Gay Marriage

[Heidi]

I have recently been having a lot of trouble with people arguing with me, claiming that gay marriage and indeed homosexuality in general is wrong.
I need your best arguments for gay marriage- and also views from those nerdfighters that may think that it is wrong.
Please help.

[Natalie-Anne Ober]

If these people are using the Bible as a reason to say that homosexuality is wrong, tell them to actually READ their holy texts. Being gay myself, I have been very interested in what the Bible has to say about homosexuality, and I can tell you for sure, that the CHRISTIAN Bible says nothing about homosexuality as we think of it today. The Old Testament, the Jewish holy text, says in Leviticus, the Holy Code of the Jews, that a man shall not lay with a man as he does with a woman, it is abomination. However, Jesus said that the Holy Code contained in Leviticus no longer applied to his followers, and that they would receive a new Holy Code. Also, in old Hebrew, abomination did not mean anything like we think of today, It simply meant "something non-Jews do that Jews are forbidden from." The things the New Testament says about homosexuality are generally about male prostitutes and old Roman emperors more focused on decadence and opulence than their people. If someone brings up Sodom, tell them that Sodom's sin was not homosexuality, it was inhospitality and the rich ignoring the poor and downtrodden. That should cover it all, I think, but reference these websites if you need more information:

http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_marj.htm The Bible and Same-Sex Marriage
http://www.soulforce.org/article/homosexuality-bible-gay-christian What the Bible Says -- And Doesn't Say -- About Homosexuality

[Meg Norris]

:) Thanks for posting this.

[Natalie-Anne Ober]

You're very welcome! I hope it turns out to be useful some day. ^^

[Dan S.]

Good research. People should also read, or at least check out, Wrestling with God and Men, by Rabbi Greenberg, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi who is gay. It contains some interesting perspectives on the Old Testament as well as the Talmud and rabbinical arguments through the centuries.

I also have a question for the homosexual community (as a heterosexual man) - the title of the forum post is "Gay Marriage," though technically what's being argued for is "homosexual marriage." Somehow "homosexual marriage" feels like it carries a negative connotation with it (not sure why), and I've seen it used in editorials celebrating the Maine vote. So, "gay marriage" or "homosexual marriage" -- which should I use, or does it matter?

[Natalie-Anne Ober]

Gay marriage for sure. "Homosexual" does have negative connotations still, you're right, though I'm not sure why. I just know that I much prefer gay marriage over homosexual marriage.

[Andrew]

Win + Hug + High five

[Übereil]

= sex

[Michael Stokes]

You've just won over all my respect. I'm one of the few Christians I know who support Gay Rights based on the same information you provided. Kudos!

[Natalie-Anne Ober]

Wow, I'm obscenely late to comment back! Go me.

Thank you! As I said, being gay, I've been veeeeery interested in what the Bible says about people like me, and I was not surprised AT ALL to find that it said, basically, nothing. :P

[Skylar Jean Alline Owens]

if your gay then your gay and be proud of it no matter what a lil book says!

[Captain Jacqui Sparrow]

I know many pro-gay Christians, but most of them believe it because they think that it's silly that a bunch of old men tell everyone who they can and can't love. Yesterday some of my friends were talking about it. Many of my friends, even though they're very Christian/Catholic, believe that homosexuality is fine, you don't have to go to Church every Sunday, etc. They just don't see why it should be considered wrong or sinful, and especially not illegal. Because the Pope said so? The Pope also said that Galileo was wrong.

There are so many reasons why gay marriage should be accepted legally and socially.

[Becka]

As a Christian who is pro-gay marriage, I'm always being asked to explain myself. These sites are perfect :)