Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<Not when they use that believe to dictate to me or any one else what they can and can not do.>> The group of people doing that is a very small subset of those who believe the Bible can be of some value. Not all people with a belief in Christianity are right-wing fundamentalists. And thank God for that!
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance It's not a very small amount of people, if it was very small amount, there wouldn't be so much difficulty getting things like gay marriage equality passed.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip It is a small group of people that conservative politicians pander to because fundamentalist Christians are about the only "base" they have left. A very interesting chart: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/files/2013/03/gay-mar-by-age1.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.washingtonpost.com/...age1.jpg</a>
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Those percentages of people on that chart that feel it should be illegal are not small by any means.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Small amounts of people wouldn't have much of an impact when combined with everyone. But look at where we are today, yesterday 4 out of the 9 judges voting voted AGAINST marriage equality, and those are highly enducated, intelligent people. Most likely, they use the bible to re-enforce their beliefs. Not small at all.
Originally Posted By mawnck >>Most likely, they use the bible to re-enforce their beliefs.<< Assumes facts not in evidence.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip I think the group opposed is small. Averaging all age groups,only 25% of Democrats and Dem-leaning Independents feel gay marriage should be illegal. Even among Republicans and GOP-leaning Independents, only 54% believe it should be illegal. When you compare that to the relatively tight popular vote margins that the last several presidents have won with, that is a HUGE amount of support. The Supreme Court vote isn't really indicative of the beliefs of the American people. That is largely driven by their advanced age and the party of the President that appointed them.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance You're just mad because you wasted your one question with Zoltare.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I say it's not small. One in four of the most enlightened group of people still believe in discrimination for a certain group of people, and 1 in 2 of Republicans do, I can't call that small.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Well in my opinion, given the the very closely and deeply divided nature of American political thought at the moment, that is a very significant amount of support. YMMV
Originally Posted By RoadTrip Your mileage may vary. An indication that I realize not everyone will have the same opinion on this, nor would I expect them to.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "All I see is people pridefully aiming the backs of their hands to the high Heavens and thrusting their middle fingers strong and tall." Well, I do hate clouds. "Leviticus" Seriously? Leviticus? Please, follow everything in Leviticus. "The God some people believe in is a total tool. Why on earth would I want to spend eternity with such an insecure, vindictive, hateful creature?" I see you've read the Old Testament. I know 3 year olds who are less petty. "But look at where we are today, yesterday 4 out of the 9 judges voting voted AGAINST marriage equality, and those are highly educated, intelligent people." And Scalia.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder "Gay sex, detestable" Well probably, if not done very well.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***>>Most likely, they use the bible to re-enforce their beliefs.<< Assumes facts not in evidence*** You sure about that? Scalia, in particular, has said many things that point to a strict religious basis for much of his judicial outlook. And let's face it, outside of the realm of religion there really just aren't all that many people who give a damn about putting a stop to gay relationships, or at least they're much less vocal about it since they don't have a dusty old book to justify their prejudices.
Originally Posted By oc_dean >>mrkthompsn: Would you rather have happiness in a few short years, or eternal salvation?<< Okay, I will shed myself of my loving relationship with my partner .. live the rest of my life without that sin called homosexuality ... so I can get eternal salvation, in heaven. Now, I'm going to take several steps back, and put this all into a larger, more real perspective - Mark, do me favor - Look out at the stars tonight ... and I want you to know that our galaxy alone contains over 1 billion stars. If our solar system can contain 8 planets, with one of them sustaining life ... then the chances of life in other worlds is astronomical. That's just our galaxy alone. Outside of ours ... Hubble can see into the far distance HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of other galaxies ... containing millions to billions of other stars. That means .. more star systems/solar systems .. with more planets - with great chances of intelligent alien life across the entire universe. Are you going to say, that we humans are the only intelligent life in the entire vastness of outerspace? And whatever our creator is - Are you going to say that this creator sat down with mankind 2,000 - 4,000 thousand years ago .. to tell him he can't eat shelfish, wear certain fabrics, stone this person, enslave another, and more things that are really, utterly illogical as - The word of "our creator" or "God" as some like to call it? I'll tell you this much - I would think whatever our creator is .. is far too busy with creating life across BILLIONS of other planets ... and far too busy to be sitting down with mankind with all that illogical nonsense. And it is nonsense. You can't squarely look into my eyes, and quote that book of yours .. and think I'm going to believe one word of it! Because I won't! I can't. In the grand scheme of things ... looking at things with pure logic (And isn't - or SHOULDN'T "God" be the ultimate in all things - Logical???) So, take your book, and put where it belongs ... on the shelf for Literature, and Mythology. And the sooner you stop believing being gay is a "sin" and a "choice" .... the better off you will be, as a person with reason, and rationality.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "And let's face it, outside of the realm of religion there really just aren't all that many people who give a damn about putting a stop to gay relationships, or at least they're much less vocal about it since they don't have a dusty old book to justify their prejudices." Exactly, if they can't blame the bible, they'd have to admit they're bigots.
