Prop 8, religion, politics

Proposition 8 passed in November while I was on vacations. Everybody at home was happy that Senator Obama was elected President but were not aware of the other propositions on the ballot especially Prop 8 in California. I explained to them a little bit of the process and the difficulty to choose one side or another on a lot of the issues. In my case I had chosen to only vote on the ones of which I had a clear understanding. Of course Prop 8 was one of them. Since I have been back I have read articles, listened to interviews and some of my friends reactions. I don't even want to start on the issue. There are so many things wrong with this. Again Church dictated the State what to do, once again ignoring the "Separation of Church and State"....

Keith Olbermann on his TV show put it plain and simple to the people who voted for this proposition.



Another journalist, Lisa Miller, wrote an article in Newsweek covering some more specific points. The article is called "Our Mutual Joy".

"Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scriptures. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.

Let's try for a minute to take the religious conservatives at their word and define marriage as the Bible does. Shall we look to Abraham, the great patriarch, who slept with his servant when he discovered his beloved wife Sarah was infertile? Or to Jacob, who fathered children with four different women (two sisters and their servants)? Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and the kings of Judah and Israel—all these fathers and heroes were polygamists. The New Testament model of marriage is hardly better. Jesus himself was single and preached an indifference to earthly attachments—especially family. The apostle Paul (also single) regarded marriage as an act of last resort for those unable to contain their animal lust. "It is better to marry than to burn with passion," says the apostle, in one of the most lukewarm endorsements of a treasured institution ever uttered. Would any contemporary heterosexual married couple—who likely woke up on their wedding day harboring some optimistic and newfangled ideas about gender equality and romantic love—turn to the Bible as a how-to script?

Of course not, yet the religious opponents of gay marriage would have it be so." (click here to read more)
By Lisa Miller | NEWSWEEK
Published Dec 6, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Dec 15, 2008

As 2009 approaches I can only hope that people will educate themselves and search for the truth, not let only tradition, ignorance and fear forge their beliefs.

Blind faith was probably invented to deter people's questions. If I do not want to answer you all I have to say is if you need to ask then you are not a believer. And people fell for that. The same way nowadays some politicians say that if you criticize your government you are unpatriotic. That is exactly the opposite. Only one who cares enough would question and criticize. Not to just do so, but to make change happen, to advance and be better. Religious systems have hidden so many facts for so long in order to keep their power over the people that of course they are scared of anyone asking questions. You can ask questions without questioning your faith. I have read Bishop John Shelby Spong's book "Jesus for the non-religious" and am now reading "Born of a woman". You probably would have a hard time finding a more religious person. He is a believer in God and Christ and have read passages of the Bible every day since he was 12 years old. His questions have never strayed him from his faith. If anything his quest has only made his faith stronger because he understands so many things so much better now. Still, he is perceived as some kind of a heretic in some religious circles. I guess that is the fate of those who seek the truth. It always has been and maybe will always be. It is so much easier to just go along with what we are being told. We don't have to do any work, any thinking, any research, nothing.
History tells us though that in the end, the "heretics" are vindicated and the truth does prevail no matter how hard some try to bind it. Not that long ago, we thought the Earth was flat.