation laws that forbid business's to discriminate based upon sexual orientation- then if your business involves weddings, you are required by law provide your services or goods regardless of the persons sexual orientation. If you don't like that- well that is an issue with your state's public accommodation laws.
B 1 - if these "marriages" were kept secular as civil contracts only, as
Seawytch and I both agree
are clearly within the bounds of the state, there would be no issue.
but because the "language and interpretation" is crossing the line with religious marriage,
this is causing the conflict. So these laws need to be agreed upon with each state to make
sure people AGREE they are neither imposing or denying equal beliefs about marriage.
They need to be written neutrally so there is no conflict in belief.
[For example, if someone says You can't use the term Under GOD because that is against my beliefs.
Then people could agree to substitute the concept "for the Public Good" and that wouldn't offend or exclude
anyone.]
B 2 - The examples I am arguing against EXCEED just public accommodations.
B 2 a - The case of a photographer who wasn't allowed the choice of what clients to photograph or not.
Can you force someone to photograph porn? Don't people have a choice to turn down subject matter or clients they don't feel comfortable photographing? Why would you want to make someone photograph your event if they didn't want to?
B 2 b - the baker who didn't want to attend the gay wedding to deliver the cake there.
There's nothing wrong with picking up the cake at the bakery. But trying to force someone to attend a gay wedding if this is against their beliefs, is like forcing a Muslim to eat pork or a Hindu to eat beef.
Why would you do that?
If you want people to respect your beliefs why wouldn't you respect theirs?
In general
C. I would recommend MEDIATION to prevent lawsuits and offenses going on due to difference in beliefs.
and if people can't respect each others' beliefs, stay away from each other. Sign agreements with businesses and customers to resolve conflicts by mediation and consensus to avoid legal costs or actions.
If people can't agree to resolve conflicts, then don't do business together. Regardless if the conflict is
Hindu vs. Muslim, or Republican vs. Democrat. if you can't resolve your issues and beliefs, don't get into contracts. Go find someone else who is compatible.
D. Beliefs about orientation are NOT the same as race.
Orientation is on a spiritual level, and this is faith based, whether people believe it is natural
or believe it is unnatural, or believe there are both types of cases going on and it is spiritual - we can't always tell.
So as long as it is faith based, nobody can impose their beliefs on anyone else, nor punish/harass anyone.
and cannot abuse govt to endorse or favor one view over another. or it causes backlash from the other
beliefs being discriminated against.
If one side wants to mandate and REQUIRE acceptance, why not let the other
side write up conditions on such a public mandate.
so if gay marriage is forced on others who don't agree, give them the option of mandating
that ALL couples go through spiritual healing to make sure they are truly natural and no unnatural abuses
are going on. Since marriage is a personal belief for people, write out what are the rules and regulations,
the conditions by which someone would accept gay marriage. And work out a mutual agreement if
you want the marriage laws to be public.
If they only agree to civil unions, then make this the same for ALL couples only to have civil unions.