And so Wednesday marked the overturning of Proposition 8. I didn’t hear any celebrating in the streets. Then again, we live in Texas so no celebrating of any sort will be happening here, but what was the rest of the world doing? Sleeping and continuing on with their lives it appears. I’m guessing that they weren’t too surprised either.
Listening to Rose O’Donnell on Sirius 102 on my way home from work, she had her son on the show and discussed briefly what this means for the GLBT community. “I grew up realizing I could never have what my parents had. I knew I was gay since I was seven. I would never be able to be married, and it makes you feel different for the rest of your life,” She stated. It made me chuckle a little bit at the word “different”. Different? Out of all the things that the world has succumb to accept is GLBT people. But are my thoughts naïve or are same sex couples that will soon be able to marry become the new modern family?
So I needed to figure out how I felt about this. First, it took me back to my trip to Chicago. The photo above is something I snapped while strolling down Michigan Ave with my sister. It was bold and striking. I like stuff like that. Right there in the window. Second, Modern Family, the show, where one of the modern families actually is a gay couple raising a child they adopted. Incredibly funny too.
These outwardly expressions about the GLBT community must mean that being homosexual isn’t exactly taboo anymore so why are so many of them feeling “left out” because they are denied marriage?
I really appreciate people who take a stand, but isn’t it possible to be on the wrong side or is it just okay that you’re standing? It seems to me that we’ve come to a place where anything goes…and I mean anything. The moral compass of our country has gone into override where even religious people have become accommodating, including myself. It's not like GLBT persons are denied jobs (i work with them in corporate America) or anything like that. This isn't like the Jim Crow days of denial of rights. Those people were actually denied the right to be equal on several areas. It seems to come down to WHAT YOU BELIEVE is marriage. And attempting to convince our country, founded on Christian morals, that same sex couples can do that will actually be encouraging believers to overturn their beliefs. But it’s so vital to take a step back and wonder if we’re totally out of context on this issue?
I picked up some Scriptures on homosexuality:
• Lev. 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination."
• Lev. 20:13, "If there is a man who lies with a male as those who lie with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their blood guiltness is upon them"
• 1 Cor. 6:9-10, "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
• Rom. 1:26-28, "For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, 27and 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. 28And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper."
So is the Bible wrong or are we wrong? Marriage, in the dictionary, has changed its meaning from “woman and man” to “two people that love each other”. Marriage, as I see it, is between a man and a woman. Since the beginning of time marriage was about them becoming monogamous to procreate. Well, a lot has changed, and we can tell that from premarital sex, sexually transmitted diseases, children out of wedlock and of course the divorce rates in our country. All of these examples are even supported in the Bible.
Galatians 5:19-21 “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” (MSG)
Yes, he (Paul) could go on. It draws me to the conclusion that I don’t like the idea of same sex relationships inheriting a “marriage” title. A marriage, in history and of my faith, is something that extends beyond love. It’s a union and a dedication through God. Many people do not get married with these ideas but this is where marriage generated its roots. I feel this way about many of the issues we face today. Stepping out on God, on numerous occasions, has only brought me temporary pleasures in life.
It’s possible to find love in anyone. I’ve known people who have dated both sexes and ultimately ended up dating the opposite sex and the consensus is drawn, whether you feel like you’ve always been gay or whatever the case, it’s ultimately a choice to act on it. The sin of homosexuality isn’t any less than the sin of adultery except one of you might be able to hide it better.
I continue to encourage to extend love, regardless. It’s not my judgement to pass but one day we will all be judged and the only taboo thing I see in homosexuality is calling it a sin. NO ONE wants to hear that with the assumption that you’re “judging” but my faith says what it says and therefore overturning Prop 8 isn’t exactly ideal in my book. I’m looking forward to seeing how it all turns out though. The clock is ticking.
So, where do you stand?
ily friends <3
FYI: If you're interested in reading more check out a San Francisco article - http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/05/MNCC1EPLQV.DTL&tsp=1
