Abortion vs. Homosexuality: The Evangelical Age Gap

Let's see...human error is in my mind when it comes to translation, copying errors throughout the Bible....even though the contradictions are all through it and can be found easily, and homosexuals warp the word of a god,, the devil exists, and naturally, there is only one way to believe as all the other religions in the world (or relationships, I presume) aren't right, because there is only one way to believe. Does that about cover it? Oh, abortion is always wrong and should be stopped. Now that covers it. Think I'll stick with my original beliefs.

Oh, FYI, I have never known a woman to have an abortion so she could go "clubbin". Those women had thought long and hard before deciding that the procedure was necessary. No woman takes that decision lightly. Naturally you probably won't want to believe that, not being a woman and all.

I hesitate to post on internet comment boards, especially those related to politics, and rarely do so. However, after reading this story and its comments, I felt compelled to add my voice to the discussion.

I am 28 years old, and was raised by conservative parents in the Southern Baptist church. I am also a gay male who's been "out" since I was about 16 or so. While I'm no longer a practicing Christian, I still have many friends and family members who are and am well versed in the Scripture, the Torah, the Koran, and many other religious texts.

First, let me say that I think the polls quoted are absolutely correct. Of my many friends who are Christians and under 30, most are resolutely pro-life but they are also much more liberal on homosexuality and gay rights. I think this is easily explained because the issues are totally different in their "absolutes." Although I am still pro-choice, I admit that having an abortion is, in all likelihood, killing a human being. Certainly after the first trimester it is. I'm opposed to capital punishment because I do not believe we have the right to take a human life; so I find myself struggling to morally justify those two opposing view points but remain committed to the idea that abortions need to be greatly reduced but not made illegal.

However, the gay issue offers many more complexities and areas of debate. Most young Christians came of age with Ellen, 'Will & Grace' and other gay characters and people living openly in the public eye. Plus, as a younger generation of gays come out earlier and earlier, more and more young Christians are discovering they have friends and family members who are gay at an earlier age, as well. These friends and family members are people they love and trust and they are forced to know us as fellow humans and not some "great, faceless, degenerative force of sin" as many older Christians have come to think of the gay community. It is much easier to dislike or hate someone when you've never met them or even spoken to them. My mom, who is 65 years old and has lived her entire life in South Texas as a devout Christian, is by no means a liberal. However, in the years since I first told her I was gay, she's come so far and I'm proud that she came to terms with it on her own, in her own time. Having known me and many of my gay friends, she's realized that we are kind, caring, contributing members of society with the same hopes, dreams, and ambitions as our heterosexual counterparts.

She no longer believes that homosexuality is a choice. As someone else here has already pointed out, why would millions and millions of people across the globe CHOOSE to be looked down upon, to be treated as second class citizens, and in some cases even have their lives threatened? They wouldn't. Furthermore, she can't find a single heterosexual person who can tell her when they chose to be straight anymore than she can find a gay person who can tell her when they made their choice. She also points out that she believes God knows us all when we are in the womb. And yet, in the womb, millions are born mentally handicapped, missing limbs, missing organs, etc. Is someone with a disability a mistake? No. They are just the way God made them and so am I.

Finally, to MR. INCREDIBLE - I wish there were a way I could sit down with you, person to person, and try to make you understand the pain and sense of disappointment your words cause. While I doubt that there's any words you would truly consider, I do implore you to take a moment and try to walk a mile in my shoes; I don't generally invoke the golden rule, but I think it's applicable here: do unto others as you'd have others do unto you. Imagine if you were in the minority and a majority said you could not marry the one you love. Let's say, if you will, that a law was passed that defined marriage as ONLY between members of the SAME sex. Sure, you'd still have the "right" to marry, but only another male. So that female you love and are attracted to ... want to marry her? Too bad. You can't. But you still have the "right" to marry another man. That's not really much of a right at all, is it?

The difference between a democracy and theocracy is the agreed upon understanding that there is a fundamental need for the separation of church and state. Would these anti-gay marriage laws stand on their own if you removed religion from them? If you were to judge them only on a secular morality and as a civil rights issue, would they stand? They wouldn't. I work, I pay taxes, I pay into Social Security, and I pay for my employee-based insurance. And yet, I am denied the full benefits and protections that I pay for simply because of who I am. One American citizen denied the rights of another. Does that seem right to you?

In the end, I do not wish, nor do I try, to take anything away from you or your family. I do not try to deny you the rights to believe in your religion and to practice it freely. I do not need you to approve of my life, my love, or my views on religion. However, I do need you, and others like you, to agree that as both a human bring and an American citizen you and I are created equal and therefore should enjoy the same freedoms, rights, and protections as all other citizens of this nation.

Thanks for reading. My best to you all,

-C.

First, I am Catholic let's get that out of the way here and my family is Catholic too.

Now, some months ago, my Neice (15) and Nephew (14) were here for a visit with their Uncle and Grandmother. Somehow, the issue of Gay Marriage came out...

Now the Catholic viewpoint is that marriage is and institution between a man and woman but suddenly both my Neice and Nephew decided we were old and just plain wrong..it was a very heated discussion indeed.

What a culture shock indeed!

And I now realize that they have grown up differently with families of gay parents so it seems normal to them.

But not to me.

And yes, I have a family member who is gay and also a friend who is gay also.

Now personally, I feel that what you do in the privacy of your own home is your own business and it is between you and God.

BUT....

To begin to come up with all kinds of arguments against the institution of heterosexual marriage, to call one a "Bigot" or worse because one does not believe in same sex marriage is just plain wrong.

After all, no matter what you want to believe, there are two basic genders, male and female. Both genders have sexual organs that fit together that pass sperm and egg and allow conception for the development of a new life in the form of a human child.

That's how God made us.

And science is beginning to tell us that anything different is caused by a Bio-Chemical difference inside the brain.

Now I'm sorry that some folks are gay but that is no cause for starting a conflict.

Fact is that most of us humans are Heterosexual 90% or more of us.

I believe that things would be better if some of us would try more to fit into society rather than try to pick fights with the rest of us.