It just dawned on me

[PaintMyHouse]

The Presbyterians like the Episcopalians split their church over same sex marriage. Trying to deny the Bible to attract a larger congregation isn't working. The only churches growing are the evangelicals and islamic mosques.

The End of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.

When Christianity yet again equals the Dark Ages, all the better.

 

[TemplarKormac]

I no longer belong to a certain church but have a personal relationship with the Lord.

Awesome!

I am a Christian, I found the church to be full of hypocrisy and disappointment.

It would surprise you that I don't go to Church on Sundays. The church is just a building and God cannot be limited to a building. But his word is clear. That is my constant, and not the whims of everyday society.

But I wouldn't expect any of my beliefs or choices to impact yours.

Nor I yours. But what I find is that when I don't force my beliefs on others, people have a funny way of forcing theirs on mine. Just read the tabloids for examples of this behavior.

Did I understand your post correctly?

You did.

 

[TemplarKormac]

The only thing you won't be holding in 20 years is a job, or a woman.

Well, at least I'll be holding a twinkie in my hand...

...

Wait let me go find one.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Marriage is a joke nowadays. To pretend that it is some valued institution is a joke.

And such devaluance of marriage is why it is a joke.

 

[TemplarKormac]

I think it deserves the prestige it once had. Marriages today are "throw away" relationships.

Very well put.

 

[Jackson]

Marriage is now a government sanctioned institution.

It shouldn't be.

. It has nothing to do with your faith, or your religion.

It is a sacred rite, not only to my faith, but many other faiths/religions. Such an ignorant and malinformed statement. If it is sacred me as a Christian, then from what I see from gays, it is sacred to them in their own way. Thus, why government should butt out. It has not the right to dictate what is or isn't sacred to anyone.

In 20 years people will see same sex marriage as a norm. Get over it. You've lost the battle already.

I will see same sex marriage as a sin. In 20 years I will still hold the same belief. The battle is not lost so long as there is one man left standing on the field. You will have to kill me before I succumb to this "norm."

When I was married, my spouse was unfaithful for 14 years with many women. I thought I could not get a divorce because of my vows, the sacred vows I took. I was nearly suicidal except I had a child I could not leave. I sought religious counsel and no pastor would see me because I was not a "member" of their church. Out of desperation one night, I called every pastor and priest in the telephone book until one would talk to me when I could barely speak I was crying so hard. A priest did speak with me for a very long time. He told me that my vows were broken by the infidelity of my husband and I was free to get a divorce. That sacred rite was so easily broken. I t was hard to comprehend that something that meant so much to me for all those years was broken in a matter of minutes. It just didn't seem right.

 

[aaronleland]

Marriage is a joke nowadays. To pretend that it is some valued institution is a joke.

And such devaluance of marriage is why it is a joke.

Marriage has never been a valued institution. In biblical times a woman could be stoned to death by her husband for being raped. You are defending something that has never existed.

 

[TemplarKormac]

He told me that my vows were broken by the infidelity of my husband and I was free to get a divorce. That sacred rite was so easily broken.

But you held true to the sacredness of those vows. I wish my parents had done the same thing when I was born. One simply dropped off the face of the world, and the other lives 1800 miles north of me. I had to deal with the fact that I was an illegitimate child in the eyes of my faith, one out of wedlock.

I sought religious counsel and no pastor would see me because I was not a "member" of their church.

That behavior is wrong. Jesus was not discriminate between those he taught. Whether it had been on the lake, or to the 5000 who were fed with bread and fish. Such is why people don't believe in organized religion.

I t was hard to comprehend that something that meant so much to me for all those years was broken in a matter of minutes. It just didn't seem right.

Commitment is hard, but from what I'm reading, it wasn't your lack of commitment that broke your vows. Not one bit your fault.

 

[TemplarKormac]

In biblical times a woman could be stoned to death by her husband for being raped.

Wow. Yes, under the laws the Pharisees adhered to. And are you assuming that I condone this behavior today?

"He who is without sin, cast the first stone."

 

[TemplarKormac]

Marriage has never been a valued institution.

So, why marry at all then?

 

[aaronleland]

Marriage has never been a valued institution.

So, why marry at all then?

Nowadays there is no benefit aside from government incentives. What those opposing gay marriage don't like is same sex couple collecting the same incentives, or using the word marriage. It's completely illogical.

"I... don't like you using that word cuz... cuz... I feel... DERP!"

It's a retarded argument.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Marriage has never been a valued institution.

So, why marry at all then?

Nowadays there is no benefit aside from government incentives. What those opposing gay marriage don't like is same sex couple collecting the same incentives, or using the word marriage. It's completely illogical.

"I... don't like you using that word cuz... cuz... I feel... DERP!"

It's a retarded argument.

So, this sounds like a contradiction. If marriage is not a valuable institution, then it would contradict the very cause gays are fighting for. "I want the right to marry, but marriage is not a valued institution!"

That simply devalues the very thing they are fighting to acquire. Why then would you seek to acquire that which has no worth?

 

[idb]

So, as I understand it, same sex marriage will mean that your right to worship God will be taken away from you because...umm...something.
It's all perfectly clear.

 

[Borillar]

Being a veteran of thousands of political forum debates over the years, especially the ones over gay marriage, I've heard the assertion made by a Christian, "gay marriage will hurt my right to practice my faith effectively" and the retort would "how does someone being gay hurt your right to practice your faith effectively?"

So, I had an epiphany which dealt with the latter question. I was reading the news the other day which trumpeted an unprecedented move by the Presbyterian Church to approve of gay marriage. The epiphany? Not only is the Presbyterian church the largest Protestant denomination to endorse/accept gay marriage, it could start a disturbing and destructive trend within Christianity as it is in the United States.

That trend, if it continues, would effectively change the way I worship when and if in fact my denomination chose to approve of gay marriage. I as a Christian personally find this wholly unacceptable and a betrayal of the faith.

"For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."

--1 Corinthians 8:10-12

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

--Romans 14:13-23

The Westboro Baptist Church is always on the lookout for new members of like mind.

 

[TemplarKormac]

Being a veteran of thousands of political forum debates over the years, especially the ones over gay marriage, I've heard the assertion made by a Christian, "gay marriage will hurt my right to practice my faith effectively" and the retort would "how does someone being gay hurt your right to practice your faith effectively?"

So, I had an epiphany which dealt with the latter question. I was reading the news the other day which trumpeted an unprecedented move by the Presbyterian Church to approve of gay marriage. The epiphany? Not only is the Presbyterian church the largest Protestant denomination to endorse/accept gay marriage, it could start a disturbing and destructive trend within Christianity as it is in the United States.

That trend, if it continues, would effectively change the way I worship when and if in fact my denomination chose to approve of gay marriage. I as a Christian personally find this wholly unacceptable and a betrayal of the faith.

"For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."

--1 Corinthians 8:10-12

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

--Romans 14:13-23

The Westboro Baptist Church is always on the lookout for new members of like mind.

Are you recruiting? If so, no thanks.

 

[Borillar]

Being a veteran of thousands of political forum debates over the years, especially the ones over gay marriage, I've heard the assertion made by a Christian, "gay marriage will hurt my right to practice my faith effectively" and the retort would "how does someone being gay hurt your right to practice your faith effectively?"

So, I had an epiphany which dealt with the latter question. I was reading the news the other day which trumpeted an unprecedented move by the Presbyterian Church to approve of gay marriage. The epiphany? Not only is the Presbyterian church the largest Protestant denomination to endorse/accept gay marriage, it could start a disturbing and destructive trend within Christianity as it is in the United States.

That trend, if it continues, would effectively change the way I worship when and if in fact my denomination chose to approve of gay marriage. I as a Christian personally find this wholly unacceptable and a betrayal of the faith.

"For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol's temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."

--1 Corinthians 8:10-12

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself.But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking,but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

--Romans 14:13-23

The Westboro Baptist Church is always on the lookout for new members of like mind.

Are you recruiting? If so, no thanks.

Me? No, my denomination is much more "liberal". We are just there for the edification of Christ, not to pass judgement on folks based upon who they happen to love. But if gays have you that upset, the WBC shares your point of view.

 

[TemplarKormac]

But if gays have you that upset, the WBC shares your point of view.

Really? So this is the only argument you have? Since when have you seen me picketing a soldiers funeral? Such a child you are. You can't confront any of my points yet you resort to this ambuscade of utter puerility.

You would do well to read my comments in this thread before spewing any more your vitriol, liberal. If me having a different opinion upsets you so much, well, I'm sure I can find a microscopic violin and help you cry me a river. I really don't give the slightest damn what you think of my opinions.

 

[TemplarKormac]

We are just there for the edification of Christ, not to pass judgement on folks based upon who they happen to love.

Yet you deem fit to pass judgement on me. You hypocrite.

 

[Borillar]

We are just there for the edification of Christ, not to pass judgement on folks based upon who they happen to love.

Yet you deem fit to pass judgement on me. You hypocrite.

I'm not casting any stones. I just said that if you are of the anti-gay, God hates fags persuasion, there's a home for you at WBC.

 

[Vigilante]

Why the 14th Amendment Can’t Possibly Require Same-Sex Marriage

Townhall ^
The Supreme Court is about to decide if the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution requires the states to redefine marriage to include same sex relationships. There are several reasons why the answer is no. The most decisive of these reasons is the fact that when the 14th Amendment was passed in 1868, homosexual behavior was a felony in every state in the union. So if the 14th Amendment was intended to require same-sex marriage, then every state in the union intended to throw the new couple into prison as soon as the marriage was consummated! Some may say,...