Gay Marriage Question

[GoldenEagle]

I actually don't think it will be in every state unless the supreme court makes a ruling that would require every state to adopt gay marriage. I believe northern states would quickly allow gay marriage in the coming years but I don't think the Southern states will allow it since they are normally more devout in Christianity than the northern states.

...............................Southern states 'more devote in Christianity than northern states'? Are you serious? Especially when it comes to marriage? It is a FACT that northern states, even among Jews and atheists...historically have fewer divorces per capita than those insouthern states...especially among those who describe themselves as Evangelical Christians...Southern Evangelical Christians have an ABYSMAL success rate at marriage, and are more likely to divorce and remarry into adulterous relationships than Catholics, Jews or even Atheists....That's what makes this debate so peculiar...(Much of this is supposedly linked to the lower education levels of those who describe themselves as 'evangelical' and 'southern'....and their may some truth in that...That said...Those who 'claim' to be 'Christian' and more 'devout'...in reality are LESS DEVOUT when in comes to faithfulness in marriage....rejection of divorce....and remarriage even when these 're-marriages' are actually sinful and adulterous by any scriptural standard.....That said, I'd like to see the statistics for longevity of gay partnerships before I pass judgement....I personally know and have known, gay (male and female) couples whose relationships have lasted longer than many of their Christian heterosexual counterparts....The REAL question remains: Why should we DENY marital rights to gay couples...even if we have a problem with the 'biblical' or 'moral' or 'Christian' position of their relationship.... when we do NOT have any problem allowing our fellow 'Christians' to divorce at will, and remarry at will, even when it is clear their new 'marriages' are not 'marriages' at all, but sinful adulterous relationships according to God's standards?......

I think a better division would be Northeast, Midwest, South, and West regions in the U.S. This is the break-down by the U.S. Bureau of Census.

http://www.census.go...er/glossry2.pdf

Figure A–3. Census Regions, Census Divisions, and Their Constituent States

Northeast Region

New England Division:

Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut

Middle Atlantic Division:

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Midwest Region

East North Central Division:

Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin

West North Central Division:

Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas

South Region

South Atlantic Division:

Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina,

Georgia, Florida

East South Central Division:

Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi

West South Central Division:

Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

West Region

Mountain Division:

Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada

Pacific Division:

Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii

[GoldenEagle]

By Region... Keep in mind this is 2009 data.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/cats/births_deaths_marriages_divorces/marriages_and_divorces.html

Click "133 - Marriages and Divorces--Number and Rate by State"

--------------------- / -------------------- / Marriages / Divorces / # Divorces per Marriages

State / Regional Location / 2009 / 2009 / 2009

Illinois / Midwest Region / 72.7 / 32.7 / 45.02% /

Indiana / Midwest Region / 52.9 / / #VALUE! /

Iowa / Midwest Region / 21.2 / 7.3 / 34.47% /

Kansas / Midwest Region / 18.5 / 10.3 / 55.77% /

Michigan / Midwest Region / 53.1 / 32.5 / 61.07% /

Minnesota / Midwest Region / 28.4 / / #VALUE! /

Missouri / Midwest Region / 39.8 / 23.3 / 58.59% /

Nebraska / Midwest Region / 12.5 / 5.4 / 43.14% /

North Dakota / Midwest Region / 4.3 / 1.6 / 37.07% /

Ohio / Midwest Region / 64.8 / 36.9 / 56.91% /

South Dakota / Midwest Region / 5.9 / / 44.72% /

Wisconsin / Midwest Region / 30.3 / / 57.05% /

Connecticut / Northeast Region / 19.8 / 10.8 / 54.73% /

Maine / Northeast Region / 9.4 / 5.3 / 56.35% /

Massachusetts / Northeast Region / 36.7 / 12.7 / 34.67% /

New Hampshire / Northeast Region / 8.5 / 4.9 / 57.21% /

New Jersey / Northeast Region / 46.3 / 24.0 / 51.80% /

/ Northeast Region / 120.1 / 46.1 / 38.35% /

Pennsylvania / Northeast Region / 64.2 / 28.8 / 44.89% /

Rhode Island / Northeast Region / 6.5 / 3.3 / 51.15% /

Vermont / Northeast Region / 4.7 / 2.1 / 44.71% /

Alabama / South Region / 37.3 / 20.2 / 54.07% /

Arkansas / South Region / 31.6 / 16.3 / 51.43% /

Delaware / South Region / 5.1 / 3.4 / 66.50% /

District of Columbia / South Region / 1.9 / 1.3 / 69.98% /

Florida / South Region / 141.2 / 79.9 / 56.61% /

Georgia / South Region / 63.6 / (NA) / #VALUE! /

Kentucky / South Region / 33.4 / 19.9 / 59.63% /

Louisiana / South Region / 28.7 / / #VALUE! /

Maryland / South Region / 32.4 / 15.2 / 46.97% /

Mississippi / South Region / 14.5 / 12.2 / 84.32% /

North Carolina / South Region / 65.8 / 36.7 / 55.77% /

Oklahoma / South Region / 23.5 / 16.9 / 71.62% /

South Carolina / South Region / 29.2 / 12.2 / 41.91% /

Tennessee / South Region / 55.2 / 25.8 / 46.78% /

Texas / South Region / 179.8 / 76.9 / 42.78% /

Virginia / South Region / 54.1 / 28.5 / 52.72% /

West Virginia / South Region / 12.4 / 9.2 / 74.36% /

Alaska / West Region / 5.5 / 3.3 / 60.16% /

/ West Region / 35.3 / 23.1 / 65.48% /

California / West Region / 213.9 / / #VALUE! /

Colorado / West Region / 37.4 / 21.2 / 56.62% /

Hawaii / West Region / 22.2 / (NA) / #VALUE! /

Idaho / West Region / 13.9 / 7.7 / 55.50% /

Montana / West Region / 7.1 / 3.9 / 54.74% /

Nevada / West Region / 108.2 / 17.7 / 16.35% /

/ West Region / 10.2 / 8.0 / 78.07% /

Oregon / West Region / 23.5 / 13.3 / 56.43% /

Utah / West Region / 23.9 / 10.7 / 44.96% /

Washington / West Region / 40.4 / 26.3 / 65.05% /

Wyoming / West Region / 4.7 / 2.8 / 60.05% /

[Guest shiloh357]

I actually don't think it will be in every state unless the supreme court makes a ruling that would require every state to adopt gay marriage. I believe northern states would quickly allow gay marriage in the coming years but I don't think the Southern states will allow it since they are normally more devout in Christianity than the northern states.

...............................Southern states 'more devote in Christianity than northern states'? Are you serious? Especially when it comes to marriage? It is a FACT that northern states, even among Jews and atheists...historically have fewer divorces per capita than those insouthern states...especially among those who describe themselves as Evangelical Christians...Southern Evangelical Christians have an ABYSMAL success rate at marriage, and are more likely to divorce and remarry into adulterous relationships than Catholics, Jews or even Atheists....That's what makes this debate so peculiar...(Much of this is supposedly linked to the lower education levels of those who describe themselves as 'evangelical' and 'southern'....and their may some truth in that...That said...Those who 'claim' to be 'Christian' and more 'devout'...in reality are LESS DEVOUT when in comes to faithfulness in marriage....rejection of divorce....and remarriage even when these 're-marriages' are actually sinful and adulterous by any scriptural standard.....That said, I'd like to see the statistics for longevity of gay partnerships before I pass judgement....I personally know and have known, gay (male and female) couples whose relationships have lasted longer than many of their Christian heterosexual counterparts....The REAL question remains: Why should we DENY marital rights to gay couples...even if we have a problem with the 'biblical' or 'moral' or 'Christian' position of their relationship.... when we do NOT have any problem allowing our fellow 'Christians' to divorce at will, and remarry at will, even when it is clear their new 'marriages' are not 'marriages' at all, but sinful adulterous relationships according to God's standards?......

You are operating from the wrong standard. Divorce and adultery among evangelicals doesn't mean that we give gay marriage a pass. The sins of Christians doesn't legitimize the sin of homosexuality. It doesn't mean that we are under any moral obligation to accept what God calls an abomination.

Homosexual marriage is a sin, not a "right." No one as a "right" to be married, gay or not. Marriage is a consentual covenant, not a right. Our rights are informed by the Constitution of the United States. We cannot simply pull rights out of the air.

[JTC]

I don't know whether or not these statistics are true. But we do have way too much divorce and remarriage amongst Christian peoples. I'll tell 2 reasons I think this is so. One is the OSAS doctrine. Another is the idea that what we do here on Earth doesn't matter. We're forgiven right, so remarry all you like. (I'm being sarcastic)

[ayin jade]

I dont think the osas doctrine is why folks divorce. Im sure not one divorced person out there thought hey Im once saved always saved I know I can get a divorce and its ok.

Btw, are you without any sin?

[JTC]

No, of course not. But I'm not married and divorced 3 or 4 times neither. All I'm saying is if we were worried that what we do here on Earth will effect our eternal destiny, we should then have less sin of all kinds.

[GoldenEagle]

I don't know whether or not these statistics are true. But we do have way too much divorce and remarriage amongst Christian peoples. I'll tell 2 reasons I think this is so. One is the OSAS doctrine. Another is the idea that what we do here on Earth doesn't matter. We're forgiven right, so remarry all you like. (I'm being sarcastic)

I think this is a bit sad to categorize a large section of the Christian brothers and sisters (OSAS) to blame for divorce.

And I'm not sure why this would automatically mean that what we do on Earth doesn't matter which is contrary to Scripture.

[Guest man]

Minnesota fell today.

[Tinky]

Minnesota fell today.

They're falling like:

[Guest Butero]

I don't know whether or not these statistics are true. But we do have way too much divorce and remarriage amongst Christian peoples. I'll tell 2 reasons I think this is so. One is the OSAS doctrine. Another is the idea that what we do here on Earth doesn't matter. We're forgiven right, so remarry all you like. (I'm being sarcastic)

The biggest reason why I think divorce and re-marriage is so common is because the church goes along with the culture. If the culture is ok with easy divorce, the church follows their lead, as they are doing in most areas. I am dealing with this same issue in another thread, where someone is saying that we decide what is ok by the cultural changes. The Bible is supposed to be the church's standard, not the world. We are supposed to be a light to the world, but the darkness has been overtaking us instead. Just because the church has had divorce and re-marriage, doesn't mean we should embrace a complete redefining of marriage to allow two men or two women to marry. Homosexuals have the exact same rights everyone else does when it comes to marriage. They are allowed to marry one person of the opposite sex. The Constitution doesn't grant them a right to change that.