With all the Obama buzz and the campaign I gave a glance at the measure in California concerning Prop 8 and the ban against gay marriages. I read how the Mormon church and other "christian" organizations poured a heap of dollars into this anti-gay marriage amendment. I also watch KO's (Keith Olberman)"Special Comment" regarding the measure which is brilliant on many levels.
I also read the diary entry by leftside Christine http://www.dailykos.com/... which was moving and touched me enough to dig into my Bible on a passage I've used to folks who questioned gays and lesbians place in the world. For you see my belief as a Christian is the GLBT community are as much part of God's creation as anyone of us. To call them unclean, inadequate, below human, or other things not worth mentioning in this diary is both an afront to God himself. Who are we to sit up and judge and condemn people who want to celebrate their love for each other? Gays and lesbians deserve the right to marry each other...period.
The book of Acts chapters 10 and 11 talks about how Peter had visions of animals that were un-Kosher in a large sheet. God asked Peter to slay the animals to eat and Peter wouldn't have any of it calling the animals "unclean". The voice replied "what God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy". Then Peter woke up. He would later be summoned to visit of all people (gasp!) Gentiles. In this period of the Christian faith the mixing of Jews and Gentiles were forbidden; Peter was called by God to join up with a Gentile believer who is a faithful believer of God but had no knowledge of Jesus. Can you imagine the inner turmoil Peter faced in his heart over taking in these people?
Peter would then meet with them, shared the Good News about Jesus, they believed, the Holy Spirit descended, and they rejoiced. Peter then concluded after he witnessed what happened "Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"
In Chapter 11 of Acts, Peter would be dragged in front of the elders of the early church to explain why he went among the Gentiles. Peter told his story and then proclaimed one of the most profound passage in the Bible I ever read: "If God therefore gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" The following passage: "And when they heard this, they quieted down, and glorified God, saying, 'Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.'"
I'm not writing this out to give a Sunday School lesson or to try and convert anyone, but to make a personal point. My first vote was to Ronald Regan and I was a staunch conservative Christian who believed what my leaders told me. I believed what Christian media and entertainers told me never questioning their intent or their purpose. We were all in the business of trying to please God and do his will, right? It wasn't until nearly 20 years ago in the military that I saved a friend from an unwanted advance from a mutual acquaintance in the military. She then thanked me and shared with me of her lesbianism. It blew my world apart! She was and is one of the most devoted believers I know who sometimes is as devoted a believer than most of the straight counterparts I know.
We've gone through the Bible readings, the soul searching, the debates, everything together. Why? Because the same promise I made to her is the same I continue to make to her: "I knew you before you came out to me, I know you now afterwords. Nothing changes. I don't quite understand it all, but I will find out all I can to see what God really says."
Since that promise I spent 10 years of my life among gay people. I was invited in homes to eat with them, slept over without incident, and was treated with kindness, warmth and laughter by them. Some stretched my limited thinking about how we are all attracted to one another, but thank God it allowed me to think for myself.
The choice to understand was one of the reasons it cost me my marriage. My former wife wouldn't have any part of it and it caused such a wedge in the issue that I lost all hope. It also made me question the whole approach the church takes regarding sexuality as a whole. But my own behavior finally came to a head and I left the gay community because (shock) I wasn't faithful in my own marriage.
Marriage.
Such an overused word these days by those who profess pristine and flawless coupling. Yet we straights could use a lot more understanding and conscience regarding the word and the practice in our own lives before wagging a finger at the GLBT community. No marriage is perfect, but to see the hunger by so many GLBT couples wanting to validate their love and willing to commit to a lifetime of flaws and foils, of parent teachers conferences and complaints about chores around the house who are we to deny them? God? Not!
"Who was I to stand in God's way?"
Instead of the tons of money spent by these so called Christian institutions trying to protect such areas (which I don't think the word marriage is even in the Bible) couldn't we just get out of God's way and let Him bless their union "for better or for worse"? The war on gays is one of the worst ones out there wagged by moralist who can't put their own distaste for couples of the same sex being intimate with one another. To me we need to get over it and let them enjoy the freedom to love one another. The country will not end because of gays; it might end because of greed and other influences by straights who have no idea of what honesty is all about.
"Who am I to stand in God's way?"
The die is cast mate. If God is furious over this we'll know. In the meantime, let them live their lives with love and happiness.