Exodus: Live Out Loud

Soulforce seems to confuse Scripture on homosexuality

Kudo's to Anita Fish with the Edmond Sun in Edmond Oklahoma for her fine article on Soulforce.

http://www.edmondsun.com/opinion/local_story_088213323.html

"The crux of Soulforce’s debate is that homosexuals cannot be changed. The truth is no one wants to change, but God is the only One who doesn’t need remodeling. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. God has laid out His plans for our lives. In fact, a total transformation is what can be expected if you declare yourself a Christian.

Max Lucado writes in his book “Just Like Jesus,” “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.” God wants you to “think and act like Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5) This of course requires sacrifice — a mandatory component in every success story."- Anita Fish, The Edmond Sun, 
29 Mar 2006

I believe Mel White is attempting a game of spiritual "bait and switch"  he is trying to bait society into sympathizing with his agenda of special rights for those with homosexual behaviors by "switching" the courageous activities of the "Freedom Riders" (who risked their lives to shine a light on the corruption and racially motivated bigotry of the sixties) with the actions of his own followers (who travel safely around the country attempting to extort approval from Christian college students and faculties by accusing them of hatred and bigotry if they refuse to approve of homosexuality).  Another common "switch" is the exchange of the word hatred for intolerance.. Webster defines intolerance as a lack of sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own, and he describes hatred as a deep seated, prejudiced ill will tending toward active hostility. Most of us will agree that those two things are not interchangeable or equal. The most glaring sham of all is the "switch" between the real need for civil rights protection (as we saw when Americans of African descent were being treated as inhuman and often killed because of their immutable skin color.) and a false need for civil rights protection based on a scientifically unproven supposition of immutable pre-disposition to same-sex attraction. - Nancy Stanfield Brown

SJC upholds law barring out-of-state gay couples from marriage

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/03/high_court_upho_1.html

"In an eagerly awaited landmark decision, the state's highest court ruled today that Governor Mitt Romney and Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly had the authority to invoke a 1913 state law that Massachusetts used to block out-of-state gay couples from marrying here when same-sex marriage became legal in 2004.

The Supreme Judicial Court upheld the 1913 law when it was used to block same sex-couples from Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, because gay marriage is prohibited in those states."- Jonathon Saltzman, The Boston Globe, 30 Mar 2006

Adoption 'priority' bill assailed

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20060329-120349-7302r.htm

"An Arizona adoption bill that gives "priority" to married couples has set off protests about discrimination against homosexual and single parents.
    The legislation, which has passed the Arizona House and is nearing a vote in the state Senate, is intended to get more abused, neglected and abandoned children into married, two-parent homes.
    "All this says is, all other things being equal, if a married couple is willing to adopt, they ought to be given preference," Rep. Steve Tully, a lead sponsor of House Bill 2696, told the East Valley Tribune of Phoenix this week. "- Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times, 29 Mar 2006

If you are gay and your motivation for adopting is not political but what is best for the children then why would you be offended when these children are offered what has long been established as their best possible option: a home with both a mother and a father? If it is, in fact, true that gays should be allowed to adopt because there are more children to be adopted than bi-gendered, two parent families seeking them, then why would a gay person assail this bill? Parenting is not an entitlement. It is a life-long commitment requiring a never-ending amount of love, sacrifice and humility. In cases such as this it appears to me that parenting has been lowered to the positon of status symbol. While some may assume that getting into a partnership establishes commitment and an understanding that sacrifice and humility are going to be part of that commitment, statistically that has not proven to be the case. Gay partnership is in a constant state of flux and even those few states which allow gay marriage are already experiencing gay divorce. Gay partner adoption is a relatively new issue. We have no long term research to show us if it is in fact a positive thing or not. What we do have is a plethora of poster family type stories of so called "unadoptable" children finding homes and glowing tales of gay family life in the present. However there are also alot of horror stories about things that have gone very wrong.. Quadruplets, who were born by surrogacy to two fathers and then separated when their "fathers" split up (http://www.intendedparents.com/News_2005/index.asp 15, aug. 2005); Sperm donor who was forced to pay child support for children (http://www.thelocal.se/article.php?ID=2276&date=20051012) created with his sperm for lesbian partners who later split up and neither "mother" wanted the burden of provision for the children; Lesbian partner kills child (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1603097/posts) etc. This is not to say that these things do not happen in the heterosexual community as well. However, again I must say.. the point of adoption is to raise the bar for these children not lengthen it to satisfy the "civil rights" of one specific section of society or to perpetuate the norm. - Nancy Stanfield Brown

Top news of the day

Drugs show promise in Stopping HIV infection:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,189271,00.html

Religous Conservatives Slam 'Gay Agenda'

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/viewstory.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200603%5CPOL20060328b.html

Same-Sex Marriage Battle Escalates

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-03-23-gay-marriage_x.htm

Homosexual Alliance to Attack Marriage

http://americandaily.com/article/12607

Marriage From Another Perspective

Read: La Shawn Barber’s Corner - Black Marriage.

La Shawn does it once again.  She provides a fascinating look at marriage within the black community.

Black is her description and all of you who want to yell at me for not saying African American... take it up with La Shawn.

One of the things I keep telling my friends is that it is not enough to be "against" redefining marriage.  We have to be FOR marriage and celebrate the union as understood by the Creator's intent of one man and one woman*.  The problem with marriage in the west didn't start in 2003 with the advent of "gay" defined marriage in Canada.  The problem started a LOOOONNNNGGG time ago.  The sexual revolution  of the '60's and '70's tried throwing the baby (marriage) out with the bathwater (dysfunction), passivity and irresponsibility among men, feminists, abortion, no fault divorce ... all kinds of problems have led to the modern renouncement of marriage.  It has been reduced from a once in a life time treasure to be shared forever to a optional social contract of me centered benefit.  La Shawn does a great post reminding us of the importance of marriage and why the core structure of the family is important to maintain.  It really is a must read.

Even as a single person it is obvious how powerful marriage is in and of itself as well as its affects on the world around us.

Technorati Tags: Marriage

Is New Hampshire Next?

Our friend Dawn Videto writes a first hand account of her journey in New Hampshire to help preserve marriage.

Dawn writes ...

Last year, a state panel was held in New Hampshire to discuss whether or not to endorse same-sex marriage, to recommend civil-unions as an alternative, or to propose a ban on same-sex unions. This panel was to go to the people of New Hampshire and New England to get their views and then return with a recommendation based on those findings. I was asked to go and share my testimony to the panel, so I went.

The entire evening was unlike anything I had ever been a part of before. The panel was obviously divided on this issue and their internal disagreements often broke out into full scale arguments throughout the evening. At one point, the chairman, who was obviously conservative, needed to take a break for a few minutes. Another gentleman replaced him who was obviously liberal, and then some on the panel began to harass one of the speakers, who were against same-sex marriage. To say that it was a fiasco would be an understatement.

The panel did their interviews, discussed their findings and made a recommendation to the State; which was to ban same-sex marriage but be willing to keep an option for civil unions.

According to the Union Leader, a New Hampshire newspaper, the State of New Hampshire made a decision yesterday…

(They defeated the ammendment)  Dawn goes on to say...

I can’t say that I am surprised by this outcome, but I am a bit saddened. It saddens me because, as same sex marriage or any other sin becomes more widely accepted, those that are truly looking for healing and wholeness can become more discouraged than ever. Healing is possible, I am a living example of that, but I am sure most of those who live in New England and struggle with same sex attraction don’t know that.

Now, go read the rest of her post.

Homosexual adoption report written by Pro-gay Advocate

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=49434

"...Quoting the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute as advising adoption agencies to energetically recruit homosexuals and lesbians, the report gives the impression America's adoption industry has turned clearly in the direction of not only accepting, but strongly promoting, homosexual adoption.

"Laws and policies that preclude adoption by gay or lesbian parents disadvantage the tens of thousands of children mired in the foster care system who need permanent, loving homes," the adoption organization said...

The author of the study, notes [Richard J.] Pearcey, is identified in the story only as "Illinois State University adoption expert Jeanne Howard." And although AP does report that the study was "funded by the Gill Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign," both actively involved in promoting the "gay rights" agenda, the report, writes Pearcey, "does not inform readers that Jeanne Howard is passionately involved in promoting acceptance of homosexuals in her work with P-FLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays)."

"Homosexual activists' handprints are all over this one," adds Robert Knight, director of the Culture & Family Institute, part of Concerned Women for America. "Take it with a grain of salt. They funded it and will no doubt promote it, hoping the public will be too distracted to check its pedigree." -WorldNetDaily 27 Mar 2006

I must admit it takes the wisdom of Solomon to know how to make great choices for children whose lives have already been traumatized by the loss of biological parenting. It seems so easy to say, "why not allow men and women who want to have kids but are gay give them a good home." We must remember these are human beings that will grow up to be the hope of the world in the next generation, not stray puppies about to be euthanized. We have to think past what seems best for their lives at this very moment. It might seem wonderful for some of these boys and girls to have two mommies or two daddies instead of none.  But what happens when those two daddies or mommies find other partners, as so often happens in gay relationships. What about the ongoing residual problems of alcohol abuse, drug abuse, depression, suicide, sexually tranmitted disease, and lately, partner abuse that keep cropping up in same-sex relationships at an alarming rate. These already traumatized children will be negatively impacted again and again. We are just now beginning to see the side effects of adoption as a whole with the number of children who are desperate for answers and healing for their "birth wound" of abandonment by their biological parents. What can we expect in the future when some of these children will have been 'abandoned' by one or more sets of adopted parents as well as their biological ones. Same sex parenting is a relatively new idea and I for one do not approve of letting the most vulnerable, our nations children, be the guinea pigs for that potentially destructive environment. I have no doubt that their are wonderful men and women who happen to be gay who have the ability to love and raise children.. just as I have no doubt there are heterosexual men and women who have little to offer as parents. Sadly at present we do not have a system in place for determining which is which. Our children are a very precious national treasure and instead of making them the political currency of popular ideals we should all be willing to make sacrificies to insure that they will have the best upbringing possible. - Nancy Stanfield Brown

Do you take this

Chicago Tribune, February 22, 2004
435 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611
(Fax: 312-222-2598 ) (E-Mail: [email protected] )
( http://www.chicagotribune.com )
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/perspective/chi-0402220397feb22,1,309273.story

A new day is dawning
By T. Shawn Taylor, a Tribune business reporter
Two brides and two grooms get hitched at City Hall in San Francisco. More "I do's" are anticipated in May in Massachusetts, where judges are calling anything less than legal marriage for gays and lesbians "separate and unequal."

New Marriage Poll Doesn't Tell Whole Story

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0039941.cfm

"A national poll by the Pew Forum seems to indicate that Americans are weakening in their resolve to defend traditional marriage...

Matt Daniels, director of the Alliance for Marriage, said the poll results aren't really an accurate reflection of Americans' attitudes.

"We've seen routinely with these polls that what people will say is at least 10 percentage points different from what they do when they go to the voting booth," he told Family News in Focus.

Apparently even gay lobbyists doubt the polls, he added, noting that there must be some reason they are fighting so hard to legalize same-sex marriage in the courts. "-CitizenLink, 24 Mar 2006

Apparently these pollsters do not trust the American voting public to make a decision without the 'help' of "smoke and mirrors poll taking." They are perfect examples of what Abraham Lincoln was referring to when he said, " I am firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." I pray that we can get the real facts out before our national crisis becomes a national tragedy. -Nancy S. Brown

Melissa Fryrear

Struggling With Homosexuality

http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/sexuality/stories/032406.html

God Turned Me Around

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/14190351.htm