Topic : Homosexuality Debate and Discussion

Cheryl, this is the theme song for fundamentals when they run out of arguments for why they feel entitled to impose their religious beliefs as law...they cry persecution and victim status. YOU are not being persecuted....everyone here would fight the same fight to allow YOU to live YOUR life by your religious principles to the extent that they don't interfere with anyone else's rights. It is a pity you don't allow others the same rights.

Not being able to make everyone live by your Biblical beliefs (inconsistencies and all) is NOT a form of persecution.

One of the things that I enjoy about these boards is that I often will learn something surprising.  Take the issue of divorce, I did a bit of research and found some interesting statistics but first let me say I absolutely agree that you should have to earn or work your way out of a marriage. 

So here is what I learned, divorce rates have been on the rise since after WWII.  As Cheryl stated, there was an increase following the no fault law changes but divorces are now on the decline.  Why?  Well, a few of the studies seem to indicate that more couples are waiting to get married and more couples are cohabiting before getting married (count me in both groups).  Some of the cohabiting couples never make it down the isle so they don't end up getting divorced.

Then I was looking at divorce rates by state and religion and a few of the studies seemed to indicate that divorce rates by religious beliefs were highest among conservative Christians.  I was honestly surprised by that.  Out of all the states those in the "bible belt" had the highest rates while the northeast the lowest.  And the most ironic statistic, that little state that actually allows gay couples to get married, well Massachusetts has the lowest!

Now onto the comment "divorce may harm the institution, but it does not undermine it as gay marriage would."  JMO but I have never heard such a crock of !@##.  I am an adult child of divorce and I can tell you that divorce often not only harms the institution but it also harms children and families, gay marriage unites not divides and it harms no one.

IMO the conservative Christian groups (I'm talking about in general)  that are so opposed to gay marriage should pay more attention to their own marriages and less to the gay communities.

Hi Cheryl...

It means by out good deeds (works) our light will shine for all to see.  It has NOTHING to do with keeping the world from corruption...it has everything to do with how WE conduct OURSELVES.

And Cheryl...Jesus wasn't saying disciples should love other disciples...Jesus said we are even to love our enemies.  We will be known as disciples because we have love for one another...meaning EVERYONE, even people who we would much rather hate.

:o)

Marie