Say What?
My take on abortion and gay marriage are very similar. Want to hear them? I'm glad you do. Read on; if you are a Christian, read it twice!
The basic idea is that making something illegal is akin to winning an argument. You are not going to get someone to change how they feel by winning an argument. For instance: according to the Guttmacher Institute, "Legal restrictions on abortion do not affect its incidence. For example, the abortion rate is 29 in Africa, where abortion is illegal in many circumstances in most countries, and it is 28 in Europe, where abortion is generally permitted on broad grounds. The lowest rates in the world are in Western and Northern Europe, where abortion is accessible with few restrictions."
So making something illegal doesn't change people's minds about abortion. It is a highly personal decision, whether you are for it or against it. I would say that marriage is a highly personal decision. If we extend the same logic of the abortion argument here, we could say that making same-sex marriage illegal will not deter gays and lesbians from getting into committed relationships. If indeed you think that gays and lesbians are simply making a lifestyle choice, then logic shows that you will change their minds NOT by making it illegal, but by earning the right to be heard through thoughtful and caring dialogue. There is another problem. What if being homosexual is not a choice? Can you consider the possibility? What then?
Let me tell you what: you risk telling someone that who they are is a sin. How much longer do you think they will sit and listen to you? Probably not very long. I guess my point is that there are plenty of ways to show people the love of Jesus Christ. Saying that who they are is fundamentally wrong is probably not the best way. Taking away choices is not the way. God gives us free will, who are we to take it away from others?
Making abortion and same-sex marriage illegal is Christians taking the easy way out. Don't try to change them from a distance. Get to know people and then see how easy it is to call them sinners. We're all sinners. Get over it.
If you live in California, vote NO on Prop 8. Proposition 8 is hate.
Join us for Write to Marry Day, October 29th.
The basic idea is that making something illegal is akin to winning an argument. You are not going to get someone to change how they feel by winning an argument. For instance: according to the Guttmacher Institute, "Legal restrictions on abortion do not affect its incidence. For example, the abortion rate is 29 in Africa, where abortion is illegal in many circumstances in most countries, and it is 28 in Europe, where abortion is generally permitted on broad grounds. The lowest rates in the world are in Western and Northern Europe, where abortion is accessible with few restrictions."
So making something illegal doesn't change people's minds about abortion. It is a highly personal decision, whether you are for it or against it. I would say that marriage is a highly personal decision. If we extend the same logic of the abortion argument here, we could say that making same-sex marriage illegal will not deter gays and lesbians from getting into committed relationships. If indeed you think that gays and lesbians are simply making a lifestyle choice, then logic shows that you will change their minds NOT by making it illegal, but by earning the right to be heard through thoughtful and caring dialogue. There is another problem. What if being homosexual is not a choice? Can you consider the possibility? What then?
Let me tell you what: you risk telling someone that who they are is a sin. How much longer do you think they will sit and listen to you? Probably not very long. I guess my point is that there are plenty of ways to show people the love of Jesus Christ. Saying that who they are is fundamentally wrong is probably not the best way. Taking away choices is not the way. God gives us free will, who are we to take it away from others?
Making abortion and same-sex marriage illegal is Christians taking the easy way out. Don't try to change them from a distance. Get to know people and then see how easy it is to call them sinners. We're all sinners. Get over it.
If you live in California, vote NO on Prop 8. Proposition 8 is hate.
Join us for Write to Marry Day, October 29th.
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