A new Prop 8 voter demographic study released Tuesday shows what has become glaringly obvious to most – a movement away from religion and conservatism. First comes the great news that religious and conservative values held the day against moral relativism this last November:
“The study found that more than 70 percent of voters who were Republican, identified themselves as conservative, or who attended religious services at least once a week supported Prop. 8. Conversely, 70 percent or more of voters who were Democrat, identified themselves as liberal, or who rarely attended religious services opposed the measure. More than two-thirds of voters 65 and older supported Prop. 8, while majorities younger than 65 opposed it.Yes, America, there are still good, God-fearing people who are not willing to place their trust in man over God. However, the study then shows a steady abandonment of traditional values. Says Sherrill, “support for marriage equality in California has increased by about 1 percent per year since 2000.”
Even personal relationships with lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender people paled in comparison to these factors, said study co-author Kenneth Sherrill, a political-science professor at Hunter College in New York City. Although two-thirds of California conservatives said they know or are related to LGBT people, four of five conservatives supported Prop. 8.”
"At least in terms of marriage equality, opposition to our rights isn't personal, it's ideological and partisan," Sherrill told reporters on a conference call Tuesday, adding that while Democrats, Asian-Americans and people younger than 30 have moved significantly toward supporting same-sex marriage since the issue was on the ballot in 2000, there remains "hard-core, seemingly implacable opposition among Republicans and conservatives."And with the knowledge of the source for their disappointment, you can bet LGBT forces are reanalyzing, regrouping, and readying themselves for a full, infiltrative assault on the conservative, religious right.
“Jaime Grant, director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, called it "a wake-up call to the LGBT community on a couple of fronts" — first and foremost, that same-sex marriage supporters must do more outreach to the faith-based community, probably via LGBT people already active within faiths. Organizing within mainstream religious denominations will be crucial in order to make serious inroads, she said.So while the forces of moral relativism and family degeneration redouble their efforts toward people of faith; rewriting Bibles and attempting to convince us that “supporting marriage equality is not at odds with [our] religious framework,” let us people of faith redouble that blessed faith and knowledge that marriage between a man and a woman is as God (not our “religious framework”) created and intended for the beautiful and natural blessing of balance in human relationships and procreation. Religion is the organized expression of our commitment to a loving God, but it is God Himself who creates the boundaries in which we live and operate upon this earth. Gay “rights” activists would love for society to forget God completely and hone in on the men leading churches as the “purveyors of so-called injustice” and the members as the “purveyors’ minions.” What they fail to see, as they live so far removed from God’s commandments, is that many of us “religious conservatives” have strong personal testimonies, independent of the guidance offered by our religious leaders, of the existence of God and His commandments, and the value of self-control and temperance. It will take more than befriending, as this study has already shown, to encourage people to turn their backs on God and embrace degeneration. Love is always imperative, even while acceptance is not encouraged. The two are not mutually exclusive. So, dear friends, for our children, for our society, for our marriages and families, let us remain that “hard-core, seemingly implacable opposition.” Let us endeavor to stay close to God and shun those things that would repulse His tender spirit, leaving us exposed to the cunning, scheming wiles of man. We can make a difference. We can. I truly believe that. We just have to redouble our efforts even while the opposition redoubles theirs.
The Rev. Mark Wilson, of Oakland, former pastor of Berkeley's McGee Avenue Baptist Church and now outreach coordinator for the African-American activist group And Marriage for All, agreed it's time to "redouble our work with people of faith."
That means convincing people that supporting marriage equality is not at odds with their religious framework, and that to do otherwise conflicts with their faiths' concepts of freedom and justice, he said. It would mean building long-term relationships between African-American churches and the LGBT community, he added.”
Yours in mutual faith,
~Pearl
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Technorati Tags: Marriage,Gay Rights Activists,Proposition 8,Prop 8,Elections,Liberalism,Same-Sex Marriage,Homosexuality,God,Bible,Religion,Conservatism,Morality,Moral Relativism,Kenneth Sherrill
Religious Participation by Adolescents Promotes Positive Character Development and Self Control
A Case For Morality
Technorati Tags: Marriage,Gay Rights Activists,Proposition 8,Prop 8,Elections,Liberalism,Same-Sex Marriage,Homosexuality,God,Bible,Religion,Conservatism,Morality,Moral Relativism,Kenneth Sherrill
9 Comments:
Hard core and implacable. I can do that. Also, they don't realize that so many people of faith already have friends who are gay. Friends, or not, it can't change God's word about what marriage is.
@ thepomegranateapple
Yes, and the attitude is that unless you are homosexual, you can never sympathize with them. If one says they have homosexual friends or relatives, but.... They are automatically tuned out and it is assumed that they must not be that great of friends or they would definitely be championing the homosexual "cause." No tolerance. And you are right; no matter how much we love those engaging in homosexual acts or struggling with homosexual attractions, it doesn't change God's commandment that marriage be between a man and a woman.
This is liberalism at its finest: First take the facts, then re-study them until you get an answer you want, then broadcast the findings until people believe the new "facts". Then start the process all over again until you get the desired results. Sounds like an election I heard of in Minnesota involving a Democrat....
as usual euripides, you are right on the money
This article ties in some many other things I've been reading and writing about recently. Church parishes actually supporting the "gay agenda" as though it were something positive, a newspaper trying to re-interpret the bible claiming it supports "gay marriage" and an article I wrote yesterday about the positive effects participation in religion has on character.
@ Euripides
Hmm...I just can't imagine what might have led to so many in our society feeling such a strong sense of entitlement as to believe themselves above the law. Anybody? ... Anybody?
@ Secular Heretic
I've seen these articles about the positive effects of religious involvement frequently in the last few days. You know, it used to be that people didn't need research studies to know such a basic truth. Now, we take it for granted that people know religion for the blessing it is. Instead, many children today are being raised to disdain and disregard religion as a tradition belonging to old fogies. There is so much wrong with society that it's almost tiring thinking of trying to save it. But, then I am reminded of the purity of the children and I realize the effort I make now will be reflected in quality of the world they inhabit 20 years from now. With that single thought, the fatigue abandons me and adrenaline carries the day. Nothing compares to the protective nature of a mother for her children. Nothing.
I've found that if you are discussing a topic and you make a reference to a religious text like the bible or essays from a religious web site many people immediately will reject the message regardless of how scholarly and logical the message may be.
"I've found that if you are discussing a topic and you make a reference to a religious text like the bible or essays from a religious web site many people immediately will reject the message regardless of how scholarly and logical the message may be."
Maybe that's because the content of these religious-based references aren't particularly "scholarly and logical," even if the "message" itself is.
Welcome again, Daniel. First, in an attempt to understand better, could you please clarify what your perceived difference is between "message" and content?
I understand that if you are not particularly religious, you would be quick to dismiss religious texts and references as illogical and unscholarly. However, there are, in fact, many Bible scholars today who not only familiarize themselves with ancient scripture in an ancient-culture context, but memorize and recognize Biblical patterns that have repeated themselves throughout history and are still occurring today. One such pattern is a people's tendency to forget the Lord in times of prosperity, wantonly pursuing pleasure and forgetting faith, which then leads to their disciplinary humbling or destruction.
Sadly, many today view the devoutly religious citizens of our country (and the world, for that matter) as fanatical and loony rather than respecting the wisdom, temperance, and self-sacrifice of faith. And, as the trend shows here, there is a destructive movement away from that wisdom, temperance, and self-sacrifice.
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