Can McCain Keep Quiet on Connecticut Legalizing Gay Marriage?
Friday October 10, 2008
Categories: John McCain
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The God-o-Meter (pronounced Gah-DOM-meter) scientifically measures factors such as rate of God-talk, effectiveness—saying God wants a capital gains tax cut doesn't guarantee a high rating—and other top-secret criteria (Actually, the adjustment criteria are here). Click a candidate's head to get his or her latest God-o-Meter reading and blog post. And check back often. With so much happening on the campaign trail, God-o-Meter is constantly recalibrating!God-o-Meter blogger Dan Gilgoff is Beliefnet's Politics Editor. A former political correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, he is author of The Jesus Machine: How James Dobson, Focus on the Family, and Evangelical America are Winning the Culture War.
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Personally I think that both campaigns have more to worry about now than CT (or other states) legalizing gay marriages.
The Christian right can stuff it. Wanting a "Marriage Protection" Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ludicrous. The Constitution for this country is to be reserved for important things, this not being one of them. The federal government doesn't need to be telling folks who they can marry. That's already been done with the laws that said that folks of different races couldn't marry, specificially black and white races. Fortunately those laws are no longer enforced, and hopefully have been taken off the books in the states that had them.
I agree we as a nation should stop worrying about what others are doing in their own home and realizing America is in crisis, in so many other ways. Who has the right when church and state are separate to say their religious views decry certain rights but, when another's religion has no qualms against those rights. All in all, we are ALL HUMAN and we all make mistakes and do not live to another's standards but, you teach what you want to your children: While mine are gonna learn what I pass down. Think of the country not your religious preference. We are not all Christians some of us are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhists, atheist,etc. That is the beauty of America( FREEDOM). Don't push your beliefs on my family, I do not push my views on you just open your heart a bit. While I served in Iraq and realize I am fighting for a country who hates me because I am a lesbian. Is that fair? I go to die for your freedom but mine are taken? I do not particularly care if I get married but, I want to adopt legally see my long term partner in the hospital and get tax breaks, too.For the love of it, I am an Honorably Discharged war veteran. Was my service in vain? Call it a civil union or Domestic partnership but, allow us something we are humans, too. I think leaving this up to the courts is best. That is what they go to college for(judges). They are educated and can make those decisions. Allow federal decisions to be made for our military and taxes and jobs, not our civil rights!
McCain did address it when he said that was a state issue.Palin adressed it when she said she was against gay marriages and said John had the same views. When I read your article, I am wondering are you supporting Obama and what he stands for? We as Christians MUST pull together to keep Obama out of office and hold McCain and Palin to the fire.
One thing that bothers me is if you listen to the GOP (especially Palin) they keep saying that being gay is something you choose to do. This is ridiculous. While some people may experiment others are shunned, beaten or killed for their views. Why would someone "choose" to be gay in Iran? Why would a Mormon or Jehovah's Witness "choose" when it means losing their family? By saying that it's a choice these people create an option for being against the gay community. I firmly believe, as would anyone with an open mind, that some people are made by God as gay. I am a Christian and the GOP (especially Palin) sicken me. I pray this country that Obama gets in office.
Would that the issue would stay in the privacy of the home! But in California the first graders are doing field trips to see mem marrying men and women marrying women. Heather has Two Mommies will soon become de rigeur for kindergartens everywhere.
The schools will be used to indoctrinate and to proselytize, but don't worry. If you are for it, you are tolerant.
The normative end of Mariage used to be the continuation of the human race. We accorded special privileges traditionally to married persons in recognition of the sacrifices they must make in realization of that end.
Society in California and Massachusetts and Connecticut is expressing its indifference to that end.
No, not really. It is more like the action of a judicial oligarchy imposing its values and standards upon the rest of us. It is the thwarting and usurpation of democratic government by a judicial elite that has contempt for the values of anyone not exactly like themselves.
My question to the Christian Right? How can you support Sarah Palin for VP?. She is the "dumbing down" of Republicans and when pressured, she flip flops on the most basic of your beliefs. What is her stand on gay and gay rights? She flip-flopped her stance in the VP debate. Her stance on pre=marital sex and yet she doesn't have the strength to confront it in her own family. Instead of feeling ashamed for her daughter's premarital activity, she is flaunting her as as a trophy un-wed mother for all the country to say...see she can do it, it's not so bad!. And why are they waiting until spring to get married; is there no shame? Or is a White House wedding more appealing than giving this child her father, legally? You have to ponder, or at least think of her inconsistencies. Ms Palin is not the model mother or an example to follow. Can you seriously say she is qualified to be the President with access to the nuclear button. If she has a hard time with a Katy Curick interview, how will she ever handle a Putin, an Iran, a Syria? How can you NOT have reservations about her.
How come we don't have the full conversation on this topic? Does masturbation, oral sex, and anal sex betwen consenting hetereosexual married adults really differ all that much from the behavior of homosexual behavior. If gay marriage is such an issue, should we not also put the heterosexual couples who enter into these "perverse" acts and "waste" good sperm into the same box. How come we have a louder conversation on gay marriage than we do on permarital sex which goes equally beyond God's will as gay marriage
Response to Connie: The only thing we as Christians should do is spread the word of Christ, who remarkably enough, had this whole "judge not lest ye be judged" attitude. He seemed to think that God was the final judge of all our actions, not the Christian Right. He also seemed to believe in love, and quite honestly, if two men (or women) love each other enough to make a lifetime commitment to each other, well the world could use one more stable family however it happens to be made up.
To be perfectly frank, there's enough problems in the world without making someone else's love life an issue for national debate. This is NOT something the government should be regulating. And the idea that a religous group can force its agenda on the government goes against everything this country was founded on. These are not the important issues of the day! The failing economy and an exit strategy for the war (an extremely un-Christian activity, might I point out), are much more important to me.
The main point of this post was to share a prediction that McCain's silence on this ruling would cause a stir among Evangelicals and hurt McCain in the polls. A week has passed. There was no outcry, and McCain's polling numbers with religious right voters have not dropped.
It appears that, if the alternative is an Obama presidency, religious right voters are are willing to stick with McCain even if he does nothing for them beyond promising to appoint judges like Scalia.
D. Martin: The normative end of Mariage used to be the continuation of the human race.
Oh Really, D. Martin. Human Race never would have survived without marriage? oh and religion too, right. Gee, there are a lot of animal species (many that engage in homosexual activity - how unnatural!) species that are doing just fine without the glories of betrothal.
I'm sick of garden-variety intolerance disguised as holier-than-though bunk about gay marriage being the end of mankind.
Oh and regarding poor little school kids being exposed to other classmates with two mommy's. They are also exposed to video games, consumerism and bigotry thanks to parents who think like you. Children dont' care about this and they adjust to wonderfully. Your intolerance and demand that the world stay frozen in an archaic mindset is the real cancer on our civilization. Two people of the same sex loving eachother is the least of mankinds problems!!!
I think this is all sickening! The Gay Community should remain private and away from what children are being taught in the School system. Already bad enough, Dept of Education / Government decide what to teach rather than parents educating their children… There’s a huge difference; between Education and Schooling. Two different things that need to be separated. Schools should teach text study material and Parents should do their job on educating fresh minds, good morals, family values and principals. Government should butt out of our lives and the way we view life.
Real Christians do not judge Gay people, since Jesus never say anything about it.
Now, all the confused religious fanatics that followed Paul's ideology are the ones that want to bury homosexuals alive.
If you don't know... Paul never knew Jesus, never hear Jesus speak. But he certainly wrote that women have to be submissive to men, that gay people deserve hell.
In other words, it is Paul's philosophy what most religious fanatics followed, not Jesus'.
I agree with Jeronimo. I dont care about Gays, I care about my taxes being raised, my grandmothers medicine and the economic depression our country is in right now. Realy I don't think if 2 men or women want to get married thats their bussiness, not any one elses.
Jeronimo,
I don't think you get the whole picture. Although Paul never met Jesus physically, he was inspired by God to write several books of the Bible including the book of Romans. The 1st chapter deals with Homosexuals and Lesbians.God does NOT approve of these lifestyles. Also read the story of Sodom and Gommorra. God Destroyed these cities. The reason he destroyed tham is obvious, but i want you to read it for yourself. God will be the final judge and if you are a homosexual or Lesbian, ther is still time to repent, be baptized for the remission of your sins and live the Christian Life. I do believe in loving the sinner, but hating the sin. Remember that God made Adam and Eve start populating the world and not Adam and Steve.
Opponents of gay marriage often say things like "(it) puts marriage at risk all across the nation". WHY??? I happen to be a happily married man (uh, married to a woman, by the way). How the heck would it effect my marriage if gay people were free to get married? The answer is it doesn't! If some one else's marriage has so much influence over your own, it would seem to me your marriage is probably a bad one anyway.
Leave the gays alone.
It doesn't affect anyone what theydo with their lives.
God wants us to be good people... not straight people or gay people.
Being a good Christian is being accepting and loving of EVERYONE!!
Seriously people. Sexuality has nothing to do with religion. Its not that hard to find a devoute christian who is suffering because of people who tell them they will 'burn in hell.' Or that they won't be accepted by God, and all these ridiculous things. here the thing I DO NOT GET. Many Christians say, 'God loves all his children.' So all of a sudden, he is selective about who he will love. If he cannot love the gay man, woman, bisexual man, or woman, then he surely cannot find room in his heart to forgive the devoute christian man who cheated on his wife {or vice versa}, or anyone who has ever had even a slight urge that could be called 'homosexual'. If that were true, that many 'good, honest, and deeply religious' people will be burning down there too. If you can't accept someone because of what is it their heart, even if they love God more than you can fathom, then you shouldn't spread the 'goodness' of God's word. You don't know him personally, therefore, you cannot hate people, and slander innocent people, just because you will not take the time to realize that the person that disgusts you, has the same fair chance for heaven.
And I agree with Iaram; just because you allow a man to marry a man, or a woman to marry a woman, that does not mean the world will fall down around your ears. The worst it could do is upset homophobics, who would, eventually get over it. Kind of like the racial issues, people are pretty much over them, and the world did not collapse because other races were further accepted.
Mr. comeback, I think that you do have to consider and care about gay and lesbians. It is wrong and if you are a bible beliving man, you will see that God does say it is wrong. I strongly agree with angel and believe that if we as americans who care for this great country stand for fighting on issues that the gay and lesbians are trying to pass. and one is where we will not have the freedom to encourage people to not fall into their sin. and yes that is a SIN and not in the genes.and laram you need to see that weather you marriage is strong, it will still affect you. maybe not with your marriage, but with your kids. And yes Kyrie God does love and wants us to love one another. He says that Love the person and not the sin. Throughout the whole bible, is talks about not falling into SIN. And that is what God wants us to understand. So yes he loves everyone but not the sin.
I think it is sad that people call themselves Christians and thinks that means that they are free to judge others and tell them how to live their lives. Why don't they try just loving people and prayer rather then being so closed off. I love Jesus Christ but I hate calling my self a Christian. Saying the word Christian in front of people who don't know the Lord does not make them think of love it makes them think of people who think their faith should be shoved at everyone.
As a Christian, I don't listen or follow the tennents of Islam or anyother religion. Why because I don't believe in them. Yes it would be great for all people to accept Christ as their savior but until they do the tennents and rules of the Bible don't mean anything to them. Maybe rather then bitching and people and again judging them all the time like we have no sins in our lives maybe we should try loving people first and then letting God handle changing their hearts. But of course we will never do that because our actions speak loud and clear that not only do we think we have the right to tell others how to live we don't think God can handle the world without us. Its really sad.
Angel and Sam, learn something from the Fifteen yr old (Kyrie) that left a comment here. You guys are ridiculous. Open your eyes, ears and especially your brain for once. Stop with your absurdity. Stop reading the bible for clues and get back to reality. We are in the 21st Century. We have people with brains and people like you (unfortunately). Get connected with what's present and not what's "traditional". Both of you need to get over yourselves and be rational. Your conservative views are just ignorant and we're quite tired of them by now.
Please! The McCain/Palin ticket is so desperate right now, they don't wanna lose the few gay Republican voters that are left. The people for whom this is a serious issue are already sold to the GOP. They have nothing to win and more votes to lose! Its to bad that some people can't live and let live. We're in the 21st century! No more slaves, men and women are to be equals, what's going on between two consenting adults in their own bedroom should concern only them, not the people at the Sunday mass.
BTW, I'm straight.
What is the matter with these people, who call themselves "Christians?" There entire moral crusade is against other people's rights. They think that believing preposterous sectarian nonsense about which they disagree even among themselves, gives them the right to deny other citizens their rights. By what principle of democracy.
Believing in the Bible, makes you a Christian, not an American. Americans believe in the Constitution and follow the civic precepts of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The American way for me to support my liberty is to defend yours. Unfortunately, the only thing freedom of religion means to these Evangelicals is the right to attack someone else, on the basis of an absurd and nonexistent Biblical literalism that can only be protected by lies. Christianity is what it means to Christians. That's none of my business. Biblical Literalism, the claim that every word of the Bible is "literally" true is a lie. It is, in fact, a lie that is so transparently & obviously false that no one really believes it. That is why Fundamentalists will lie about you, slander you or even kill you for for exposing the fraudulent foundation of their faith. I guess, it's no wonder they are concerned about other peoples liberty; they are frightened to death of their own; so frightened that they have turned o=veer the deepest commitment of faith to a bogus belief in a plain lie. one that insults the intelligence of an 8th grader of average intelligence.
Every word of the Bible is NOT literally true. did you drop out of Junior high before they taught you the meaning of the word "metaphor?"
Beware of those who are empty inside and hold desperately to lies. They are dangerous. They are like whited sepulchers filled with dead men's bones... or something really nasty & creepy...
You are entitled to believe that the moon is made out of cocaine and that god is a giant straw. It's none of my business what you believe. But, when you use your "Absolute truth" as a basis to attack the liberty of other citizens, it had better better than a stupid & obvious lie. Biblical Literalism is such a lie. Stuff it.
1 - Can you say "separation of church and state"?
2 - If "God is love" what is all this burning in hell stuff about? Doesn't sound like love to me. I'll pass......
3 - The Bible is a book. No proof as to who wrote it. Maybe a group of guys who wanted to be famous............
I think gay marriage is a bizarre issue. First, a quote from Jon Stewart doing stand-up at Northeastern in Boston:
"What do people fear about gay marriage? I could see if it was mandatory.."
That earned a lot of laughs, but it has a lot of merit behind it. I think if Ellen and her girlfriend get married and live happily in their house, it will have no effect on Bob and Cindy down the street.
If Christians -- and I was raised Catholic, and I think it is a great foundation for right and wrong -- but at the same time, they profess to be kind to your neighbors, but apparently if they are gay or different, not as nice to them.
If seperation of church and state truly existed, states wouldn't be involved in marriages. If you got married by a court or JP, you would be in a "civil union." I think the actual marriage term has religious roots. If a couple wants to get married, then it would need to take place in a church. If a same sex couple can find a church to marry them, then they could have gay marriage.
I think states got involved in marriages to collect the fees.
But really, who does it effect? They say it will ruin the "family" but I haven't seen how. Families are already pretty dysfunctional, long before gay couples were looking over children.
Just some thoughts.
Jeff
Hmm, lets see, gay marriage? Not only does it go against the Bible but it goes against the very laws of nature themselves. Let us begin with the obvious, Males and Females are different genders. This is the way God designed it. Have you ever heard of a female father? What about a male Mother? I sure havent and that is for obvious reasons. Folks its rediculous to see that people are even making an issue of "gay" marriage. Sir or Ma'am NO you were not "BORN" that way. When you were in kindergarten young man I highly doubt that you were chasing boys around, and young lady, I bet you werent crushing on the prettiest little girl either. People choose to be gay, no I am not even gonna call it that, the Bible calls it SODOMY!!! God Almighty has destroyed cities for the sin of sodomy. Thats right SIN! Its not okay to be gay. A people will not survive if they are Gay, there is no way that two guys can have a baby and no way that two girls can either. You people disgust me, and you know what, you will probably get mad and say, its their right, Oh yeah my writing this is a "hate crime" No The Constitution of the United States of America gives me freedom of speech. It sickens me that 90% of high school grads have never even skimmed over the constitution. Oh and another thing, the whole separation of church and state ammendment, have any of you ever read the actual ammendment? it states, and I am paraphrasing, Government shall make no law concerning an establishment of faith or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Now does that say the church has no right to be in Politics? NO NO NO that ammendment was created to avoid relogous persecution in our nation. Our founding fathers didnt leave their home country because the church was influencing the government, they left so they could have religous freedom because the government was sticking their nose in the churches business and not letting people go by the Bible, but by what feels good. By the way God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Yes God does love the world. But God hates sin. The Bible says Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. People wonder why America is in such a financial deficiet. I am not ashamed of Americas Biblical heritage, do some research America is a Christian Nation, or at least thats the way it began. By the way most of you reading this probably think I am some old preacher man... No Im not. I am actually a 19yr old girl who graduated validictorian of my class. Now I am a sophmore in College. Go ahead, get mad... the truth hurts!
"that ammendment was created to avoid relogous persecution in our nation"
That's true but this country was based on RELIGIOUS freedom not 'christian' freedom.
You're beating that bible so hard I can hard hear myself think.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
That's the Declaration of Independence. If you're dealing with making laws you should be relying upon the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence not the Bible which is a metaphor and is MAN's interpretation of God, and we all know people don't make mistakes. You're the reason why people turn from God when they need it most.
Unless you've been Gay how would you know if they're born that way or are choosing?
Hey Fundy, God isn't real. He doesn't speak to you, he didn't speak to Moses, he certaintly didn't speak to George W Bush when he said to attack Iraq.
It's all in your weird shaped head.
I would like to say this: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. If Christians really behaved like Christians and not religion pushers gay marriage would not even be an issue. How about this: They actually practice what they preach?
"Not only does it go against the Bible but it goes against the very laws of nature themselves. Let us begin with the obvious, Males and Females are different genders. This is the way God designed it."
Fundy, possibly you haven't notice that God made a few design flaws.
Read Middlesex, or take a college genetics course. God made man infinitely variable and you would punish those, like you made in God's image, but ever so slightly different. You castigate your own maker by denying he created sexual difference.
Laughing@Fundy
All the schooling in the world is no substitute for an education.
Perhaps you should listen to the word of "God":
"The women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says." Corinthians 14:34
And:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged." Matthew 7:1
And finally:
"Suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." Timothy 2:12
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