The Greensboro News & Record ran an insightful story Sunday about the battle over a proposed gay-marriage-ban amendment to the N.C. Constitution. Reading the story, by state government reporter Mark Binker, one thing became clear: the similarity, even kinship, between the preachers who are pressuring the General Assembly to pass the amendment and the screaming fundamentalists who tried to disrupt the Pride Charlotte Festival Saturday. They’re both part of the I Know God’s Mind Bloc, or what a friend dubs the Archaic Values Coalition. Either way, you’re dealing with the usual dullard fundamentalists’ muddle of cherry-picked scripture quotes, bigotry posing as moral superiority, and plain ol’ political nastiness.
As BlueNC put it, it seems that the N.C. Constitution is being rewritten from the pulpit. Rev. Ron Baity, head of Return America, a fundie Christian group from Winston-Salem that has held rallies in Raleigh pushing the amendment, told Binker, “Marriage was ordained by God, not by government. God set it in motion . . .we’re trying to uphold the biblical standard of marriage.” Ahem. A few observations.
1. Is it my own misreading of history, but haven’t marriages been going on since long before Christianity, or even Judaism?
2. Rev. Baity, would that be the same biblical view of marriage in which the wife literally belongs to the husband and can be stoned to death for adultery? If not, why not — it’s in the Bible isn’t it? Don’t say that’s not your interpretation of it — it’s not up to us to interpret, remember? “Inerrant literal truth” and all that kind of thing?
3. Are the marriages of fine Christian politicians, like Sens. David “D.C. Madam’s List” Vitter or Larry “Wide Stance” Craig, extra-godly because of their “family values” rhetoric?
4. How does it feel to have the same views on marriage as the Taliban?
5. Since it’s documented fact that marriages break up in the Bible Belt more frequently than in other parts of the U.S. — and that the lowest divorce rate in the nation is in Massachusetts, which has had legal gay marriages longer than any other — what do those truths say about your claims that Bible-based marriages are superior and that same-sex marriages will “destroy marriage”? Also, you do realize how presumptuous it is to go around saying you know and understand God’s will, don’t you?
And finally, one question I’ve been meaning to ask but keep forgetting:
6. Ever heard of minding your own business?
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2011.
Dear Mr. Grooms
After carefully and thoughtfully reading your article regarding the efforts of Rev. Ron Baity and those who are proposing the gay marriage-ban ammendment to the N.C. Constitution, I would like to humbly reply to the 6 rebuttals or questions that you have put forward in response to the efforts of the above mentioned parties. I desire to do so because I believe the questions are sincere and honest questions that not only you yourself entertain, but many others who have a vested interest in these events which are transpiring. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have a firm conviction that Christians have the responsibility to give a reason for the views that they hold. I believe that this should be done in all humility with meekness, just as Christ taught. It will not suffice to simply say that “the Bible says this”, or that “the Bible says that”. A coherent, thoughtful, and logical defense must be made with the Holy Scriptures as our foundation. I am sure that you understand that this topic is not just comprised of one issue, but of several that must be taken into consideration and given an equal examination. I humbly pray that just as I have endeavored to take your thoughts and views into account with all respect, that you too will listen to what I have to say regarding this very serious collection of issues. Thank you.
Mr. Grooms,
The language you use in this piece implies that the General Assembly can amend the NC State Constitution. It cannot. It can only (with super-majority votes, not simple majority) propose amendments, which are then placed on a statewide ballot to be voted on by the public.
I’m not sure if you were ignorant of that fact or simply attempting to mislead your readers. Either way, acknowledgment of your error is warranted.
I highly appreciate both of my former commentators for their well-put responses. My only comment to this is:
6. Ever heard of minding your own business?
I agree with Mr. Grooms. Our country is founded on freedom of, and from, religion.
I would ask Rev. Ron Baity and his ilk to respect that fact and stop inflicting their moral views on others.
If the person who wrote this article actually read the Bible, they would see that the marriage between a man and woman is beautiful and holy when done according to Jesus Christ who said the man is to love the woman as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for it. You see, it is a perfect and essential environment for children to be nurtured in. How can children even be reproduced with same sex marriage. IT’S UNNATURAL AND PERVERTED!
To regular, um, contributor Hillary’s Prostate: I can’t figure out how you think that I implied the state legislature can amend the state constitution on its own, particularly since I never once mentioned the amending process in the blog post. Not only am I aware that legislators don’t have that power and need voter approval for enactment of an amendment, I give readers of a political blog post enough credit to assume they know it, too. In any case, the amending process wasn’t the point of the blog post and thus a description of how amendments are enacted wasn’t warranted — it’s a blog post, not a full-fledged article. The point was that religious views are being used to determine legislation, which is why I, you know, wrote about that subject alone. I hope this is clear, HP, and that you now have a clearer understanding of what you were reading. I’d say that an acknowledgment of your error is warranted.
Ken Miller, you read an article arguing that religion is not a basis for law (we have a thing called separation of church and state), and respond by paraphrasing your favorite bible verses? Do you have cognitive or reading comprehension problems?
Good thing we live in a country where we’re free to NOT read the Bible, eh Ken?
Also, there’s documented cases of homosexuality in all kinds of animals, can’t think of anything more natural than animals.
Stu,
Where do you see that Ken paraphrased his favorite Bible verses? …how do you even know if they’re favorites anyway? Let me reciprocate your question about cognitive or reading comprehension problems?
-and-
Wes,
Tell me which documented cases of homosexuality in animals you know about. …that’s ludicrous!
Wes, first let me educate you on the phrase “separation of church and state”. It does not appear in the United States Constitution. The First Amendment states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”
I’m sorry to know people don’t know God or read the Bible because it is contains perfect instructions on how to live a very pleasant and fulfilling long life.
Grooms writes:
“I can’t figure out how you think that I implied the state legislature can amend the state constitution”
Ummm….
1. “pressuring the General Assembly to PASS THE AMENDMENT”
2. “the N.C. Constitution is being rewritten from the pulpit”
Poor ol’ Grooms, he’s a one-speed blender whose only button says ASSHOLE
HP, let me explain this so maybe you can understand it:
1. “pressuring the General Assembly to pass the amendment” — that DOES have to happen before voters can vote on it, right? Nowhere outside your, um, interesting thought process is it impliled that the General Assembly’s vote is the end of the line for the amending process.
2. “Constitution being rewritten from the pulpit.” You see, if the amendment is ultimately passed, then that is what will have happened — the constitution would have been rewritten from the pulpit, metaphorically speaking, due to it being reflective of fundamentalist Protestants’ beliefs. Get it now? There is no implication that people in the pulpit will literally rewrite the constitution; it IS implied that the amending process has to be followed (otherwise how could it become an actual amendment?). You DO get this now, right? If not, how about sticking to the Sesame Street site until that day comes?
Thanks for that Ken, however it’s completely irrelevant to your point.
The Koran contains instructions that are just as good for living a fulfilling life, so does the Torah. Despite what you may have heard the United States is not a Christian nation. It is a nation of many religions and peoples.
It is also a nation that is supposedly free, and to that end one group should not be allowed to impose their views on another just because they find something distasteful – go ahead and make some half-witted slipperly slope retort to that, it’s about as intelligent as you Bible-thumping types can get these days. Maybe I find groups of idiots showing up at my door every winter singing Christmas carols and begging for money distasteful… or Jehovah’s witnesses banging on my door distributing literature. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean there should be a law against it. They’re within their rights to do as they please so long is it doesn’t infringe on my personal freedoms.
Perhaps you “Christians” should start showing a little tolerance and charity, that’s what you’re supposed to do anyway, right?
A simple Google search will point you to a number of examples, Jill. I know you’re used to be spoonfed everything you know, consider it chance to grow as a person.