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"The
moral and religious system which Jesus Christ transmitted to us is the
best the world has ever seen, or can see." ... "
Lighthouses are more helpful than churches." --
Benjamin Franklin, (1706 - 1790) US author, diplomat, inventor,
physicist, politician
It
all started with Revelation 13:18 in the Bible: "This calls for
wisdom: let him who has understanding reckon the number of the beast,
for it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six."
The beast is also known as the Anti-Christ, according to some
apocalyptic theories.
George Bush, the current President of the
United States, has proposed an amendment to the Constitution of the
United States to ban same-sex marriage. He has stated that it is
of "profound importance to protect marriage in America from
activist judges." In other words, judges who understand that
the Constitution of the United States already addresses this issue in
our "separation of church and state" ... and that the only
justification for banning same-sex marriage is based on religious
concepts ... and this form of discrimination is not protected by the
Constitution ... liberty, on the other hand is protected by the
Constitution.
Rabbi David Ellen son writes, "His belief
that “the sanctity of the family” needs to be defended from the
“threat” that gay and lesbian couples ostensibly pose to
heterosexual family units is hardly surprising. After all, when asked
about same-sex unions after a court decision that affirmed the
constitutionality of same-sex marriage, the president commented, “We
are all sinners.”
Religious bias and ignorance has influenced the
laws in the United States before. Interracial marriage was banned
in many states for years. And in Massachusetts, Governor Mitt
Romney, used a little known law that banned interracial marriage to
prevent gay and lesbian non-residents of Massachusetts from being
married in the state, even after gay and lesbian residents of
Massachusetts could legally marry. As a Mormon, Governor Mitt
Romney should understand that religious concepts "evolve" ...
polygamy being a good example of this.
The American Media is certainly playing its
typical role in this debate by interviewing fundamentalist ministers who
are for the ban against same-sex marriage ... and totally ignoring that
there is another large group of ministers who advocate same-sex
marriage; Interfaith Alliance, Clergy for Fairness. One minister,
I happened to see on a television news program, stated that he
"represented Jesus Christ" and that Jesus would be against
same-sex marriage. We must not know the same Jesus ...
the Master Mind Jesus that I know stated, "what you do to the least
of these (the oppressed), you do to me" ... and instructed us to
"love one another."
My concern is not so much about same-sex marriage, as I truly
believe that Love is Powerful and Love will find Its Perfect Way in
bringing about a greater expression of Itself ... and is not dependent
on George Bush's approval or the approval of the fundamentalists
ministers who have not evolved beyond the Old Testament in consciousness
... as the Radical Rabbi Jesus stated, "you know every letter of
the law but you have no love in your hearts." HE WAS RIGHT
THEN AND HE IS RIGHT NOW!
In truth, this amendment would discriminate
against my religious beliefs ... which is to honor Love as God and God
as Love. Love is color-blind, nationality-blind, blind to religion
and to any thing that seeks to "limit" Its perfect expression.
I believe that to love and cherish another person is "of God"
... and it is "God's business" ... not man's ... and man's law
has never successfully legislated against God's Law and never will.
This amendment sets us up for more hate ... more ignorance ... and more
limitation ... it is not affirmative ... and therefore has no foundation
in Spiritual Law.
President Bush, in his ignorance, does not
understand the impact of hurt and hate that just the proposal of this
amendment can cause to the consciousness of the people of the United
States. Those who already discriminate and lack understanding of
gay and lesbian people, will feel even more justified in their hate and
discrimination. Not that this consciousness has the power to harm
gay and lesbian people ... but it does have the power to create an
avenue of chaos in the collective consciousness of the American people
... creating an avenue for ignorance and acts of ignorance to be
demonstrated. He would have been wise to have taken his wife's
advice [Laura Bush] and stayed away from this issue.
The Netherlands offered full, legal marriage for
same-sex couples in April 2001. This was followed by Belgium in January
2003. By June 2003, the Canadian province of Ontario, and as of July
2003, British Columbia offered legal marriage to same-sex couples. In
2004 the provinces of Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Quebec, Saskatchewan,
Newfoundland, Labrador, and the Yukon Territory joined the group. In
2005, the Canadian province of New Brunswick also allowed legal
marriage.
The countries and provinces above still exist today
... they have not been destroyed as Sodom and Gomorrah-s as the
fundamentalists would have us believe ... and neither has the sacredness
of marriage been adversely affected or destroyed by these countries
legalizing same-sex marriage.
Why is the United States President calling this an issue of
"profound importance" when the evidence surely shows that
legalizing same-sex marriage has not adversely affected the societies in
which it is legal? ... I cannot read his mind nor can I speak from his
consciousness ... but this I do know ... the United States has plenty of
issues that "appear" to be far more important at this time.
A recent CNN Poll shows that 50% of Americans are for this amendment,
47% oppose and 3% hold no opinion ... almost the same number of people
who supported and elected this President ... but now his favorable poll
numbers are low ... very low. But perhaps he
will have a "come to Jesus" moment and realize that
Love will bind us together and help us resolve our issues ... hate will
only continue to separate us and create more problems still. It is
no coincidence that this amendment is being debated around the date of
6-6-6 ... most of the debate is based on the same superstitions and
ignorance surrounding this set of numbers.
And
So It Is!
Maximum
Love,
Rev.
Bates
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