"My personal philosophy is that as a Christian, I see no contradiction with embracing same-sex couples as part of our community. That's my Christian ethos.
But I think others within the Christian faith can feel very differently about it," Obama said in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, according to a NBC Politics article on msnbc.com months ago. (The article’s web link is at end of this post)
He further explains that he supports civil unions, and that he believes in supporting others’ rights. He even referred to and compared the 1960s civil rights movement concerning the right of interracial marriage to gay/lesbian marriage issue.
Obviously, President Obama is in a rough spot. Seriously. Because no one can please everyone. And that’s not his focus. He wants equality. But yes, if he claims he is a Christian, then he may have to go against what he believes in to be fair to everyone. That’s politics. That’s the price people pay to play in politics.
And there are plenty of Christians and non-Christians who are extremely close-minded and extreme in their thoughts and beliefs. In many sermons lately on local Christian radio stations, I hear talk about “tolerance”. What being a “tolerant Christian” is and means. People are using ‘tolerance’ to describe compromise and not being so strict on things today in modern society. But what is real tolerance? Tolerance is being fair, respectful, and permissive of ideas. It does not mean you have to practice or conform to the ideas. It is being able to function normally or enduring with others around you. It’s a good practice of the “Golden Rule”.
(But this is a separate issue and a good blog entry on its own for another day.)
My issue is this: If we say same sex marriage is wrong, ok, fine. But why close the door on that, and not on other wrongs too? If people want to ban homosexual marriage because it is wrong, than ban premarital sex, drunkenness, divorce, smoking, obesity, and again especially- premarital sex!
Should condoms only be bought with proof of marriage license then, if people want to be so extreme or so morally strict?
America claims “In God we trust” and that we are built on a Christian foundation, yet almost every adult American pop culture movie rated PG-13 or higher has at least one sex scene. The HBO network thrives on nudity and sex daily. Do we ban and punish them? Nope! And we won’t. Because sex sells across the world. And people want it.
So to ban only one issue or one big moral sin because you think it is wrong, but let the other wrongs ride free, to me, is not fair. Hence, are the issues with this country’s struggling decision on gay rights vs.straight rights, Christians vs. atheists, law vs. religion, and right vs. wrong.
Furthermore, this is why I am NOT involved in politics. Plus, I do not want any early grey hairs.
(Sad I already have one!)
I wrote this blog post simply to express something I feel has not yet been said enough.
Here is the link to the NBC story of Robin Roberts & Pres. Obama article I cited:
http://nbcpolitics.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/09/11623172-the-evolution-of-obamas-stance-on-gay-marriage?lite
-ALN