Response/Explanation to J#24

I have been getting some emails asking for clarification of something I wrote in my journal #24 (Seriously) where I talk about North Carolina and same sex marriage.

Here is my point: Everybody has their own belief. It is my belief that man and woman should marry, but that’s because I am heterosexual so if I ever get married, I would get married to a girl. (Obviously) because that is my belief.

However, you may believe that two men and two women should be allowed to get married because maybe you are homosexual. My point is that what would make my belief any better than yours or vice-versa? The answer is, it doesn’t.

So why can’t I can live with my belief, and you live with yours without you having to worry about me trying to force my belief and lifestyle upon you? It wouldn’t be right, would it? And this is what I was trying to say. That all these people who “believe” that same sex marriage should be outlawed are not standing up for their belief but rather, trying to impose their belief upon everybody else. Thus, not respecting other people’s belief.
This is wrong.

What North Carolina and other states are doing (And Christianity) is that they are imposing (or trying to impose) their beliefs and values and lifestyle onto everybody else. This is by definition, communism. Nobody is saying that you cannot live your life as according to “your” beliefs, but what makes you so special that your beliefs are more important than somebody else’s? It’s not. And you’re not.

And don’t say God makes your belief more important because then you are putting words into your “Gods” mouth and I am sure he (or she) wouldn’t be too pleased with it. And besides, let your God “judge” in the end. It does say, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”

This is why I say that I can be friends with anyone because I respect everybody’s belief. I don’t go around trying to impose what “I” believe onto anybody else. And the people I am friends with do not impose theirs on me. We respect how each other thinks, feels and believes. Today they say that same sex marriage is against their beliefs, who is so sure that tomorrow their belief will also include that obese people cannot marry or reproduce because their children will be obese and we’re trying to eliminate obesity? Or that black and white people cannot marry because of ….. Getting the picture here?

It’s okay to believe what you want to believe and live within that belief for yourself. But when you “force” or try to “force” that belief onto me, then you are a practitioner of communism. And if the Christians want to know why so many turn against them, then that is the reason why. Because you (or any other religion who does the same) always try to force everybody else into your way of belief. You are always trying to impose your “values” onto everybody else instead of just living life according to your own beliefs and allowing others (and respecting others) to live life according to their own beliefs. You disrespect other peoples beliefs and then you cry about it when somebody disrespects yours.

Is any of this making any sense at all?

We are all equal. Nobody (and their beliefs) is any better than anybody else. We are all the same and should be treated as such regardless of race, religion and sexual preference. All it takes is for us to respect each other and each others beliefs. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. See how simple life can be?

I hope this clarifies my position. That we all have our own "beliefs" and it is okay to live our lives under that belief, but it is wrong for any of us to force (or try and force) others to live under our beliefs. We're all entitled to believe what we want without fear of retribution or prosecution, are we not?

I don't see this as just an American issue or religious issue, but more so, a humanity issue.