Well, a thing happened....

So, if you're on Facebook (as the vast majority of people are), you may have experienced something like this over the past couple of days.

If you're not aware of why this has happened, reading this might help.

Before we go any further, a quick disclaimer. My comments and opinions here are exactly that - comments and opinions. Please don't take them as representing any particular group, affiliation, movement, denomination, church, company, etc. etc. Also, don't take them as necessarily being right. I'm human and all.

Okay.

So I have a lot of friends who support this cause pretty heavily, as well as various LGBTQI (apologies if I'm missing a letter or two, it seems to be getting longer all the time) issues around the place. I also have a fair few friends who are against it pretty heavily. And probably a fair few in between, being the way of things. But don't worry, Tim Minchin made a song for you guys! And me....well, yeah. I'm still trying to figure that out, in some ways. So. Let's start with the easy ones.

1. God loves all people. Easy one. God made everyone - God loves everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, marriage or relationship status, and no matter what you've said or done. That's a constant. The Bible's pretty clear on that one, I reckon.

2. Adultery is a sin. Bible is pretty clear on that one. Doesn't matter who it's with, guys, girls - if you're not married and you're having sex, God calls that not good.

Now, opinion.

3. I don't think that your sexual preference, in and of itself, is a sin. This is more my opinion. But I don't think that the way you're sexually inclined - nature vs. nurture debate aside - is a sin in itself.

4. I think that having a mum and a dad is super-duper important. Not because two mums or two dads can't raise kids, or can't love their kids, because that's just a bit silly. But because it's part of learning your identity as a man or woman - and having the male and female role model there for that is so important. However. This, in itself, should not be an argument against gay marriage. Why? Single parents. Exactly the same problem, but I don't see people saying, "Oy, you need to get a partner now, so that you can raise your kids right!" Because it's insensitive, and wrong. That's not how it works. I do think, though, that having a father figure, or a mother figure, if one or the other isn't there, is so vitally important to a child's development and understanding of who they are as a man or woman. (Yes, people will probably respond to that saying, well, what about other genders? I'm sorry, I just don't know the issue well enough to speak to that.)

5. The Bible says that God made us with free will. And quite intentionally made us that way, so that we could freely choose right or wrong in our lives. That was so, so important to him in making us, that he limited himself in doing so. (Because if he wants to preserve our own free will, that means there are some things that he can't do. Even though he could, he restricts himself.) I think that preserving that free will is so important - whether we agree with the choices being made or not. Now, that doesn't mean that those choices won't have consequences - and, sometimes, those choices will have consequences that have a legal nature, such as fines and prison and such. That's a whole different issue, which is fun itself to talk about. But I don't think that preventing people from being able to make a decision is ever helpful - particularly not when we're talking about adults. If you're talking about kids, to a degree, I'll get you - though I won't always agree - but we're not.

That's all I've got. And, drawing from these that I am pretty sure of - I'm pretty happy with what's happened in America. Don't I think that it redefines and endangers the sacred idea of marriage as defined by the Bible? Sure, it probably does. And if that's a view of marriage that you hold as your ideal - then fantastic, treasure that for yourself. But perhaps let others make their own choice, and have their own definition of marriage? I've heard plenty of arguments from both sides, and plenty to make me think in both camps. (One I'd be interested to get peoples thoughts on is this one, that I found quite interesting. I do realise it's using the Slippery Slope fallacy.) And, to be honest, I'm not exactly sure where I fit. It's changed a fair bit over the years. But I do think that people should be allowed to make their own choices - and if they're bad choices or wrong choices, then sure, help them with the consequences of that. And every choice does have consequences, good and bad. But you shouldn't be prevented from making that choice.

And, just because you're nice and you've gotten through the whole post, rainbow pigs!