Non-Heterosexuals.
My views on non-heterosexuals are rather simple: if all parties are consenting adult human beings, it's none of my business. I say "non-heterosexuals" because there are so many shades of sexual orientation, simply saying homosexual doesn't even come close. I know quite a number of non-heterosexuals, and some are good friends I see frequently. These are people, like any other people. I have no problems with their sexual orientation. It's none of my business anyway.The Sin of Being Gay.
I've read the Bible through and through. It's been a while, but at one time I went to a private school. I even wanted to be a missionary at one point, and I could quote the Bible right up there with the best of them. Since then I've researched the Christian faith and it's origins, and I've come up with my own views on organized religion . To make a long story short, I don't recall Christ saying ANYWHERE that a homosexual wouldn't be able to pass through the gates of heaven. A rich man would have a pretty tough time, but not a gay man.Don't bother to flame me on this point by pointing to the story of Sodom; Jesus disputed several of the teachings found in the Old Testament and quite a few of the Jewish laws in the Torah upon which the Christian faith bases it's Old Testament. Look at what he preached to his followers and you'll find one basic theme: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. 'nuff said.
Gays and Membership in Churches.
Come on folks, this is America, remember? If you don't want gays in your church, go to a church that doesn't have gays. Good luck finding one of those. This is the land founded on religious freedom. No matter what else you may feel, preventing someone from communing with their flavor of God is contrary to the very principles that allow you to worship your flavor of God. Be thankful you can worship freely and allow others to do the same.Gays in the Military.
In ANY business, ANY organization, sexual harassment is against the law. I work with a number of gays. You would never know for sure they were gay unless they told you, although you might suspect. On the other hand, you couldn't know for sure that someone was heterosexual unless they told. Why? Because people are busy DOING THEIR JOBS, not picking up on each other.And that's how it should be.
Look, if someone is squeamish about working with a gay person, then they need to lose some of their hangups. If that gay person is doing their job, and doing it well, I don't care what they do on their own time. Again, it's none of my business. This "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy is horse-manure, plain and simple. What if I stood up and yelled, "I'm heterosexual and proud!" Would I be relieved of duty and discharged from the armed services? Of course not! But a non-heterosexual could not do the same, regardless of how well they do their job.
The rule should be simple: Don't bring your sexuality to work with you, no matter what your orientation is. I, as the tax payer and therefore your indirect boss, am paying for your services as a member of the armed forces. I expect the best job you are capable of doing. I am not paying you to pick up a date. What you do on my time is my business. What you do on your time is your business.
Same Sex Marriage.
This is a simple issue: should two people be able to marry; should they be legally recognized as life partners? This is not about the holy institution of marriage, or about the vows of marriage, or about the rights that people have to live their lives the way they want so long as they don't hurt anyone else doing it.This is about state control of the benefits bestowed upon people who have contracted to live their lives together.
And my views on that are pretty simple: what's the big deal? Hawaii's high court got it right. The government has no right to discriminate against marital partners that are of the same sex. They should have the same benefits as anyone else. This is not a religious consideration, it's primarily a financial one and secondarily a constitutional one.
Wake up homophobes
and smell the fresh print on the newspaper, and while you've got your nose pressed to the print, check the date. It's very nearly 2000 A.D. and we as a society should be far more mature by this time...