Civil Disagreement

I am one who stands on the side of supporting traditional marriage. We are a country that is extremely diverse. I feel that, collectively, we have accepted all forms of diversity as a part of our culture and we have discovered ways for each of us to live together in our society courteously and kindly. I feel that we can continue to live together in this society and allow all people the right to pursue happiness as they so choose, without calling for the change of basic laws.

The issue of legalizing same sex marriage that is now before us will change the bedrock of the founding of our country. I believe that the morals this country were founded upon have been and are being directly attacked. These are the morals that protect not only family but also protect religion, freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, etc.

The rights of citizens will be altered if this measure to legalize same sex marriage passes - parents will no longer be able to teach their chosen religion without being legally incorrect and possibly held in contempt of the law; churches will be in contempt for teaching a strict adherence to the ten commandments and the scriptural teachings of Jesus Christ; schools will have to change curriculum to welcome same sex marriage, polygamous marriages, gender confusion, gender change choices, etc. Local governments, National Laws, Federal Taxes, Insurance providers etc. will have to recognize and cover polygamy, same sex marriages and gender change operations or confusion and the subsequent identity changes that would incur.

Although all of us have the right to choose for ourselves what to believe we must realize that these practices are not the norm. These are the exception. I feel that people need to be educated in a manner that allows them to have an open mind but to be taught correct principles and then allow them to govern themselves in relation to their personal belief system. It has been given to the parents and teachers of religion to insure that our children have been taught sufficiently to then choose for themselves. I believe that options and exceptions to the way a child is reared should be shared around high school age when each person has sufficient understanding to choose for themselves what manner of life they would like to lead.

Let me be clear that I abhor prejudice in all forms; including the prejudice against people who practice various religions; all prejudices against race as well as sexual preference. That said, I applaud the opportunity we have to voice our opinions and to disagree CIVILLY at times.

Crossing this threshold of departing from traditional marriage as the 'legal norm', to me, marks the beginning of the unraveling of the basic rights of the country's constitution. The legal norm was what this country was founded upon - even at the time of the founding fathers there were surely those who had various beliefs regarding race, religion and sexual preference. The constitution supports the rights of all people and when necessary changes have been made in the constitution to insure that all people were treated equally. Those changes were vital and important and in accordance with what the people chose. The constitution begins with "We The People" and the voice of the collective whole was united and became the basis for the forging of our Constitution.

If states choose not to legalize same sex marriage it does not mean that the people are bigots or prejudice; it means that the people are exercising their right to voice their beliefs and that the majority supports traditional marriage. We each have the right to voice our opinions and beliefs and that in no way diminishes anyone's ability to form relationships but it does allow the law to continue to forbid polygamy, marriages to minors and other activities our society deems as unacceptable.

If we begin down this path of legalizing something other than the Constitution's legal norm for families we must understand that we are on a slippery slope that leads towards altering the legal norms for the entire Constitution and all the rights that we as a people have been given will be available for a vote. There are unalienable rights that we have claimed and I would suggest that one unalienable right is that of having a mother and father in the family. I know that is an unalienable right of the human race because God himself mandated the necessity of both a father and a mother, not only in His commandments but in how human life is created. Of this right, I have no doubt. I do not believe that we can continue to destroy traditional families without repercussions as an entire society - all races, religions and sexual preferences combined.

We ask that "God Bless America" and state, "In God We Trust". We state that we are "One nation under God" and that we are "Indivisible". Yet, how can we ignore the basic tenets of the ten commandments by getting rid of families with a mother and father (who we are commanded to honor); allowing abortion to act as a method of birth control when we are commanded not to kill; forgetting to love our neighbors as ourselves no matter what their race, religion or creed are? How can we state that we are 'indivisible' when we have become so divided regarding politics, principles and prejudices?

Perhaps these are the exact reasons why so many question the existence of God - because our laws speak against His existence. Thus, my question is: Do we feel that we can maintain the right, collectively, as a nation to call upon God for protection when we are continually abandoning what He has asked of us?