Why I Am Voting NO On Prop 8
Ever since I can remember, I knew that marriage was a blessing. I saw how happy my mom and dad were, how happy their children made them, and how happy it made me to have two parents who loved each other and loved me.
I knew that marriage was important because I saw how much my parents depended on each other. Each kiss meant more than "I love you." Some meant "Thank you for working so hard to support this family." Some meant "Thank you for getting the kids to school." Some meant "Thank you for the wonderful dinner." And some meant "I don't know what I'd do without you."
As I grew up, I learned a lot from my parents. I learned to treat each person the way I wanted them to treat me. I learned to saved my money, and not to buy anything I couldn't afford. I learned to be thankful for my blessings. I learned that family is so important.
So from a young age I was certain. Someday, I want to be married, just like my mom and dad.
Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't gotten my hopes up.
When you're a little kid, no one tells you that you won't be able to get married like your parents did. They tell you that you'll get older, you'll fall in love, you'll get married, you'll start a family.
Why didn't someone tell me when I was six? Why didn't someone sit me down and say, "When you grow up, you'll fall in love with the wrong type of person. You shouldn't want marriage, you won't be allowed to have it." Perhaps it would hurt less now if I had known back then.
Why didn't someone say, "When you fall in love, it will be less special than your parents' love, so you can't call it marriage. When you meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, keep it to yourself, no one will want to hear about it."
Why didn't someone tell me, "When your parents love each other, it is good and right. But when you find the person you love, it won't be as good, and it won't be as right."
I've been told that God doesn't give us challenges that we can't overcome. Why then, I thought, did God make me gay? Why did God give me this desire to find someone to love and support. Why did God give me this desire to have and love a family? Why did he do these things and make me gay?
I know I am gay in every fiber of my being. It is built into me. I have tried to be different, I have tried to be "normal," because I didn't want to be the one who is left out. But it is an essential part of my being. How then, does God expect me to overcome myself?
I prayed about it, I stressed over it. I pretended to like things I didn't like, and I pretended that I didn't like things that I actually did. I got frustrated searching for the thing inside me that caused so much unhappiness. And I was weary from trying to change something inside me that, deep down, I didn't actually feel was wrong.
And then one day, I finally got it. I wasn't supposed to overcome myself. I was supposed to overcome my prejudice against gay people. God wanted me to treat gay people the same way I treated straight people. With love, respect, dignity, and equality. And God wanted me to know that it started with me. God wanted me to know that I needed to love myself as a gay person, and to stop discriminating against myself first and foremost. This burden from God that I wanted taken away so much, it turned out to be a greater gift than I ever could have imagined.
So what about marriage? If I know that God loves us all the same, how can I justify treating other people differently. How can I offer other people less than I would take for myself? How can I deny someone their love when love is the one thing God asks us to hold most sacred?
If you know how I can do this, please let me know. As it is, I can't think of a single reason why.
This Tuesday Californians are voting on Proposition 8, an amendment that takes away the rights of every gay person to marry the one they love. Don't tell someone that their love is less important, less meaningful, or less real. I am begging you to please vote NO on Proposition 8.
God Bless,
Adrian Molina
(P.S. If you also feel strongly about Prop 8, please write a note on facebook or myspace or your blog or whatever and send it to your friends and family. On voting day it will be very close, so let people know why you are voting no on Prop 8.)
posted by Adrian Molina at 9:58 AM
35 Comments:
this was truly an inspiring read
even though i'm not an american and don't live in california (yet.. haha) i hope that people do the right thing on tuesday
good luck :)
Well stated, Adrian.
Unfortunately my father and I are probably just going to end up canceling out the rest of my family, but I'm hopeful that this proposition will be defeated. I'd rather not see this kind of attitude enshrined in our state's constitution.
Hi Adrian,
Great post! As a Canadian I can only cross my fingers. Hoping for the best today.
Great post, sounds like you have a great family. I appreciate your honesty and admire both your art and desire to be right with God.
I wrestled with my vote, but today I voted yes on prop 8 and I can completely understand why many could hate me for it. I'm not a crusader for 8 but when my government asks me to define right and wrong I can only give my own opinion.
It's because of the Bible, and really no other reason, that I believe sexual conduct with a person of the same sex or two persons of opposite sex that are not married is wrong. Wrong, meaning against God's desire for humanity. It's not love that God is against, it's sexual satisfaction outside of His design.
My difficulty however is that not only do I want to treat all people with the same respect, but I cannot help but realize my and the many people who will vote yes on 8's own hypocrisy. How many are divorced or engage in fornication out side of marriage. I'm married but I must still fight my desires in order to be faithful to my wife, and we were not perfect before marriage. I also realize that there are many other gay people that do not even care or desire to follow God so why should I force a belief on them. A soul has never been redeemed by not doing something.
Another contradiction I find in myself is that in the same breath I can say that I'm cool with civil unions and I'd even be okay with the legality same-sex marriage if I wasn't my choice. The government has little affect on my beliefs but my beliefs affect the government.
Anyway, thanks for your post and thanks for letting me respond. I hope you are always first affected by God's love but that you may also share it. I welcome your comments but realize I can only answer for my self.
"It's because of the Bible, and really no other reason, that I believe sexual conduct with a person of the same sex or two persons of opposite sex that are not married is wrong."
That is why there's this little thing called the New Testament. There is NOTHING in the New Testament that states such a thing.
As a matter of fact, the New Testament quite effectively proves that even JESUS would vote "No" on Prop. 8--because he, of all people, fought for an individual's right to have a personal relationship with him--and was the single biggest advocate--in his OWN WORDS---of the separation of church and State.
Marriage is a CIVIL issue, not a religious one. You might want to "believe" differently, but just because you believe it doesn't negate this simple FACT. And it certainly doesn't mean you any special rights to deny others their individual liberty.
Denying people human and civil rights is a sin. But you're lucky: Ask nicely, and Jesus just may forgive you.
James-
I respect your opinion, even though I disagree with it.
But if it all comes down to the Bible, then there is nothing I can say to convince you.
I cannot change the Bible.
I can change my mind (like when I realized that gay people aren't evil or trying to hurt anyone), I can change my actions (like loving my neighbor even when I disagree with them), and I can change my heart (like when I learned to love myself just the way God made me).
But I cannot change the Bible.
I hope you find comfort and peace in that book, and that it provides you all the happiness in life that you're able to get from it, because clearly those words mean a lot to you.
For me, the words that you hold so dear are asking me to hate myself, and I can't do that. I love God, but I can't bring myself to use the Bible to discriminate against my neighbor or myself. When the Bible asks me to love, I listen and I try my best to do that. But when it asks me to hate, that's where I draw my own line.
Maybe a better Christian than I am can follow every word, regardless of who it might belittle and whose family it might marginalize, but I suppose I am not that Christian.
I don't say any of this to be mean or hurtful. It's just that it looks like Prop 8 is going to pass, and I feel belittled, I feel marginalized, and I feel less than equal.
But if that's what God wants, then what can I do?
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ADRIAN! It's Reagan. Dude I had no idea you did that Prop 8 cartoon. I KNOW ANOTHER FAMOUS PERSON NOW!! Stay frosty my fellow Space Marine.
don't give up hope, adrian
this is only a hiccup on the road to equality and fairness. in the end, i'm positive that the right thing will be done.
Since this so called "god" created gay people, doesn't that make him a BAD person? OH brother. And I sure wished someone could tell me WHICH of the many gods was supposed to have done this. How stupid he/she/it must be to create something and then tell people to hate this creation.
No "god" in their right mind would create something in their own likeness to be HATED. AND wear "magic underwear," too.
CHRIST I hate stupid people.
YAY for Obama. And Prop. 8 will be toppled not as fast as it should be, but before the end of 2009.
Adrian,
I'm glad we crossed paths, I greatly respect your attitude and willingness to be open, even as I confess my beliefs that would cause many to be defensive. In that spirit I'd like to further explain my perspective. Not yes on prop 8, but deeper the contradictions that arise when God would deny you what you were created to desire.
Why does desire exist inside of us that is opposite of God's will and our good? Partly I believe because God created us to have a choice in following him and what kind of choice would it be if we didn't posses the desire not to? Mostly, however, because we come from a long line of sinners--only one person was sinless--warped desires are bread into us genetically. Alcoholism, selfishness, and a whole host of sexually immoral desires. Humanity's own poor choices have made us susceptible to desires that God never desired for us.
"For me, the words that you hold so dear are asking me to hate myself, and I can't do that. I love God, but I can't bring myself to use the Bible to discriminate against my neighbor or myself."
In this light, God does not ask you to hate yourself, though I realize that ones sexual desires seems to be a large portion of who they are... it is not. A persons soul is eternal and is the most important part of you, it is the part of you created in the image of God. He loves you and wishes you love what He loves and hate what He hates. He hates the desires that lead to actions which causes your separation from Him, but loves when your desire for Him overcomes them. God, from a biblical perspective can not give you a desire against Him, but He can use them for good. People who overcome their genetic disposition to stray gain maturity and strength of their soul, an eternal good.
My apologies for how long this response is, I'm not as good a writer as yourself. It took me some time to even write it this concise, combining my knowledge of the Bible, God, Humanity and personal experience.
One last thing, the Bible without a doubt does say to love your neighbor and even your enemy, but it also says to hate sin. Here I believe you misinterpret what it means to "love." I can love my alcoholic neighbor but in the same instance I'm not going to bring him a bottle of wine because he desires it, sometimes to love is to discriminate and withhold. Or should I let my neighbor legally amass and share pictures of naked children even though he's not hurting anyone, if he's not taking the pictures or interacting with children, knowing that it only gets worse? A though comparison I know, I realize there are many differences. But to love does not mean to live and let live.
One thing I think we will both agree on is this... Christians have not been very loving of homosexuals. We have been guilty of placing less value on you and and thinking ourselves better human beings. We've also been hypocrites not only falling to the same desires as you but also to similar or possibly worse desires such as adultery and sex outside of marriage. I'm sorry, it's not right, and we will be held accountable for it. However, I'm not under the impression that loving you means making something legal we are pretty certain goes against what God desires for you.
One thing I can certainly say is that God could not care less about prop 8 compared to how he cares about you. God does not loose anything if prop8's over turned. He doesn't want to loose you.
Love, James
To Anonymous: I warn against having too small a view of God, it makes you look stupid. Theology, aka. the study of God, has been around for many thousands of years, don't think that with a paragraph dismissing it you can look smart.
Stupid? HAH! You believe in INVISIBLE people!
Hey Adrian I was looking up rights online in California, I found this information on Wikipedia.
As of 2007, California affords domestic partnerships all of the same rights and responsibilities as marriages under state law (Cal. Fam. Code §297.5). Among these:
* Making health care decisions for each other in certain circumstances
* Hospital and jail visitation rights that were previously reserved for family members related by blood, adoption or marriage to the sick, injured or incarcerated person.
* Access to family health insurance plans (Cal. Ins. Code §10121.7)
* Spousal insurance policies (auto, life, homeowners etc..), this applies to all forms of insurance through the California Insurance Equality Act (Cal. Ins. Code §381.5)
* Sick care and similar family leave
* Stepparent adoption procedures
* Presumption that both members of the partnership are the parents of a child born into the partnership
* Suing for wrongful death of a domestic partner
* Rights involving wills, intestate succession, conservatorships and trusts
* The same property tax provisions otherwise available only to married couples (Cal. R&T Code §62p)
* Access to some survivor pension benefits
* Supervision of the Superior Court of California over dissolution and nullity proceedings
* The obligation to file state tax returns as a married couple (260k) commencing with the 2007 tax year (Cal R&T Code §18521d)
* The right for either partner to take the other partner's surname after registration
* Community property rights and responsibilities previously only available to married spouses
* The right to request partner support (alimony) upon dissolution of the partnership (divorce)
* The same parental rights and responsibilities granted to and imposed upon spouses in a marriage
Which ones are missing? I just would like to better understand this topic.
Cheers-
Steven
James:
First of all, you write very well, and as a fellow brother of Christ, I find a lot of what you have to say very encouraging. Still, I have to completely disagree with your vote.
You said that you can only vote on what you believe to be right and wrong. Do you think that's our duty when voting, to assert our beliefs on others? Even if you believe homosexuality is wrong, what right do you have to take someone else's right away? Very few propositions actually take away a citizen's current right, and you had better have a good reason for asserting your personal morals on a large group of the populace.
This sort of aggression will not help the image of Christ. You say that God gives us the choice of sin, well you seem to want to take that choice away.
I have no idea what Christ would vote for, but I am not without sin, so I will not be casting any stones.
Adrian:
I'm so sorry this bill passed, man. Take heart in the fact that Californians have made a lot of progress since a similar bill was proposed and shot down eight years ago, losing by something like sixty percent. Change doesn't happen over-night, but I'm sure you'll get a chance to marry!
Also, very touching post, man. Well written, and it offers some great insight on the issue.
God bless you all!
Oh, when I say the last bill was shot down, I mean the gay-rights side lost by a lot. This bill was extremely close, showing a lot of progress; sorry if there was any confusion.
The question then is what gives the government the ability to judge right from wrong, to award civil rights? Who says everyone has the right to marry? (I would call marriage more of a privilege but I digress.) I believe that our government is a government of the people and it is not a separate entity. Government cannot exist without a people but people can exist without a government. Therfore the connection between the values of people and their government is inseperatble, even more so with a democracy.
All that to say, as a citizen I believe it is our duty to vote, and not only to vote but to represent oneself, beliefs and all. Otherwise democracy could not function. Government is not a moral compass it is a compass to the values of the people that run it. In a democracy... that's us.
Thanks for the compliment but I disagree that as a citizen you should not vote your beliefs simply because it goes against someone else's. And that statement goes for both sides. Otherwise this issue would never have been raised in the first place, who's questioning who's beliefs? When in the past was same-sex marriage a government right? That's a new idea challenging long held beliefs.
Anyway I'm glad you brought the issue up, I questioned it myself and it does help to write it out. I agree with you that aggressiveness can be damaging, however I also believe integrity and a zeal for truth is both powerful and attractive, especially around those who also seek truth for themselves.
Again thanks Adrian for allowing me to use your blog to explain myside of things.
With Love,
James
On a side note.
I'm a huge fan of Pixar! I hope I can someday make a film as good as the ones you guys put together.
The Pixar Story doc almost brought me to tears... what an awesome history and group of talented people you all are.
You guys get my highest respect.
This is really touching. I guess it should be more convincing than my articles about prop 8, which are full of anger most of time. Would you mind me posting this on my blog?
munchanka-Thanks man, you're the best. I really mean it.
James- I feel like you fear me more than you love me. I hope that you can get over it someday.
Charles- Feel free to repost. :)
Wonderful post!
Great blog.
Peace,
Joe y Elio
Adrian,
What gives you the impression I'm afraid of you?
I feel very open and safe in this forum because you and your friends make it so. However, I do admit that I'm afraid to bring up my beliefs on this outside of my close friends and this forum because the people I know that are against prop 8 would clammer on me like I'm for slavery, and most likely never hear another word I say. However, I do not fear them personally, we are friends.
Serious question:
How do you feel that I can I show you I love you while still maintaining my beliefs?
James--
The Bible says that we should keep the Sabbath holy and that we are not to get divorced. Should we pass these beliefs into law?
Do you believe Jesus would vote yes on prop 8? My understanding is that ours is the God of free will. Where in the Bible does God ever command his people to assert their belief on others? Even in the Old Testament, prophets were told simply to deliver a message, and offer the kings wisdom.
Sex is supposed to be sacred, reserved only for marriage. Should we outlaw sex outside of wedlock? Where does it end?
Our forefathers created America to preserve people's freedoms. If Adrian or anyone else feels oppressed than our nation isn't doing its job.
On a more agreeable note, thanks for checking out the Pixar story! The people here are fantastic (and very tolerant--sorry, just had to put that in there). Everyone encourages eachother to create artwork outside of our 9-5 positions, and a lot of folks collaborate on comics, films, galleries, etc. I think that's what keeps us so excited about working together.
Are you a filmmaker, James?
James-
If you want to show you love me, perhaps you can try getting to know me before you pass judgment on me and the type of person I am. Maybe you can meet me and my boyfriend, talk with us for a while before telling us that our love is equivalent to a disease like alcoholism or a vicious crime like child pornography.
If you wanted to show your love, you wouldn't tell me that I "misinterpret what it means to love." If I love in a different way than you do, am I wrong? Are you right? Or do you think perhaps that love might not come in one simple package that is identical across all instances?
If you wanted to show your love, you might ask me what kind of things are separating me from God. And I might tell you that spending time with my boyfriend isn't one of them. I might tell you that when my church says I'm an abomination, that separates me. When people call my honest attempts at love a sin, that separates me. When Christians in my state says that I can't make my own decision when I marry, that separates me. I might tell you that I'm trying very hard to be close to God, and that there are about five million very judgmental people who are determined to get between me and Him.
If you loved me, you would let me make my own decisions, so that I could learn from them, and grow as a person, instead of stripping me of the opportunity to guide my own life and my own journey. You could give me guidance, you could give me advice, but you can't make the decision for me.
These are all steps you can take to show your love. Perhaps if you got to the point where you really did love me, you would cry the same way I did when I was told that my love was less that equal, wasn't protected, and deemed unworthy. Because I can only love with all my heart, and if that's not enough, then I don't know what else I can do.
I really am happy that you're open to this conversation, and I hope I don't sound angry, but this really is my life that I'm fighting for. Someday I want to get married, I want to raise a family, I want to leave behind a better world than I found. My hopes are on this, and even if it is a long hard fight, it is important to me.
I guess I'll end with something my dad told me when I came out to him. He said that Jesus was known to be the most loving, compassionate person to ever walk on this Earth. My dad told me that I was his son, and that he loved me no matter what. He wanted me to have all of the love and opportunity in my life that my brothers and sister could have, and he said that there was more than enough room in his heart to accept me as his gay son. Then he said "I'm not a perfect person, but if I've got as much love for you as I do, and if I've got such desires for you to be happy, how much more then does Jesus, the most compassionate man in history, have for you." I'll tell you that that's one of the moments when I felt so much closer to God than I ever have. And it was because it was of someone who loved me.
Hi Adrian! Austin tagged me and now I'm tagging you in this game of blogging! You can look at my blog for specifics!
Austin said something interesting that I wanted to chime in on:
“You said that you can only vote on what you believe to be right and wrong. Do you think that's our duty when voting, to assert our beliefs on others?”
Unfortunately, legislation and law *are already* someone’s morality dictating what should or shouldn’t be considered legal in a society. Each side of even this debate is essentially saying “We believe or don’t believe in so-and-such”, and legislate accordingly.
So I think it’s a false dilemma when saying of the opposition “You shouldn’t vote/legislate according to your beliefs”. Because quite frankly, everyone does – otherwise, no one would vote, nor would any law exist.
Of course, once folks voice their stance on something, the next step would be to discuss and debate the logical basis for those beliefs - whether or not it is “assertion” or the “forcing upon” unto others without cause, or if those beliefs were indeed logically founded. (And perhaps we may find that the opposition had its instances of “forcible assertion” in the meanwhile?).
That is (in theory) what open discussion brings to light, regardless of which way the wind blows. When beliefs are fairly and adequately presented and weighed accordingly, the polls should (again in theory) reflect that. That is (or should be) the basis of any social consciousness. Or of a democracy.
And that can only happen in an open society, where free communication of each side can take place...
“The prolonged absence of any free exchange of information within a country opens up a gulf of incomprehension between whole groups of the population, between millions and millions. We simply *cease to be a single people*, for we speak, indeed, different languages.” -Solzhenitsyn
AAAARRRRRTTTT. More art.
In response to Kyle, (I just can't help but continue the debate) I would still disagree, I also believe that Christianity is the one true religion, but I wouldn't vote for a bill stating that as government policy. Heck, I'm even against teaching Creationism in school! Religion belongs at home or in religion 101. Laws are meant to protect liberties, not strip them. Smaller, smarter government!
*high fives Austin*
Well, agree to disagree? Is lookin like that.
Problem being of course that a belief system is still taught/advocated, even when you apparently replace it with something else - whether it be in the classroom or in legislation.
When you say you can't have someone's theology legislated or advocated, that's all fine and good - until someone else steps in and substitutes their own "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not". Which is inevitable.
What muddies the water further is that any secular substitute to theology won't advertise itself as being faith-based. A ninja's not going to be carrying a disco ball while wearing neon.
So, when someone says "You can't teach Creation! It's not science!", or "You can't tell people how to live!" - what they neglect to mention is that those statements are just as faith-based, belief-based, as what they are decrying. And are just as guilty to your criticism of "asserting their beliefs onto others."
For instance, on the science tip: There's no direct observation (nor reproduction) of those millions of years - or of those complex biological entities arising accidentally from less specialized or de novo states. You can't scientifically test those past, one-time events. What is advocated currently is a secular belief system, which they use to interpret the evidence, which has to be ultimately taken on faith, and which is asserted to be the *only* way to interpret the evidence within the biological sciences (and which happily receives tax supported status for public education - not to mention research grants)...
Nor, in a political setting, do they draw attention to the fact that secularism has its own set of rules, determined by majority opinion, for which they want (and will enforce) people to live by, via legislation.
(For after all, isn't even the injunction against stealing or violence a "legislated morality" - someone's opinion on what they think is wrong? You can't pull that kind of moral conclusion out of a test tube, nor can pure pragmatics by popular vote guarantee that you'll end up with a Christ-centered ethic against those evils - Germany and Russia have proven that popular opinion/legislation can swing diametrically opposite in opinion...
If everyone truly "determines that which is right in his own eyes", why not leave room open for the above taboos, if it suits to benefit the recipient/society? It may not be blatant killing or stealing - again, that ninja's not going to be sporting bike reflectors on his shoes... but what if the above are repackaged as "choice" or "laissez faire capitalism"?...)
Again, it's a belief system which informs their choices about what they think (and will legislate) to be right or wrong in a society.
Ultimately, all belief requires faith. Which is fine - it's unavoidable. Everyone is fueled by faith in their lives, from the smallest to greatest of subjects. You can't confirm every minutiae of every facet of life - at some point, in conjunction with reason and evidence, you have to trust to a certain extent.
The problem lies in the fact that if secular versions of faith admitted as such - that they rely (quite heavily) on the very thing that they claim creates a stifling dogma in our society (i.e. faith) - then gov't grants and funds - or legislation - wouldn't be as forthcoming. And their claims would be subject to "forcing others to think/live the same", rather than being the unimpeachable truth as advertised.
And what I think, Austin, is most important in all of this in relation to your faith is that secularism is a belief system which is logically opposite your belief that Christianity (more specifically, Christ) is truly "the Way, the Truth, and the Life." It may at times converge with His ethic on a basic level (for the moment anyhow), but ultimately, it rejects without question the claim that in Y'shua the Truth is embodied; that He is the Law Giver, and the absolute standard for which to determine these questions we're asking now. And if the house if founded on shifting sands, how then can it stand when the weather turns?...
"Secular" is just another way of saying "the world". And He did have quite a bit to say about that, da?
But one thing I *do* agree with you on... Adrian needs to post more of his artwork. And soon, yo - I dig on seeing the variety of style/character design and posing that he has on even a single page of sketches.
I read your post, and i´m agree with you (sorry for my bad English). I hope you can get married soon, like in Spain, where i´m from. I am not gay, i´m a woman married 17 years ago, we have two daugthers and we are happy, and i don´t understand why people have fear to gays, it´s just love!!!! I would like to say more things about it, but my short english........ sorry :)
I´ll come back to your blog soon.
Aww Adrian...
It's Deidre, CSSSA 2002! I am blown away and so touched, though a little late. You said everything here _perfectly_. God DOES love everyone, and does want us to do the same. Kudos on being you and embracing that.
And yes, I still Google your name with the word "animation" to see what you are up to in the animation world! Because I totally know you have everything it takes, and are up to some good! Congrats, and I hope the great opportunities continue to roll your way. -DLMS
http://www.peemonster.net
http://www.cutevoices.com
Jesus f-ing christ! All this worry because wonder why god would do such a thing, boo hoo hoo. There is no god, deal with it. You're gay, who cares. Open your mind a bit, read some Darwin or Dawkins and you will find a much more fulfilling, amazing and intersting life.
I believe that people should be treated as equal independently of your sexual or political inclinations. However, I also believe that the marriage institution as it has been recognized by the constitution should remain as it is.
The core, more simplest basis of this union is to propagate the species in a sheltered environment, that is why opposite sexes are required. It is obvious that mammal specimens of the same sex can not multiply by itself.
In our pride and so called human evolution we forget that we are just another animal form. How do the species will survive if it develops a homosexual behavior in all its members? It is an extreme idea, but it is a simple possibility.
Instead of arguing about the legal definition of marriage, the legal system should find a practical solution to this in simply recognizing the same rights under a different definition. Same sex couples cannot propagate the specie, by they can adopt and form fairly normal families with a wider view point on how to treat individuals as equals.
Homosexuality exist, we have to accept it and live we it. Even in the animal kingdom homosexuality exist and I do not see them attacking each other for that. Who is more civilized then?
I do not know why humans have to make things so complicated. In the simpler ways of life of a tribe there is happiness and they do not have thousands of laws to rule their lives.
I sorry for those who felt betrayed the the Prop-8 won, but then, what else should you expect? This is a male ruled society, who feared the change and hide behind morals and religion to attack what it considered a menace to its foundations. This are times of change, and some changes sometimes takes longer than expected.
[I love my gay friends, very much, and I live in a country that I consider slightly opened to homosexuality, but still we do not have laws to protect the rights of the gay couples as a legal union. I hope that, without changing the marriage definition, their legal rights to property and protection were recognized as far as it need.]
Blessings Adrian,
Ali
Having stumbled upon this post nearly a year ago it still evokes reflection every few weeks. Most recently upon the occasion of reading about the young man mentioned in this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20mind.html?scp=6&sq=gay%20parents&st=cse
Your patience Adrian, and your willingness to engage in a discussion James, are both inspiring. Well-intentioned prohibitions against homosexuality often unintentionally encourage and shelter violent clearly unChristian behavior: beatings, ostracism, suicide, self-medication, self-loathing, worldliness, desperation, and loneliness. It is important to keep this in mind.
As a straight man who looks forward to starting a family someday I hope all our children -- from adoption or procreation -- will live in a world where anti-gay mean-spiritedness will be as incomprehensible as slavery, castration, foot-binding, and other bizarre, incomprehensible, inexcusable horrors.
(Ok, ok...foot-binding isn't as severe as the rest but it's Halloween. My mind is shot. After eating 40+ mini Twix meant for neighborhood kids who might now go treatless that's all I can come up with....)
Despite a sugar coma you should know this personally contextualizing, heartfelt post continues to be thought-provoking even after a year. And your father is one heck of a role model. The world is stranger than we can imagine -- who knows what effects this powerful little butterfly of a blog will inspire? Maybe someday James's children will encourage our great grandchildren to love and celebrate the persons God made them to be....
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To quickly address a background conversation about evolution: please "anonymous," do all of us a favor and give Christians more intellectual credit than mainstream media would have you believe. Many of us passed through atheistic-phases and are intimately familiar with Dawkins, Darwin, et al. Most of us would encourage study of such views. As for evolution, a self-conscious living Being such as Loving Kindness can be seen -- clearly -- in natural processes like evolution. That is why It is so profoundly GOD.
Keep in mind, Darwin wrote: "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” In even the most brutal worlds, Kindness is the most powerful force to which we can avail ourselves. And is always worth worshiping. Evolution is not an excuse for shallow self-gratification, conceit, and avarice.
The more we scientifically study the nature of Loving Kindness and strive to manifest Its will in our lives, the more clearly God will be present in physical evolution and Nature.
Hey guys! Check out this song (free download on the site), "What Matters More," and tell me what you think about it.
http://derekwebb.com/
?? what does that song mean? who are the 50k people? What is the what mattering more than what?
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