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kawgpz550, you did not offend me, and I appreciate your efforts to allow a frank discussioin with respect. I also wish to be respectful to you and your opinion.
As far as wearing your sexual preference on your sleeve, so to speak, yours and citigirls reaction is a fine example of why they wear symbols. When openly gay mayor of San Francisco was assasinated, the rainbow flag became a symbol of the gay pride movement.
I honestly feel many people still see the gay/straight issue as us/them. When in reality, there are untold millions who live in America who do not wear rainbow symbols and who are your grandparents, church friends, and relatives. The whole issue is gays have been silent up until now and most gays are STILL silent. So, if your kids are learning there are gays/lesbians and transgendered from all walks of life and do not deserve to be murdered because of their sexual orientation, then more power to them.
As for the heterosexual symbol, You don't need a symbol to represent you because you have never been through what gays have been subjected to. There is website called ask.com where you can ask any question. I asked about the rainbow flag and its history, why it was adopted by the gay movement and learned something in the process. At the end of my post are some rainbow symbols explained. I don't know about the christian reference, though.
RAINBOW SYMBOLS
In every ancient culture, the rainbow has featured variously as a god/goddess in its own right, a symbol of the unity of the world or, in the case of the Judiac-Christian tradition, God's promise of safety to humanity. Here are just a few of the forms these references take:
Iris
Iris is the Greek goddess of the rainbow, a daughter of the Titans, and cousin of Zeus. She is a multiple image, in effect, being a messenger to Zeus and his wife Hera, to worthy and beloved mortals, and, like the Norse Valkyries, conveyor of the souls of the dead (women only in Iris' case) to the blessed Elysian Fields. As with Christianity, due to her love for humanity and care of the wounded, her appearance in the sky was always taken as a sign of hope.
Buddhism
Some Buddhists believe the seven colours of the rainbow relate to the seven planets and seven regions of the earth. They also say the rainbow is the highest state of samsara before the clear light of Nirvana or heaven.
Islam
In Arabia, the rainbow is a tapestry draped by the hands of the south wind. It is also called Allah's bow. In Islam, the rainbow is made up of four colours: red, yellow, green and blue, related to the four elements.
Hinduism
In myths of India the Goddess Indra also carries a rainbow, known as Indra's bow or weapon. A part of the Indian creation myth says the Gods created an ocean of milk from which all living forms emerged. Airavata, a sacred milk white elephant, whose name means 'rainbow', was one of the first creatures born from the milk.
Judiasm
A promise of peace from God. After Noah's ark finally arrived on dry ground after 40 days and nights of rain later, God sent a rainbow as his promise that this great flood would never happen again.
Christianity
Apart from being the symbol of the reconciliation between God and humanity carried over from the Judiac tradition, the rainbow also retains references of the ancient Greek belief. With echoes of the Iris myth, some Christians of the Roman Catholic faith view it as the Virgin Mary bringing heaven and earth into harmony.
I certainly don't equate an individual's innate, very natural orientation toward members of his or her same gender with: murder, child abuse, or the ever-increasingly common INFIDELITY. Aren't christians just the condescending crowd? Including gays and lesbians with criminals, cheaters and liars is such a mean-spirited and unchristian-like judgement to place on a group of people, the majority of whom are not violent or dihonest. That is yet another gold star in the hate column for christianity. I'm turning the results in to god in a few days too...let's see what he thinks of all this.
Since homosexuality is naturally occurring in the wild kingdom (two of my female ducks are, if you have to ask), I agree that equating it to murder, child abuse, or infidelity is humorous. It's similar to saying that left-handed people are guilty of a crime or sin. At one time, the RC Church preached that this was "evil."
It's humorous that many people use this old argument that animal do it. I'm aware that many people who use this argument believe we evolved from apes and therefore are similar to animals. Those who believe homosexuality is a sin probably also believe that we absolutely did not evolve from apes! Therefore this argument is ridiculous! Humans are not animals and are subject to higher laws. Now I'll agree that the practice of homosexuality is animal-like.
Homosexuality may occur in the animal kingdom but it is still aberrant behavior. I noticed that at some point people were commenting that homosexuality was only mentioned in the Old Testament, but it is also addressed in the OT in Romans. Just because one may have a tendancy doesn't not mean they do not make a choice. One may have a "tendancy" to become an aloholic, but unless one takes that first drink they will never have to worry about it.
what difference does it make to anyone if somebody is gay?? what is it with the christians obsession with it? shouldn't it be their choice to live how they want to live? The whole point of living in a free country is that you have the right to be who you are, without being punished or judged because somebody else doesn't agree with it. Remember that the US was formed with a clear separation of church and state. Even if you think homosexuality is wrong, you should still support people's right to be free in their life choices. Thats the whole point of the US's democratic free society.
Christians believe homosexuality is a sin. That said the obvious reason it is front and center now is because of the push for gay marriage. Christians are against it, that is why it is such an issue now.
Christians believe homosexuality is a sin. That said the obvious reason it is front and center now is because of the push for gay marriage. Christians are against it, that is why it is such an issue now.
Do not brush Christians in such broad strokes. Some Christians believe being gay is a sin and some are opposed to gay marriage. Some Christians are actually advocating for gay marriage, such as the Episcopal Church.
what difference does it make to anyone if somebody is gay?? what is it with the christians obsession with it? shouldn't it be their choice to live how they want to live? The whole point of living in a free country is that you have the right to be who you are, without being punished or judged because somebody else doesn't agree with it. Remember that the US was formed with a clear separation of church and state. Even if you think homosexuality is wrong, you should still support people's right to be free in their life choices. Thats the whole point of the US's democratic free society.
It makes a difference to bible believing Christians (I really don't believe there's any other kind ) because the bible is God's word and God's word says it is a sin. Yes everyone has the right to live the way they choose. It is just a fact though that MOST Christians are just gonna be against it because they belive it's wrong. And this democratic free society has dramatically changed. I don't belive that the founding fathers would approve of what is happening today including gay marriage.
As far as the Episcopal church supporting gay marriage. Well I don't understand how a church can say its Christian and not believe the Bible. And don't give this all churches have different interpretations stuff. That may be but God's word on homosexuality being a sin is plain as plain and skewing it any other was is just justification for making yourself feel better about doing or supporting something that is wrong.
I did not read all 51 pages of this thread, so if I say something that has already been said, than please forgive me. However, I did read a lot of the replies and noticed that a good bit of them were along these lines: "If a person quits his homosexual acts, and asks for forgiveness in Jesus, than yes he will be forgiven." Now, this is what I find funny about your typical religion. That is the way people interpret it in this era. However that is not what the bible says.
Leviticus 20:13 states it this way: "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death; their blood is upon them."
So if you believe in the bible, and everything it says should be held in your heart, than that means we should murder all homosexuals. But, that's funny, because we as a "Christian nation" aren't obviously rounding up gay men and women and performing mass murder on them. Why not? Probably, because that would be immoral. So, the greatest book of all time, the book by which all persons should live their lives, and receive their moral values, would be immoral in today's world. Isn't that weird? And, that is not the only case like it. I have plenty more if anyone would be interested in hearing them.
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) because the bible is God's word and God's word says it is a sin. Yes everyone has the right to live the way they choose. It is just a fact though that MOST Christians are just gonna be against it because they belive it's wrong. And this democratic free society has dramatically changed. I don't belive that the founding fathers would approve of what is happening today including gay marriage.
The Bible
