Gay Marriage ProCon.org

Should We Support Gay Marriage? NO Wolfhart Pannenberg, arguably the preeminent contemporary theologian, recently retired after 27 years as professor of systematic theology at the University of Munich, Germany, and director of the Institute of Ecumenical Theology. Can love ever be sinful? The entire tradition of Christian doctrine teaches that there is such a thing as inverted, perverted love. Human beings are created for love, as creatures of the God who is Love. And yet that divine appointment is corrupted whenever people turn away from God or love other things more than God. Jesus said, "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me..." The will of God be the guiding star of our identity and self- determination. Jesus concludes from this that the unbreakable permanence of fellowship between husband and wife is the Creator's will for human beings. The biblical assessments of homosexual practice are unambiguous in their rejection, and all its statements on this subject agree without exception.

byFaith Magazine - In the World - The Cultural Argument Against Gay Marriage Not many years ago it was unutterable, except perhaps as a schoolyard can-you-top-this, or as urban legend. Yet it is one of the most sensational issues of our time, and an almost-impossible topic to avoid. And, from what I’m hearing, it’s not always easy for people like you and me to articulate the reasons we oppose it. It’s called “same-sex marriage.” “I know why same-sex marriage is wrong,” I often hear, “but I’m not sure how to articulate its dangers.” Christian friends are looking for a way to relate to those who may not hold the same views, and that’s wise. To be clear, our religious beliefs do offer legitimate reasons to oppose same-sex marriage. I’ve had the opportunity to take this debate into the university setting many times, this is what I hear from aggressive proponents of gay marriage: • They’ve argued that denying them marriage is denying them the ability to have a loving commitment with another person. • Advocates often argue that they are being denied a civil right. 1.

Same-sex marriage in the United States Same-sex marriage is legally recognized in some jurisdictions within the United States and by the federal government. Seventeen states[a] and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage. Eight Native American tribal jurisdictions[b] issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Oregon recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. Limited recognition has been granted to out-of-state same-sex marriages in Ohio,[2] Missouri,[3] and Colorado.[4] Utah recognizes for 2013 income tax filings all pre-2014 same-sex marriages, but offers no further recognition.[5] Recently, U.S. district courts in Utah,[6] Oklahoma,[7] Virginia,[8] Texas,[9], Michigan[10] and Ohio[11] have declared state constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional under the Constitution of the United States. Legal issues[edit] Federal law[edit] DOMA was challenged in the federal court system. State laws[edit] Same-sex marriage allowed1 Statute bans same-sex marriage

Gay Marriage & Homosexuality Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage A series of graphics shows how public opinion toward same-sex marriage has changed in Pew Research Center polls since 2001. See how much opinion varies by generation, religious group, gender, race and political party. Same-Sex Marriage State-by-State To date, courts, legislatures and voters in 17 states and the District of Columbia have legalized gay marriage, while 29 states have amended their constitutions to ban gay marriage. Gay Marriage Around the World A fact sheet provides an overview of the situation in the nations where same-sex marriage is legal nationwide as well as countries that allow it in certain jurisdictions. High Court Strikes Down DOMA but Leaves Fate of Proposition 8 Uncertain The U.S. Rhode Island on Verge of Becoming 10th State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage High Court to Hear Same-Sex Marriage Cases The U.S. Obama Administration Weighs In on Gay Marriage Case Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage The U.S.

What Is the Gospel Response to the Prop. 8 Decision? Matthew Lee Anderson, author of the forthcoming Earthen Vessels: Breathing New Life into a Broken Faith and blogger at Mere Orthodoxy: Within the happy confident hope we have in Christ (Jesus is still Lord, and nothing can undo that), evangelicals need to expand their intellectual horizons. While this is a landmark decision, it comes amid a long shift in culture and philosophy. We need to look backward to discern what's at the root of that trend, look inward to see the ways that we have been co-opted by it, and look a long ways forward to determine how we can work to reverse it. Practically, I think we have relied too heavily on the will of the majority as our foundation for our legal actions. While political orders must on some level be representative of the people to be legitimate, our founding fathers set up a representative democracy for a reason. Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International: We should respond with 100 percent grace and 100 percent truth. Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

Gay Marriage: The Arguments and the Motives Ask just about anyone. They'll all tell you they're in favor of equal rights for homosexuals. Just name the situation, and ask. They'll all say, yes, gays should have the same rights in housing, jobs, public accomodations, and should have equal access to government benefits, equal protection of the law, etcetera, etcetera. Then you get to gay marriage. And that's when all this talk of equality stops dead cold. About half of people in the U.S. support gay marriage, far less than those who are otherwise supportive of legally enforced gay rights (about 75%). Why all the passion? It's because there is a lot of misunderstanding about what homosexuality really is, as well as the erroneous assumption that gay people enjoy the same civil rights protections as everyone else. The purpose of this essay is to clear up a few of these misunderstandings and discuss some of facts surrounding gay relationships and marriage, gay and straight. First, lets discuss what gay relationships are really all about.

Social issue A social issue (also called a social problem or a social ill) is an issue that relates to society's perception of peoples' personal lives. Different societies have different perceptions, and "normal" behavior in one society may be a significant social issue in another society. Social issues are distinguished from economic issues; however, some issues (such as immigration) have both social and economic aspects. There are also issues that don't fall into either category, such as wars. In Rights of Man and Common Sense, Thomas Paine addresses man's duty to "allow the same rights to others as we allow ourselves". Personal issues versus social issues[edit] The line between a personal issue and a public issue may be subjective; however, when a large enough sector of society is affected by an issue, it becomes a social issue. List of social issues[edit] Caste system[edit] The caste system in India resulted in most of the oppressed Untouchables for the past 3,000 years. Economic issues[edit]

Gay Marriage in the News - HuffPost Gay Voices Chick-fil-A food fight leaves pols eating crow Until it became the latest front in the nation's culture wars, Chick-fil-A was best known for its crispy sandwiches, waffle fries and the dancing cow ads that call on customers to "eat mor chikin." ANOTHER VIEW: Challenge Chick-fil-A's practices That the fast-food chain is suddenly the focus of the volatile gay-marriage debate is both sad and silly. Sad because a nation already divided into red states and blue states now finds itself riven over … chicken sandwiches. Behind all the theatrics, though, there's a serious point to be made about freedom of speech, one that appears to have escaped a number of politicians who called for punishment of the Atlanta-based company because of the views of its president. Chick-fil-A's founding family has never kept its religious views a secret, closing Sundays so employees could go to church and donating millions to conservative groups that oppose gay marriage. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel pronounced that "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values."

An Argument for Gay Marriage Eugene F Rogers Jr. is the author of Sexuality and the Christian Body: Their Way into the Triune God (Blackwell) and Theology and Sexuality: Classic and Contemporary Readings (Blackwell). This article appeared in The Christian Century, June 15, 2004 pp. 26-29. Copyright by the Christian Century Foundation; used by permission. Current articles and subscriptions information can be found at www.christiancentury.org. This material was prepared for Religion Online by Ted and Winnie Brock. I want to consider gay marriage by first reflecting on the theology of marriage, and I want to reflect on the theology of marriage under the rubric of sanctification. In this respect marriage and monasticism are two forms of the same discipline, as the Orthodox writer Paul Evdokimov has argued. Rowan Williams has written, "Grace, for the Christian believer, is a transformation that depends in large part on knowing yourself to be seen in a certain way: as significant, as wanted.

Tony Nicklinson euthanasia 'right to die' case: Mr Justice Charles shouldn't have given request the time of day By Kathy Gyngell PUBLISHED: 10:33 GMT, 13 March 2012 | UPDATED: 10:54 GMT, 14 March 2012 “The only way to relieve Tony’s suffering will be to kill him,” “…because he can’t do anything for himself he needs to be killed”. These were the chilling words spoken by Jane Nicholson, wife of Tony, the ‘locked-in’ syndrome sufferer, in response to Sarah Montague’s questioning on the BBC’s Today programme. I cannot have been the only listener to have felt, instinctively and instantly, profoundly worried by them, not least by Mrs Nicklinson’s unadorned and brutal use of the word kill. Plight: Has our obsessively rights oriented culture made this appalling case possible? In the hours since she spoke these words legalised killing has moved a step closer. If they win, it will establish, without any proper debate or discussion on this most fundamental of moral and legal issues, the right of a doctor ‘to end anyone’s indignity' (a wonderfully euphemistic phrase for killing). They want their day in court.

Recognition of same-sex unions in Arizona Same-sex marriage[edit] Statute[edit] In 1996, the Arizona state legislators passed a ban on same-sex marriage and the recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside of the state. Governor Fife Symington signed the bill into law.[1] Constitutional ban[edit] Federal lawsuits[edit] On January 6, 2014, four same-sex couples filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. On March 13, Lambda Legal filed a suit, Majors v. Initiative to repeal constitutional ban[edit] On May 17, 2013, Equal Marriage Arizona filed an initiative to put an amendment on the 2014 election ballot which would replace the current marriage definition with a gender-neutral definition. 259,213 valid signatures are needed by July 3, 2014, to put the issue on the 2014 ballot.[4][5] The initiative was later suspended due to a lack of support from LGBT organizations.[6] Same-sex unions[edit] Map of Arizona cities and counties that offer civil unions or domestic partner benefits in particular cities. State employee benefits[edit]

A Gay, Celibate Christian's Conflicted Take on Same-Sex Marriage - Conor Friedersdorf As a politically moderate Christian, I have thoughtfully and prayerfully struggled through the issue of same-sex marriage along with my community and church. As a biologically gay man who chooses to remain celibate because of my religious beliefs, I have spent a significant amount of time wrestling with the implications of a complete trust in the infallibility of scripture because it has real, tangible effects on the lifestyle I live. I would like to give a brief account of my experience within the modern evangelical church and a quick synopsis of the way that has shaped my views about same-sex marriage. Like you, I grew up in a community where gay slurs and jokes were common and tolerated, and like you, I never experienced direct gay-bashing. This persisted through most of high school. In fact, six years later, support and compassion are the only things I have experienced within the communities of Christians of which I have been a part.

Same Sex Marriages In a Nutshell Related Links Overview/Background Traditionally in this country, marriage has been defined as a religious & legal commitment between a man and woman, as well as the ultimate expression of love. Yes Denying them is a violation of religious freedom (civil and religious marriages are two separate institutions). No Most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Related Links Reader CommentsProtectMarriage.comA Compromise Solution to the Gay Marriage DebateFocus on Social Issues: Is Marriage in Jeopardy? Is anything missing?