For those of you who don't know, the FMA, Federal Marriage Amendment, is a government-sanctioned hate-crime designed to further marginalized a minority group-homosexuals-by taking away their rights to participate in a social institution based on the fact that the origins of this institution are in religion.
There are two basic arguments used by homosexual-hate groups in trying to justify the unconstitutional FMA. The first argument is that a marital union between homosexuals is "unnatural." Besides being untrue (Homosexuality is sometimes practiced by animals in a natural environment.), this argument is based on intuition. This means that I could just as easily have the exact opposite intuition and that it would be no less valid.
I've been trying to think of a way to refute an argument for denying the rights of a group of people based upon a book written by man claiming to have direct contact with an omnipotent being (I win! j/k), and it has illuded me until recently: I must argue based on contradictions in that same book! I don't need to find contradictions to the passage that forbids a civil union between homosexuals; I simply need to find contradictions between other mandates in the good book and our current lifestyle and culture. In other words if we accept any of god's word we must accept it all unless you prefer ala carte religion (I'll take a double portion of Hinduism with a side of Heaven's Gate!).
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. - Leviticus 18:22
This passage is the basis of the FMA for many of its supporters.
"... the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." - Leviticus 11:7-8
".. all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water-you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses." - Leviticus 11:9-11
How were these passages so overlooked in all of the religious fervor surrounding our "faith-based" administration? Perhaps if these passages oppressed a minority instead of our good ole' white heterosexual Americans, we would give the passages their due. I have never met a Christian who has upheld these beliefs in any capacity. When are we going to begin limiting the rights of all Americans to partake of these unclean foods that are detested by god himself? Maybe we need to debate the rights of states to hand down mandates preventing us from eating these foods which are an abomination unto the lord! Our only hope is that Cheney has an offspring who loves ham!
Supporters of the FMA may still argue that these passages are obscure and thus do not really apply to us. How about something a little more fundamental that we (as a nation) are violating as we speak? What about one of the ten commandments? I am not a Christian, but, having had the unescapable presence of this faith surrounding me at every turn since the day I was born, I happen to know that the single aspect of Christianity that is more fundamental than belief in Christ is the commandments.
"Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'
'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. 'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.'
'Which ones?' the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 19:16-19
That's directly from the mouth of the living god. However, we ignore this as we continue to kill innocents as well as "enemy" soldiers in the name of democracy. Well, now we are killing in the name of democracy. We were killing in the name of our own safety until we discovered that there was no threat to our safety. Those arguments aside, god makes no exceptions for those defending themselves or their insignificant (in the grand scheme) political systems. We are doomed to hell in spite of any motive or rationalizations we might make!
There are two basic arguments used by homosexual-hate groups in trying to justify the unconstitutional FMA. The first argument is that a marital union between homosexuals is "unnatural." Besides being untrue (Homosexuality is sometimes practiced by animals in a natural environment.), this argument is based on intuition. This means that I could just as easily have the exact opposite intuition and that it would be no less valid.
I've been trying to think of a way to refute an argument for denying the rights of a group of people based upon a book written by man claiming to have direct contact with an omnipotent being (I win! j/k), and it has illuded me until recently: I must argue based on contradictions in that same book! I don't need to find contradictions to the passage that forbids a civil union between homosexuals; I simply need to find contradictions between other mandates in the good book and our current lifestyle and culture. In other words if we accept any of god's word we must accept it all unless you prefer ala carte religion (I'll take a double portion of Hinduism with a side of Heaven's Gate!).
Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. - Leviticus 18:22
This passage is the basis of the FMA for many of its supporters.
"... the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you." - Leviticus 11:7-8
".. all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales-whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water-you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses." - Leviticus 11:9-11
How were these passages so overlooked in all of the religious fervor surrounding our "faith-based" administration? Perhaps if these passages oppressed a minority instead of our good ole' white heterosexual Americans, we would give the passages their due. I have never met a Christian who has upheld these beliefs in any capacity. When are we going to begin limiting the rights of all Americans to partake of these unclean foods that are detested by god himself? Maybe we need to debate the rights of states to hand down mandates preventing us from eating these foods which are an abomination unto the lord! Our only hope is that Cheney has an offspring who loves ham!
Supporters of the FMA may still argue that these passages are obscure and thus do not really apply to us. How about something a little more fundamental that we (as a nation) are violating as we speak? What about one of the ten commandments? I am not a Christian, but, having had the unescapable presence of this faith surrounding me at every turn since the day I was born, I happen to know that the single aspect of Christianity that is more fundamental than belief in Christ is the commandments.
"Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, 'Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?'
'Why do you ask me about what is good?' Jesus replied. 'There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.'
'Which ones?' the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'" - Matthew 19:16-19
That's directly from the mouth of the living god. However, we ignore this as we continue to kill innocents as well as "enemy" soldiers in the name of democracy. Well, now we are killing in the name of democracy. We were killing in the name of our own safety until we discovered that there was no threat to our safety. Those arguments aside, god makes no exceptions for those defending themselves or their insignificant (in the grand scheme) political systems. We are doomed to hell in spite of any motive or rationalizations we might make!