Collection of Gay Observations

Much is argued in the press about gay issues. Whom to marry; whom not. Should “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” have been repealed? Is Gay a choice or not? Does the Bible condemn homosexuality specifically? Or not? And if it does, why have many of the other abominations been repealed but not the gay one? And under whose authority were the repeals made?

Along the way this issue has placed the Bible in competition with the US Constitution. As though the Bible trumps the Constitution. How can that argument possibly follow?

Well, here are some quotes I’ve collected in recent months. Sharing these with you makes me feel better. Maybe it won’t make you feel better, but then I can’t control that!

1. Bill Maher: “New Rule: Gay marriage won’t lead to dog marriage. It is not a slippery slope to rampant inter-species coupling. When women got the right to vote, it didn’t lead to hamsters voting. No court has extended the Equal Protection Clause to salmon. And for the record, all marriages are same sex marriages. You get married, and every night, it’s the same sex.”
2. Ellen Degeneres: “I don’t know what people are scared of…Maybe they think their children will be influenced by ‘gay marriage’, but I’ve got to tell you, I was raised by two heterosexuals. Everywhere I looked – heterosexuals. And they did not influence me…It’s time we love people for who they are and let them love who they want.”
3. Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn’t worship that God.”
4. Billy Graham, May 2012: “At 93, I never thought we would have to debate the definition of marriage. The Bible is clear – God’s definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. I want to urge my fellow North Carolinians to vote FOR the marriage amendment on Tuesday, May 8. God Bless you as you vote.” Note: The Bible and the Constitution are not one and the same; argue this as church policy and theology if you will, but keep it out of our constitution, either federal or state.
5. Bernie Sanders, Vermont Senator, Independent: “…let us understand that when we stand together, we will always win. When men and women stand together for justice, we win. When black, white and Hispanic people stand together for justice, we win. When straight and gay people stand together for justice, we win. When young and old stand together for justice, we win. When working families stand together, we win.”
6. Harvey Fierstein: “Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life; define yourself.”
7. Tammy Faye (Bakker) Messner (1942-2007): “I think gay is just being a person who has a different path through life. They’re just people.  I don’t think that God categorizes people.”

        “When I look at people I do not see gay or straight; all I see is the person. 

        And I see a person God loves, and that His son Jesus died on the cross for. So

        who am I to judge?  I do not judge anyone anymore. I have been misjudged

        so many times – by people who either didn’t understand or didn’t want to

        understand the things that happened in my life.  I know how it hurts to be

        judged. I don’t want to be a courtroom. I want to be a hospital.”

       

        “When we lost everything, it was the gay people that came to my rescue and

        I’ve always loved them for that.” 

In closing here is another bit of wisdom culled from the Internet:

            “Before you judge my life, my past or my character…

            Walk in my shoes, walk the path I have traveled, live my story, my doubts, my

            fear, my pain and my laughter…

            Remember, everyone has a story. When you’ve lived my life then you can

            judge me.”  Anonymous

Thanks for listening, er…reading!

May 10, 2012

PS: In spite of all the above, North Carolina still amended its state constitution to embrace bigotry and discrimination on May 8th. How very sad.