Well Judith, there are a number of reasons, but as a former pastor my opposition to homosexual “marriage” was based on religious freedom. You see marriage is a unique institution in that it is both an institution initiated and ordained by God, and also a civil contract before the state.
Unbelievers will sin, that is what they do. Homosexuality will increase in the land and it is a mark of our demise as a nation, but it is also what lost sinners do, they sin. So in keeping with idea of freedom of religion in America, I had no problem with homosexual “civil unions.” That sounds like a politician’s cop out to avoid the issue, but it is the truth. Married couples have certain unique priveledges under the law, from joint tax returns to insurance beneficiaries to family health care policies. I have no problem extending these benefits to homosexuals in a committed relationship. To deny these benefits in fact to me seems like religious persecution. They don’t believe what we do so we penalize them.
But, as soon as you call it “Marriage” you have changed the situation. Now instead of religious belief’s taking rights away from non-believers, we have non-believers forcing their views on the religious. Consider the baker who was forced to provide a wedding cake for a homosexual couple.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/12/12/Christian-Baker-Willing-to-Go-to-Jail-for-Declining-Gay-Wedding-Cake
How would you feel if your pastor was obligated, under the law, to conduct a wedding ceremony for a same sex couple? How would you feel if your church was required by law to allow them to use your auditorium? Under legalized homosexual marriage these things could happen.
It is not about leaving consenting adults alone and let them do what they want. It is about them forcing us to accept and even condone their choices. It is about forcing homosexuality in the face of Christians and daring them to say it’s wrong so you can sue them for hate speech.
The current homosexual marriage agenda has nothing to do with rights for homosexuals and everything to do with taking away the freedom of speech from Christians who disagree with the homosexual’s lifestyle.
Neither of those first answers deals with the issue. When dealing with the question posed by the lost on the issue pointing to God does not answer how is it hurting anyone or anything outsaide of religious beliefs. I was looking at a way to deal with them on their level and then after that God can be introduced.
Judith, I believe Tentmaker hits the nail on the head concerning your question. It is bad for society because they are attacking our religious freedoms with an attack on the sacred institution of “marriage” by attempting to redefine it. The proof of this is seen by simply asking them to give you ONE REASON, if all other rights were the same under the term “Civil Union” that they insist on calling their union a “marriage”. It is an in your face attack on the sanctity of a union that has its origins in the church of God and amounts to a demand of equality with God by trampling on the established definition of “marriage”.
Let me ask you a question: Just how is protecting the sanctity of the definition of 'marriage" discriminating against homosexuals? Seems more like they are the ones discriminating and stepping on things that others hold dear, the right to have meaning in a certain type of union, i.e. like the origins, meanings and definition of marriage? Please give me another reason for them to call their unions "marriage" if all other rights were the same, if it is not about discrimination on their part.
"Not hurting anything outside religious beliefs"!!! What about OUR constitution RIGHT to practice our religion without these attacks on an institution we hold dear by them attempting to redefining the term. Give me ONE OTHER "LEGITIMATE" REASON for them not be satisfied with another term, all other rights/things being equal, if it were not attempt of a spit in the face our God and a claim to to be equal with Him by denying US the sanctity of the meanings behind the institution of marriage!?
