Gay Rights Are Civil Rights!

[DangerousRhythm]

Many more products at: http://www.cafepress.com/gay_rights_now

I got the idea to make this because the bittersweet election night has been weighing on me and I really think more people need to get the message and equate gay rights with civil rights if there is to be any progress made.

:fistbump:

[midnight]

1. Yes. They certainly are.

[patrice]

2. Maybe the backside should say, "And anyone who says they aren't should LOSE their tax exemption."

Today was a good day for me, because I had an insight while listening to AAR this morning when someone was discussing this issue.

I had been wondering how you have a comeback to churches who say that it is okay for them to be proactive on this issue because they define it as a moral issue, not a political one, and, as such, i.e. a moral issue, it falls within the religious milieu, not a political one, hence they can't be taxed. It's been concerning me how to respond to this; I couldn't think of a response that seemed to work until listening to AAR this a.m.

Advocating against Gay Marriage becomes a POLITICAL issue, NOT a moral one, the moment they make references to or organize outside of their own churches, outside of their own belief system. No one is forcing churches who object to Gay Marriage to sanctify Gay Marriages. They are not required to do anything one way or another about Gay Marriage; their rights are not affected by Gay Rights, so within their own churches they have no problem. Where they violate the law about separation of church and state, where they violate the tax code benefits that they get for being non-political, is when they try to force other churches, some of whom DO sanctify Gay Marriage, when they try to make other people, people who are NOT members of their church, agree with them against Gays' Civil Right to Marry. This answers my question about when/how does it cease being a moral issue (and, thus, appropriately a religious concern whether I agree with them or not), when does it cease to be a moral issue and become a political one: when they try to influence the thoughts and actions of those who are not members of their church.

[DangerousRhythm]

3. I like it!

:thumbsup:

Agreed... nobody will be forcing churches to sanctify marriages they don't agree with. They can always refuse, just like (if I were a churchgoing person) I could always refuse to go to a church that didn't perform gay marriages for my own personal reasons.

I think pouring millions into a campaign against Prop 8 definitely qualifies as crossing that moral vs. political line you mention. I don't really know how this can stand, how the Mormon church can defend this and still keep their tax exempt status. :shrug:

[patrice]

4. Exactly, any discussion of Civil Rights IS Political, NOT "Moral" nt

And I do mean "Moral", because I don't I share their definition of that word.

[DangerousRhythm]

5. Agreed, even on the quotes. ;D N/T

:dem: