I read an article the other day where a man, who was a teacher, in a coloquial (sp) school, was fired because he applied for a marriage license so he could marry another man. The school told him that he was in violation of his contract. So given that, the school was probably justified in their action. The part that really started this blog is the part that was written about acceptance and tolerance. I have been thinking about this for the past few days since I read the article.
I am sure there are going to be many of you who are going to disagree with what I am going to write, some of you are going to be angry and hopefully some of you will start thinking about how you might be able to do something to change the way people think.
I neither condemn or condone same sex marriage. I personally don't see what is wrong with it. I do not know what the statistics say about the divorce rate is in same sex marriage, probably too soon to demonstrate that they are either more successful or less successful than same sex marriage. The addage: "opposites attrack" is what started a thought process in this direction. Opposites is taken from the same Greek base as opposition. I think that is the basis of most unsuccessful marriages. I defer from using the expression failed here because that means someone did not do enough to keep the marriage together. I am sure that could be the case in some divorces. I do believe the deeper reason for divorces is that people grow apart. The emotion of love disapates and the union is over. Too many marriages stay together for the wrong reasons; we stayed together for the kids, even though they spend the major part of their formative years watching us fight all the time; so much so that it became the norm for them. When they got married they thought the same thing we did, thus creating a very vicious cycle. Just one example.
Now going back to my original statement. Who said that people of the same sex should not be united in matrimony? The Bible? Who wrote the Bible? Where did the stories in the Bible come from? A lot of people cite the book of Genesis, chapter 19 as an example: Sodom and Gomorrah. Who selected what books would be included in the Bible? Originally, it was the rabbe. Here is some Biblical history for you. The Bible was developed from Midrash. Midrash is oral stories passed along for many generations before they were written down. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that the stories that were told from generation to generation, never varied. What was told at the first sitting stayed the same, forever; but unless the people that told the stories witnessed what actually happened only told a story of something that they heard from someone else. A very great number of people believe that the Bible is the Word of God or the inspired Word of God. It all boils down to belief. Okay, for the sake of another argument, what if man created God and not the other way around? Do not be mistaken, I believe in God. I believe God created the world, not necessarily how the Bible tells it. No one was there to see it happen, so no one actually knows how it really happened. Another story passed down.
Okay, we are finally getting to the part that inspired the title to this blog. Almost every Christian believes that God gave man "Free Will". What exactly is free will? To me it is the ability to gather all the facts about things and make a decision based on the facts. So every person has the God given right to make his own decision based on the facts. Too bad that doesn't always happen. Too many times decisions are made based more on emotional inspiration rather than logical; not necessarily a bad way to make a decision but not always successful. So a man loves another man, or a woman loves another woman. Who makes the decision that this is wrong? and based on what information? Is it because the Bible says it's wrong? So if you believe that then you are relying on a document with a great deal of historical background and "stories". When did the historical part of the Bible become factual? I try to follow the Ten Commandments as closely as possible, but can you truly prove they existed? Where are the tablets that they were written on. According to the story in the Bible they were placed in an ark and protected, but somehow the ark was hidden and no one knows where that ark is located. Did someone write down on a secret document where it was hidden and that document has yet to be written or people were sworn to secrecy and the secret died with the passing of those that knew where it is? Did it really get taken up to heaven? Everything depends on faith. The definition of faith is trust in things unseen. Christians have faith that Jesus ascended to heaven by the hand of God, but no one saw it happen, but by faith they believe it to be true.
What is truly acceptable? Is it so wrong for a couple of the same sex to be united? Is it because they have found something so very few people discover in life...happiness. What do we need to accept and what do we need to tolerate?
ac·cept·ance
[ak-sep-tuh
ns] Show IPA
noun
1.
the act of taking or receiving something offered.
2.
favorable reception; approval; favor.
3.
the act of assenting or believing: acceptance of a theory.
4.
the fact or state of being accepted or acceptable.
tol·er·ance
[tol-er-uhns] Show IPA
noun
1.
2.
a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own.
3.
interest in and concern for ideas, opinions, practices, etc., foreign to one's own; a liberal, undogmatic viewpoint.
4.
Acceptance and Tolerance are not synonyms. The key word being "fair".
Like I said I am neither condemning nor condoning same sex marriages. I am going to take a fair viewpoint and not judge the decisions of people that want to be united with someone they love. I am using my Free Will to make that decision based on facts.
So if this is a something that really bothers you, I would suggest for your own sanity's sake, give it a rest. There are far more important things to be concerned with in this world, like are you going to be making enough money in the future to support your lifestyle.
Not meant to offend anyone. And by applying your Free Will you can chose to not like me anymore.
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