Sunday Insights

I feel like I need to write a little something about why I voted yes on Prop 8. Here is a quote from another blog that I felt expressed the main issue well:
"In California "Domestic partners" have the same rights and privileges as married couples already. So to say that a couple in a same sex relationship is missing out on the rights that a married couple has is simply not true. They have the same rights to property, visitation and other considerations that are legally given to married couples. So why are they fighting for the right to be married in the public eye?

The only reason I can think of is to be able to force the world to have a legal obligation to accept it as moral behavior. We have seen the ramifications of it in Massachusetts as churches that refuse to give marriage ceremonies to gay couples have lost tax exemption status and the right to be a church when they were sued. etc... Parents have gone to jail for refusing to allow schools to just send home information for kindergartners about what constitutes a family. The story of a king and a king getting married is shared with young children because it is now asked to be acceptable and moral to all of us regardless of our deep religious beliefs.

This is war and now I am in danger of being called a bigot by my friends an family that are fighting for the right for same sex marriage. I love you my friends. I love the good that many of you have and put out there for the world. many of my good friends are highly educated, kind-hearted, service oriented and wonderful human beings that just have a lifestyle I cannot accept as something I want to have to teach my children about as okay and moral."-Ennis crew: we are at war...

I voted yes to keep a separation of Church and State and to preserve my right to discriminate between Marriage and Same Sex Partnerships. Not discriminate against- I believe they should have legal rights- but discriminate meaning differentiate. Yes, I believe Homosexuality to be a sin. Yes, I will teach my children that it is a sin. No, I do not believe that Homosexuals are bad people. No, I do not believe they should be punished by the law or prejudice for their choice.

I am not sure if same sex attraction is a choice or a gene but I do believe that acting on that attraction is a choice. They can remain chaste. It is not an enviable position to be in and I am thankful it has not been my struggle. I cannot fully understand it because of that. I struggle between my wish to respect the commitment and relationship that same sex couples have and my moral opposition to homosexuality. I struggle between my wish to respect and love the person and not condone the homosexual lifestyle. I feel that a differentiation between Marriage and Same Sex Partnerships is a line that has to be drawn in order to keep the law from dictating to me my beliefs. I hope that a balance of respect and love can be found.