Regarding Same-Sex Marriage and Bigotry - Religious Intolerance

As I have looked around at different opinions and ideas, I have discovered that there is a constant surge of change in religious beliefs, which are a very different matter than changes in scientific beliefs. In the larger world religions, beliefs are grounded in the Hebrew Scriptures for Jews, the Holy Bible for Christians, the Qur’an for Muslims, etc. Sadly, since a punctuation mark can change the entire meaning of a sentence and translations are up to interpretation religious beliefs evolve only as man studies and perhaps changes these interpretations, sometimes to accommodate their own ideologies.  In science, scientists form hypothesis, which are grounded in observation, to prove or disprove factual evidence as they search out the truth of their ideas. However, religious beliefs can change, with time, as new levels of consciousness emerge in the human struggle to overcome ignorance.

Retired Episcopal bishop, John Shelby Spong, states in his message about same-sex marriage that “Each individual’s journey through life is unique… Love has many shapes and colors and is not finite. It can not be measured or defined in terms of sexual orientation.” While many American’s frown on same-sex marriages the Quakers, our American forefathers, in their “Statement of Affirmation and Reconciliation” state that “Because marriage is a basic human right and an individual personal choice, RESOLVED, the State should not interfere with same-gender couples who choose to marry and share fully and equally in the rights, responsibilities, and commitment of civil marriage.” However, on the opposite side of the issue is Dr. James C. Dobson, who believes that if same-sex marriages are allowed the institution of marriage will continue to decline, with couples simply electing to live together.

As time has evolved, however, one can look back to the 1960s when Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving expressed the opinion, regarding a similar dilemma, regarding interracial couples wishing to marry and how “that sort of marriage was not in the best interest of children.” Today, however, such individuals as Raymond Miller reflect on how “Promoting hatred and bigotry, in the name of God, destroys society” no matter what the race, religion, or national creed of the persons involved. In my thinking there are many of us who currently fear Islam due to our media coverage of the Taliban and Islamic terrorists but how are their radical views different from those of Christians who show the same type of intolerance to those whose ideologies are different than their own.

I need to note, however, that I do not favor same-sex marriage but I do support a legalization of rights for all domestic partners including those heterosexual couples who choose not to marry but live together in a committed relationship. In other words, I agree with Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) that other Americans have “the right to live as they choose, free from discrimination, but not necessarily that this tolerance should extend to a radical redefinition of marriage.”[tags]Regarding Same-Sex Marriage, Religious intolerance, bigotry, legalizationl, Common partners, discrimination, marriage, love, commitment, responsiblities of marriage, Freedom of choice[/tags]