[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

Our children will move this issue into true reality and I am thankful that MY generation will die away along with our unfair/unkind primitive beliefs and our generations prejudices.

Amen on this, Golfingnut, and bravo to you for being the first to post positively on this SCOTUS ruling. I am overjoyed at the number of people who have posted positively on this forum about gay marriage, or even those who expressed tolerance.

I fought against my parents' bias and tried to teach tolerance to our children. Happily, they don't view others as one race or another, one gender preference or another. I believe they will be the guiding force that will make us a more tolerant nation. I think this is already demonstrated in the election of a multi-racial president. And it needs to be this way because America is becoming so much more diverse than it ever was.

The times they are a'changing.

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

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Thanks for your post with which I agree totally since I believe the Holy Bible to be true but we already know many will never listen even though the words are from God and not any man. There has already been a great falling away and more will come before Christ says it is enough and returns to rapture his church.

We're just getting used to the dark, little by little.

Why did God create gay people? I am assuming God is incapable of making a mistake, so Gay and lesbian men and women must have been of his grand plan.

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by lovsthosebigdogs

My GAY son and his fiancé will marry next spring. They are wonderfully happy and in love and have been together for years. If anyone has a problem with it, they can deal with it in their own heads in their own way. I will never be ashamed to say my son is gay. I am as proud of my gay son as my hetero son and none of that ever mattered to me. I want both of my sons in fulfilling marriages and I am thrilled that they both CAN do that now.

Well said. +1000

[KeepingItReal]

Originally Posted by Monkei

Why did God create gay people? I am assuming God is incapable of making a mistake, so Gay and lesbian men and women must have been of his grand plan.

First one must decide if they do or do not believe the Bible is true. (I will only read the KING JAMES VERSION)

Just as God will not force us to serve him, as it is a who so ever will decision to seek him and be saved. He will also allow us to follow whatever path we choose. One could ask why did God allow or create atheists, murderers, and others too.


"THEY EXCHANGED THE TRUTH OF GOD FOR A LIE and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator ..... Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." Romans 1:25-27

From a previous post:

Homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible. It undermines the basis of God's created order where God made Adam, a man, and Eve, a woman -- not two men, not two women -- to carry out his command to fill and subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28). Homosexuality cannot carry out that command. It also undermines the basic family unit of husband and wife, the God-ordained means of procreation. It is also dangerous to society. (See, Is homosexuality danngerous?)

Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a heavy judgment administered by God Himself upon those who commit it - and support it. This judgment is simple in that those who practice it are given over to their passions - which means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins.

"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error," (Rom. 1:26-27).

[chachacha]

the psychic Edgar Cayce, a devout Christian, said some interesting things about the gay person's life.... if one considers the possibility of reincarnation in the evolution of the soul (i know many Christians will balk at this but just keep reading) each soul must experience everything, including both male and female incarnations. since God is obviously not in favor of homosexual acts, what does this mean for the soul which is in transition from male to female or vice-versa and may experience a homosexual lifetime before the transition is completely made? according to Cayce, this lifetime is to be dedicated to spiritual growth and increase in the many gifts which homosexuals also obviously have in the arts, etc. we can celebrate this life and this person without encouraging a homosexual sex life which is not recommended in the Bible. (to put it mildly) we do these souls no favor by encouraging them in going against God's plan for them...they deserve so much more. it is not "gay bashing" to be against same sex marriage. i hope this post will make some sense to someone

[mickey100]

Polls show the majority of citizens favor same sex marriage, belief in the bible notwithstanding.

[KeepingItReal]

Those concerned with obesity and other concerns raising our health care costs might want to read this information:

Family Research Council


www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/l/glm7/m160.htm

[KeepingItReal]

[QUOTE=chachacha;698357]the psychic Edgar Cayce, a devout Christian, said some interesting things about the gay person's life.... if one considers the possibility of reincarnation in the evolution of the soul (i know many Christians will balk at this but just keep reading)


I don't believe a True Saved by Grace Christian could possibly believe such stuff as ghosts and reincarnation. Upon our carnal death the soul (or spirit) returns unto God who gave it and the body goes back to earth from which it came. The final judgement will determine whether the soul shares an inheritance with Jesus in Heaven as one that served him or is cast into hell to burn and burn forever but will never burn up.


This part only can I agree with,

we do these souls no favor by encouraging them in going against God's plan for them...they deserve so much more. it is not "gay bashing" to be against same sex marriage. i hope this post will make some sense to someone

[Monkei]

Originally Posted by KeepingItReal

First one must decide if they do or do not believe the Bible is true.

Just as God will not force us to serve him, as it is a who so ever will decision to seek him and be saved. He will also allow us to follow whatever path we choose. One could ask why did God allow or create atheists, murderers, and others too.


From a previous post:

Homosexuality is clearly condemned in the Bible. It undermines the basis of God's created order where God made Adam, a man, and Eve, a woman -- not two men, not two women -- to carry out his command to fill and subdue the earth (Gen. 1:28). Homosexuality cannot carry out that command. It also undermines the basic family unit of husband and wife, the God-ordained means of procreation. It is also dangerous to society. (See, Is homosexuality danngerous?)

Unlike other sins, homosexuality has a heavy judgment administered by God Himself upon those who commit it - and support it. This judgment is simple in that those who practice it are given over to their passions - which means that their hearts are allowed to be hardened by their sins.

"For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error," (Rom. 1:26-27).

The bible has become a Chinese menu where you can pick what fits and what doesn't. Yet, those who use the Bible to discriminate against gay people do not use the same part of the Bible to discriminate against men who shave, barbers, people with tattoos, pork eaters, football players, and people who eat shellfish. I pity a young pastor in today's church who has a tattoo proclaiming his love of God, who played football for Liberty College and enjoys taking his wife to the Red Lobster for Lobster Feast Night.

Pick and choose. Today's men and women no longer live by the strict wording in the bible. For instance our vets who come back disabled and had to have parts or all of their "man" parts removed can no longer enter the church. That would include testicular cancer and the removal of those parts.

The bible, especially te Old Testemant are full of passages of things we as humans cannot do, we certainly look the other way when it suits our wants and needs.

[KeepingItReal]

[QUOTE=Monkei;698371]The bible has become a Chinese menu where you can pick what fits and what doesn't.

Pick and choose. Today's men and women no longer live by the strict wording in the bible. For instance our vets who come back disabled and had to have parts or all of their "man" parts removed can no longer enter the church. That would include testicular cancer and the removal of those parts.

************************************************** ************************************************** ***************

Not so at all, I will only study and read the KING JAMES VERSION God will not call a man to preach his Gospel that does not meet his qualifications. If God is big enough to call a man to preach he will deliver the message he wants preached. Paul prosecuted the church and even condoned the stoning of Stephen but God changed him to meet his purpose.

Don't have any idea what you are saying about the injured not being able to enter the church????

Body markings and piercings are also addressed in the Holy Bible. Ever wonder how those inspired to write the Bible knew just what was needed to be written?

The Old Testament directed people to live under the law but they were unable to do so and Jesus was sent to take their sins upon himself and to die for our sins. This did not nullify the laws written in the Old Testament.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by Happinow

Sorry, in my opinion, a marriage is between a man and a woman. Those who want to be together of the same sex should be able to but not under the Unity of marriage. Maybe a civil union? Btw, my nephew just got married in VT this past weekend to his boyfriend. So I live close in my mind to this issue.

We tend to agree with you.......perhaps it's just our generation....

However, that said........my husband made many a beautiful set of wedding bands for same sex partners.......whose love was as real as any other.

One pair of gentlemen, now deceased, were together for over 40 years and devoted to each other in life and now in death. The tombstone , monument actually, that they had put up......is unmistakenly a tribute to their love..........somehow they've arranged to have fresh flowers placed at this tombstone........they were both highly educated career guys.....

I think we all get a bit confused by the more flamboyant ones we see in parades and such.........and don't really understand that "love is love" and there is such a shortage of it in today's world.......that whomever finds this rare bonding with another soul........male or female.......is fortunate.

But, I do believe marriage is basically for procreation and between male and female. Gay marriage is legal in Vermont and has been for some time now........before that it was civil unions.......

Our adult children were raised in a different era, went to university in a different time and are very accepting of anyone who chooses the gay lifestyle.........so......when our generation is gone, what we think or thought, will not matter one bit.

[LndLocked]

"And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter. But we may hope that the dawn of reason and freedom of thought in these United States will do away with all this artificial scaffolding, and restore to us the primitive and genuine doctrines of this the most venerated reformer of human errors."- Thomas Jefferson


"There is not one redeeming feature in our superstition of Christianity. It has made one half the world fools, and the other half hypocrites."- Thomas Jefferson


"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason."- Ben Franklin


"This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it"- John Adams


"The Bible is not my book, nor Christianity my profession."- Abraham Lincoln


"Religious bondage shackles and debilitates the mind and unfits it for every noble enterprise."- James Madison

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by Monkei

The bible has become a Chinese menu where you can pick what fits and what doesn't. Yet, those who use the Bible to discriminate against gay people do not use the same part of the Bible to discriminate against men who shave, barbers, people with tattoos, pork eaters, football players, and people who eat shellfish. I pity a young pastor in today's church who has a tattoo proclaiming his love of God, who played football for Liberty College and enjoys taking his wife to the Red Lobster for Lobster Feast Night.

Pick and choose. Today's men and women no longer live by the strict wording in the bible. For instance our vets who come back disabled and had to have parts or all of their "man" parts removed can no longer enter the church. That would include testicular cancer and the removal of those parts.

The bible, especially te Old Testemant are full of passages of things we as humans cannot do, we certainly look the other way when it suits our wants and needs.

Are you hinting at (gasp!) HYPOCRISY?! The Bible, in its religious context, embraced slavery as a routine, everyday occurrence. The U.S. Constitution, in its civil context, similarly embraced slavery as a routine, everyday occurrence. But then slavery was abolished! So much for "strict interpretation" of both the Bible and the U.S. Constitution....

I had occasion once to witness the Phelps family of Westboro Baptist Church "fame," who consider themselves devout Christians, picketing a church in an area where I lived at the time. I had no idea why they had selected that church; I knew many members of the congregation who were inherently good folks. I was rattled by the level of foul-mouthed abuse they shouted and displayed on picket signs, even though I understood that the goal of these Christians was to provoke onlookers to the point of physical confrontation, which would then lead to lawsuits! This link is revealing (and one can Google many other links for info about this anti-gay Christian group):

My father, the hate preacher: Nate Phelps on escaping Westboro Baptist Church - Telegraph

To quote this source: ".... Westboro first came to international attention after its members (consisting largely of members of Phelps’s extended family) picketed the funeral of Matthew Shepard, the student who was murdered in 1998 because he was gay.

"At Shepard’s funeral, Phelps and his followers held signs that read: “God Hates Fags” and “No Tears for Queers”. By 2005, the church was picketing funerals of fallen soldiers too. During one, Phelps told the Associated Press: 'Our attitude toward what’s happening with the war is the Lord is punishing this evil nation for abandoning all moral imperatives that are worth a dime.'

"Essentially, Phelps and his followers see all tragedies involving loss of life – war, natural disasters, mass shootings – as God’s judgment on a world that 'enables' homosexuality. Using this bizarre logic, they have protested at Lady Gaga concerts, schools, the Oscars, and the funerals of Navy SEALS, miners, hurricane victims and Elizabeth Taylor – 'fag enablers' one and all, they claim. The church has only about 40 members, yet Westboro is world famous."

They attend the funerals of our fallen military men and women shouting abuse at the mourners and bearing signs like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." Others of their picket signs read, among other things, "God Hates Jews," "America Is Doomed," "Fags Are Beasts," "Fag Troops," "God Hates You," "God Is Your Enemy," "You're Going to Hell." Apparently practically no one is exempt from the vitriol of this Christian group.

These are Christian attitudes and beliefs? I would not have thought so.... But their Christian beliefs opposing homosexuality are the same as the Christian beliefs of those who cringe at the U.S. Supreme Court's decision, are they not? Or am I missing something? Only the behaviors are different. Very different.... Living in this community and to the extent that TOTV is a reflection of the feelings of Villagers in general, it's a relief to see that the vast majority of posters are pleased with the decision, which in turn is likely a reflection of the majority of Americans across the country....

[Shirleevee]

:

Originally Posted by Portia

ITS only a matter of time..when the old boys club die off and the next generation will be waiting with open arms.. for equality for all..

Thank you!

[Shirleevee]

Originally Posted by redwitch

I'm glad the Supreme Court took a step in the right direction. I'm sorry they couldn't have gone all the way and declared same sex marriages legal across the board. Here's hoping that will come sooner than later.