On gay marriage

Below is my response to an email petition I received a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks for passing this petition.

Whatever you may think of marriage (to a same-sex partner or anyone else), the voters in California have already overwhelming voted to limit marriage to one man and one woman in a landslide vote of 61-39 on Proposition 22 a few years ago. As of now, California voters have already collected over 1.1 million signatures, enough to initiate a constitutional amendment to overturn this most recent ruling of the court. When the voters bring that amendment to the State constitution it will be fairly clear what the will of the people is. So there's no need to continue circulating this email.

That said, if you are over 18 it's important to educate yourself on the issues. Go here for a balanced argument for traditional marriage. First, it's not a religious right-wing issue and as a Christian myself, I wish people would look more closely at the implications it has for society at large. It's not just about "God's will" or stopping nice gay people from committing to each other, this ruling changes how our whole society will function and on what basis we will make people responsible for things. If a father marries his daughter (which this law would allow), he can make you as a tax-payer responsible for the children they produce when she gives them up to foster care (because a 10-year-old girl has no means to take care of a baby); and you will pay for that. Not to mention the social services we will need to take care of her emotional turmoil as a victim of incest. This is what could happen when we open the door to these kinds of laws without thinking critically about how it will play out. Just wanting your nice gay friends (and my nice gay friends) to be able to marry is not enough.

Secondly, The State Supreme Court does not have the right (literally) to overturn the will of the voters. The Governor says he will "respect" the will of the court but if you read his actual statements here you will see that he is abdicating his role as part of the executive branch (that's what we get for electing an actor!) by saying the courts and the voters should decide. Well, the voters have already decided with Prop 22 and if the voters bring an amendment to the State constitution, the Governor should listen to them and consider their voice. If you want to make a difference, the best way is to call or write your elected officials and the Governor and ask them to listen to the will of the people. Because realistically, they will be in office a few short years, but we as citizens will have to live with this decision for a long time.

I'm in favor of people thinking critically about the real outcome before making up your mind. This is an emotionally charged issue, but it's not an issue we should decide based on only emotion. It's about how we live in society and who's responsible for what. This is America, it's advanced citizenship and we need voters who think critically, and don't just respond emotionally.

On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 1:09 PM, (Name and Email Removed) wrote:

Thanks for the support. I have nothing against homosexuals, but it seems that they have problems with laws supporting normal marriages. Once these laws supporting the "normal" marriages, you really don't have much basis to prevent polygamy, bestiality, incestuous and all kinds of multiple partnerships. In countries where such marriage supporting laws have collapsed you have people marrying their cats, dogs, and few people adamant about marrying their own daughters these days.

Peace,
(Name Removed)

On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 3:00 PM, (Name and Email Removed) wrote:

Sorry, I am in support of this law so I won't be signing the petition.

(Name Removed)

On Fri, May 23, 2008 at 11:35 AM, (Name and Email Removed) wrote:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: (Name and Email Removed)
Date: Fri, May 23, 2008 at 1:37 AM
Subject: Fwd: Help me stop the California anti-marriage ruling
To:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Grassfire.net Services <alert@grassfire.net>
Date: Fri, May 23, 2008 at 12:29 AM
Subject: Help me stop the California anti-marriage ruling
To:


+ + + +
(Name), thanks for signing the petition! Please
forward this message to your friends and ask them to join you.
Thanks again! -- Liberty Counsel
+ + + +


I just signed a petition supporting an emergency suspension of
California's outrageous court ruling that sanctioned homosexual
marriage. Same-sex marriage licenses will be issued by June 15 at
the latest. We have very little time to stop this ruling. Please go
here to sign:

http://www.grassfire.net/189/petition.asp?PID=16628370&NID=1

Ms. (Name Removed)

--
Sola Gratia.
(Name Removed)

Jesus makes everything backwards

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. - Jim Elliott

Sometimes I look around and it seems like people really have their lives together. And it never really seems like I do. I'm almost always a day late and a dollar short. I have no idea how people manage to buy a house or take care of a baby when I can barely get myself to class on time. Granted, I often take on too much stuff, as in the case of this quarter, when I have 4 classes that are doing me in. I'm certain I will feel much much better when all the papers are written and I can get back to a normal sleeping routine of 6 plus hours a night. But in the meantime, I'm taking breaks by finding out what people in my world are doing. A person I used to know is graduating from med school and another person I just met is in a successful career. And in the moment right before I was about to start envying them, I remembered that they're not in love with Jesus. Their lives may appear satisfying on the outside and maybe they are on the inside when they stop to think about that, but ultimately their hope is in that thing they're achieving and I guess it makes sense then that they'd better milk it for all it's worth cause that's pretty much it.

Sometimes I'm awed that I really made the choices I've made. I will never be rich from them, and 99% of people will always think what I do is weird-slash-confusing. But somehow God got me to a place where that's okay and what's important is being true to myself as little as possible, so he can get me to do crazy and foolish things for him. I love him for that. For making everything backwards.

And I don't love him for that because secretly I'm rubbing my fingers together and scheming for the day when last will be first and I'll finally get my desserts, I'm just making friends with the idea that I do this thing and I look genuinely foolish and unwise to the world and even to myself most of the time and yet I know completely that this is my place. It's not completely fun, (in fact it's a whole lot of not-fun right now) but it's completely right. Right-side, up-side down-side. It's right.

And I'm happy to sell all I have to stay right here, where I don't necessarily want to be. In this small uncomely space. Where Jesus can force-undo all the ways I've learned to want. And need. And envy. And greed - for success and wealth and happiness that are not mine to have.

I have to remember that she is no fool who gives what she cannot keep to gain what she cannot lose.

I have to remember Shealtiel.

I'm living in the Old Testament

I went to visit my dad Sunday night. He's building a second home on his property so he can move into it and tear down and then rebuild his main home. It's crazy. The new main home will have a gym and sauna and two offices, one with 250 degrees of views of the ocean. I can't believe we are related. It's seriously like the parables in the NT of the man who build a big house. My dad's house is being built solidly, (not on sand like the parable) but ultimately when it's all done, what will he have? A place to live that's not all that different than the current house. I'm not sure what to think. It's this huge investment in getting something customized to their taste, but it's simply not something I would invest that much money in. I can't believe how guilty I will feel sometimes when I spend an extra $15 at Ross and ijn comparison my dad is spending hordes of money on this new house. I don't really have an opinion on it yet, I'm still not sure if I think it's a good idea or not. But either way, it's happening.

Complexity

I had this thought in class today:

Of course it's hard to understand humans. We're made in the image of God, and who's more complex than God?