[quote][b]jtsim[/b] - Will the American Atheist also be going out to help?
[/quote]

Don't care who it is, they need to help these people!

[quote][b]Digdug[/b] - @RightWingExtremist: Hey... Glad to see you're back.
[/quote]

Thanks, Dig. But I still feel awful, just awful

Oh, the places I have been political boards galore... liberals everywhere blaming this tornado on the conservatives, trashing Glenn Beck for his generosity. It's a damned shame that we couldn't wait longer than we did before we started politicizing this issue.

Say, wouldn't you just use a Sears Roebuck catalog? Oh wait... fresh outta those too. You're screwed.

@allisongroves: Whaa? I can't hear you over the sound of my ignore function. Grow up.

@melmarino: I hope your treachery haunts you for a very long time. Just how can you toy with people like that? I earnestly hope this weighs on your heart like a ten ton stone. It will take me a while to forget what you've done. It will take me a while to understand why there are people like you in this world. And you will never understand how much respect I gave you. My words will fall on deaf ears, though, seeming as how you have all your forces arrayed against me.

How could I have been such a fool?

Goodbye.

@Digdug: You did not watch anything unfold.

Apparently, you need to hear the whole story. If only you had been on Facebook when the whole thing went down. First of all, I had been expressing myself in a limited capacity on gay marriage for some time now, at least here. But I mainly stayed out of those discussions. She had nothing wrong with it, and if she did, we sorted it out, amicably. But then somehow, when I posted my opinion on my timeline, she ripped me apart.

Just a sampling of what was said in the comments:

And she said, and I quote "Alright, Ill give you till June 1st to sort all of this out, Why will my marriage on that day change anyone else's?" End quote.

My response: "You'll get nothing but congratulations from me, Mel."

She did ask me to condone it. Did I say I was going to abandon her for marrying the same sex? No sir. In fact I was being supportive, not to the extent of actually condoning it, but to the extent that I wouldn't come over as a jerk. She has been aware of my stances, and I thought she tolerated them just as I did hers. I thought we were seeing past all of that. Apparently not.

[quote][b]Digdug[/b] - All you had to do was not comment on the subject. Was that too difficult?[/quote]

I have a right to opine. Nobody is allowed to tell me not to comment on anything. Not you or anyone else can sit there and tell me otherwise. Just so you know, I frankly didn't care if she was gay. For Pete's sakes, I just wanted to be friends with her. More about having something in common than something different.

[quote][b]Digdug[/b] - Do you really believe she chose to be gay?[/quote]

Alright, Dig. You like to be blunt, so I will be too. I held this back for a long time, so as not to end my friendship with her earlier than it did:

I do. Why do they always seek justification for their behavior from society? Christians in particular? Is it a form of self rationalization? Some gay people have become Christians in hopes that it lessens the sin they know they have committed. It raises a red flag with me when they flaunt their "genetics" in parades in various cities around the country. If it were "genetics" then why do they get so defensive when people don't support them or their way of life?

It also struck me odd, when I met her in person, that when she had come along with her partner, whom she introduced as "her friend." She stared me straight in the eyes and lied to me, and my grandmother. Neither I nor she never assumed for a minute her sexual orientation. I thought all of the people at the pizza joint we were in were her friends. It was only until later that year she hounded me for making a comment about gay marriage, in which she asked "I thought you knew I was gay?" To which I replied that I didn't make a habit of assuming people's sexual orientations.

It didn't strike her in the slightest that she should have told me that from the moment we shook hands. It's funny though, if it were genetic, why do people like her go to such great lengths to hide their behavior from people of faith like me? I never once condemned her for being gay whatsoever.

She did her best to help me find gainful employment, flatly told my grandmother that night that the reason she was helping me was because the problems I had gone through were very similar to what happened when she was my age. I will always be grateful for that. But, I was betrayed, for expressing myself. I could have dropped our friendship in a split second after she revealed the details. But I didn't. Did it hurt when she lied to me about it that night? Yes, but I forgave her.

[quote][b]Digdug[/b] - Perhaps it is time to do some soul searching. Is her friendship more important to you than what you perceive as going against your faith?[/quote]

I was taught that my faith was more important than any friendship. I searched my soul far and wide the day she told me she was gay in the first place. I still stayed friends with her. That was over a year ago. So suddenly I am bad for standing up for something such as traditional marriage?

[quote][b]Digdug[/b] - If so, you still have a lot to learn. [/quote]

I have nothing to learn. Besides her, I have two other friends, of whom are gay, and of whom are completely aware of my devout Christian background. Did my friends abandon me for expressing my opinion? No. We are friends because we are all hardcore gaming fanatics, not political counterparts.

Another thing is that my uncle was gay. He always told my father that he loved me despite my upbringing. He was murdered in 2005 during a botched drug deal. I regret not having the opportunity to meet him, despite his criminal and immoral behavior.

I have had my share of experiences with homosexual people. I have learned a great deal. I may be young yet, but I have my experiences. I was trying to be what Jesus taught me to be, loving of everyone, not just a select group of people. They are all God's children.

Alas, if she were a true friend, she would have never been so petty as to make me feel worthless for having the points of view I do. Perhaps that will teach me never to reach out to anyone of different viewpoints in the future. I will spare myself the heartache, regret and disappointment in the future if I need to.

One last thing, may I politely ask you not to make your comments and observations based purely off of what you see here on the boards? That would be great, Dig.

I will not discuss this issue any further. Have a good morning.

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - I did not say that there is not any equality, simply that inequality exists. [/quote]

Then why make a mountain out of a molehill?

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - Wouldn't enacting laws that respect the tenets ofyour faith be regarded as an establishment of religion? And what about the tenets of my faith, when they conflict with yours?[/quote]

One thing I did not say was that the government should make laws according to my faith or any other.

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - Assuming you mean ad hominem: More faulty language. That your argument is nonsense is a fact, not an evaluation of your character.[/quote]

What makes you the preeminent judge of my character? Your character may be just as flawed as mine. Hypocrite. This is indeed "Ad Hominem" as you so put it.

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - So, which right, from your plethora thereof, will you be giving up today?[/quote]

My freedom of conscience. Satisfied?

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - It appears that you are comfortable with the Government treating certain groups differently based on inherent characteristics - is this a fair statement? Would you extend that to gender or race?[/quote]

Indeed I am. It is allowed to associate law abiding from law breaker is it not? There are things government should not be allowed to enter into, but I am in no way suggesting that we eliminate government altogether. Are you in some way suggesting I am sexist or racist?

[quote][b]curiouscat[/b] - @RightWingExtremist: You do not have to condone anyone's lifestyle, and noone is forcing you to. People can agree to disagree and leave some subjects alone for the sake of friendship.
[/quote]

Friendship shouldn't be oppressive, cat. Me and my friend should have the same right to voice an opinion as anyone else would.

[quote][b]ppensyl[/b] - I didn't say I support your message, in fact I despise it and your tactic as it is rude and obnoxious. [/quote]

First off, I meant that I was glad you support his rights to spout that nonsense. I didn't say you had to support my message. I hope I have clarified for you.

[quote][b]ppensyl[/b] - I absolutely disagree with the opinion and your lifestyle, BUT I tolerate it becasue the constitution allows for it.[/quote]

Then why is it some gay people can't practice this? Why must there always be tolerance on behalf of people of faith for things they cannot support? Tolerance is good, but forcing someone to condone your lifestyle is very wrong. Perhaps if we taught that tolerance worked both ways, we wouldn't be having this overt discussion about other people's rights.

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - You continue to spout nonsense. You have no idea what you are talking about.[/quote]

So, ad hom counts as arguments these days? Explain to me why only one caveat in a plethora of existing rights is cause to say there isn't any equality for gays?

I know more than you care to admit.

[quote][b]ppensyl[/b] - I don't like, one bit, having a preacher standing outside Sanford Stadium screaming how my six year old daughter and I am going to hell because we are going to a football game, but I support his right to do it.[/quote]

I'm glad you support it. Rest assured our message is of redemption, not of persecution. The right to choose your path has its own positive or negative consequences, all of which God will judge when the day comes.

[quote][b]Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass[/b] - Tax status, specifically inheritance tax.[/quote]

Hey snod. When a gay man or woman buys a car, they pay the same taxes a straight man or woman does. You want equality? You already have it!

You want me to smile? Give me a friend who will stand beside me, not behind me, clinching a dagger.

@nowheregirl: All that time we were friends, I refrained from expressing my opinions about gay marriage. All out of respect for her. But then, my tolerance wasn't enough, suddenly I had to condone it. I couldn't. Not without going against my faith. I went against my conscience on a lot of things so I could preserve the bond. The fact of her being gay was a constant hot topic with me, but I didn't say one word to her about it. Being a friend was more important. I'll grant you this much, she will never find someone like me again.

I rung the bell because it was my right to. Real friends let you have your right to an opinion. Real friends honestly don't care. Quite enough of this though. I can't really help people who preach tolerance, but cannot give it themselves.

I can't smile much right now. I smile back when people smile at me, but... It's tough when you've been abandoned by someone for whom you respected and looked up to.

But here goes!

[quote][b]D.Dublis[/b] - his ruling had absolutely nothing to do with how the Court evaluates equal protection arguments or any other part of the Constitution.[/quote]

Yes it does. When you refer to constitutional impact, it means how the entire constitution is interpreted, not just one Amendment.

Constitutionally protected rights are not absolute, that goes for all 27 amendments

[quote][b]D.Dublis[/b] -
The idea that gay folks choose to be gay is silly; therefore the question "then why be homosexual" is equally silly. Since few gay men and women are going to have children, married or not, it's not going to shrink the gene pool.
[/quote]

If it were really a fault in genetics, then why are they seeking justification from people who disapprove of it? That is called guilt. Genes have nothing to do with it.

[quote][b]fred astaire[/b] - So your statement that gay marriage goes against nature, is flat wrong[/quote]

It does. Animals do it because they are hierarchical, humans do it because its a necessity..

[quote][b]fred astaire[/b] - And to go further, gay people, at least ones I know, say they can procreate as well.[/quote]

Surrogacy? That isn't procreation. That is circumventing a painful reality. You're gay, you can't have children with your partner. It's that simple.

[quote][b]fred astaire[/b] - Sex is not involved in the marriage process, nor is procreation.[/quote]

You obviously haven't been married have you?

[quote][b]McCarthy[/b] - You must not have any real friends by the fact you have over 10000 post. [/quote]

So I don't have any real friends either, Mac?

@Save our Republic: Gah!! MAKE IT GO AWAY!

I want to keep my vision man!

[quote][b]fixit[/b] - Bsians, yeah. That'd b people from Bsia.
[/quote]

LOL^^

[quote][b]Ferrol Katz[/b] - @melmarino:
@RightWingExtremist:
Incidentally, if I did anything to exacerbate a disagreement, I apologize. I like reading both you guys.
[/quote]

You did nothing to exacerbate anything. Our relationship effectively ended when she practically accused me of "wallowing in my own ignorance."

There's nothing for you to apologize for.