imported post
Springfield Smitty wrote:
I respectfully disagree. According to my Bible, they were not created that way. They made a conscious decision to be that way.Now, I know thisbecomes a religious debate when it comes to that, but one cannot say for certainthat they are created that way either.
The problem is this: Your Bible does not dictate the laws of man. It dictates your religion, sure... but our Constitution, in America, overrules any Bible.
Understanding that our nation was built upon traditional Catholic/Christian principles, our Forefathers were also very careful not to impose said principles on those who choose not to adopt the religion itself.
Show me where the Constitution says that homosexuals are less deserving of rights than anyone else, and I'll concede my argument. I'd even settle for a reference, in the Constitution, to a particular Biblical passage that supports the notion. In the absence of either reference, then it stands that the Constitution protects ALL people, regardless of race, nationality, RELIGION, sex, sexual orientation, etc, etc. We are all endowed with the same rights and no religion can take that away from anyone.
Please don't confuse personal beliefs with Constitutional principles. They are often very different. Personally, I don't agree with many things some American's do.. but I support their right to do it as long as they are not endangering the lives, liberties, or pursuit of happiness of others. Personally, I don't have an issue with the gay or lesbian community... it's not a lifestyle choice that I, particularly, would adopt... but I more than welcome their choice to do so. I'm also of the school of thought that they don't CHOOSE to be homosexual, but that they are born to be that way. I can't fathom why someone would choose to pursue a lifestyle that, for many years (and in many cases, still occurs in America) is very hostile to their being. I don't believe anyone wakes up one day and says, "Gee, I think I'll be gay today." I think it's something their born with. I see no problem with it either way. People are people... nobody is less human simply because they don't conform to traditional social norms.
And on the subject of traditional social norms, homosexuality is nothing new. Many cultures have engaged in it for many years. There's actually some controversy over whether or not some of our Forefathers may have been homosexual. Former President Lincoln, in fact, is widely believed to have been "in the closet". Some cultures embrace it, others merely tolerate it, while still others are extremely hostile towards it. In every continent on the globe, and through ever era in history, homosexuality exists. It even exists in nature. Do you aim to tell me that animals that mate for purposes OTHER than pleasure CHOOSE to be gay? Or is it more likely that some of them are just wired to be that way? My money is on the latter.
Opinions are like buttholes... we all have them. But I beseech you to be wary of the fact that anything you say here can, and will, be used against the rest of us. Many folks already peg 2A activists as "rednecks", extreme right-wingers, and intolerant bigots. Please don't allow that stereotype to proliferate.