YAY!

[vinvac]

Matt,

I think at this point any victory is a victory, perhaps the timeing is not right...but none the less a victory!

Being a very active United Methodist, I totally understand where you are coming from with the view of the church. There are changes being made there as well. The United Methodist Church is trying to move forward and trying to change their stand on gay issues. There was a song written a few years back for our opening call to worship entitled "Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds", it may take us a while, but we are working on it. Now I can't say that for everyone or every denomination, I think the Roman Catholic church may never get, but yet the Episcopalions are moving in a very positive direction.

We also have to remember who is in office in our Nations Capital right now, someone who is controlling the media, someone who is controlling gas and oil prices, someone who I personally feel wants to see this country in the worst shape possible, so blame can be passed to the next group in control.
I have repeatedly been told how the controling powers have paid the media to keep their slant on world issues to the front of our minds...not a good thing!

Positive thoughts, we are moving forward, small steps may lead to even larger steps...after all is that not how we all start out in life.

Morgan

 

[jeffg]

Some people might be surprised to learn exactly who (and what) is behind this "defense of marriage" stuff, or at least the organized aspects of it: the political demogoguery, legislative lobbying efforts, media attention etc. It has nothing to do with morality or religion or traditional values or saving the institution of marriage, and everything to do with money and simple practicalities.

State/civil recognition of same-sex marriage, and acceptance of homosexuality in general present huge problems for certain groups, most notably the Roman Catholic Church which is, by far, the largest organized group of gay people in the world today (and has been for the last 2000 years). Acceptance of gay marriage or homosexuality would throw the church's clergy into absolute chaos. And how can anyone expect the church to condone gay marriage, when it doesn't even condone heterosexual marriage for its own clergy? It's a very sticky issue for them.

Prohibition of marriage for priests is another issue where people are generally unaware of the real reasons behind it. Again it has nothing to do with morality or emulating Jesus' disciples etc, and everything to do with money. The RCC won't allow marriage for priests because doing so would force them to financially support the resulting families of priests, and because they would lose billions of dollars every year in property and estate inheritance to these families.

As Christian churches continue to turn their backs on social progress, I don't know where this is going to wind up. I think their positions on homosexuality, same-sex marriage etc will eventually become (or maybe already are) completely irrelevant, the house of cards they've built for themselves on these issues will come tumbling down all at once, and they'll be forced, finally, to deal with them honestly.