Posted on 03/18/2013 6:24:44 AM PDT by Kaslin
In an opinion article in the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman announced that he has changed his mind and now supports same-sex marriage.
He wrote that on learning that one of his sons is gay he "wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for Will to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister."
He is not the only prominent Republican to come to this view in this way. Former Vice President Dick Cheney is another.
And at the Conservative Political Action Committee convention, a panel sponsored by the Competitive Enterprise Institute drew a large and approving crowd for a discussion labeled, "A Rainbow on the Right: Growing the Coalition, Bringing Tolerance Out of the Closet."
It's clear now that support for same-sex marriage crosses party lines. That's what one might expect, from polls that show a huge shift of opinion on this issue over the last two decades.
In the early 1990s, large majorities opposed same-sex marriage. In 1996, Bill Clinton didn't hesitate before signing the Defense of Marriage Act, which barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. He now urges its repeal.
In 2004, after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by a 4-3 margin discovered that the state's 1780 Constitution required recognition of same-sex marriages, George W. Bush supported the Family Marriage Amendment, which would bar such marriages across the nation.
That was never going to be ratified, but it did help Bush mobilize tradition-minded voters in states like Ohio in the 2004 election.
Now many polls show majorities or pluralities of Americans favor same-sex marriage. Last November, voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington approved same-sex marriage.
Voters in Minnesota rejected a constitutional amendment that would ban it. That's in contrast to the results in 30 states, all but one of them in 2008 or earlier, where voters approved similar amendments.
Many of those states would surely vote the other way now, including California, whose 52-to-48 percent vote against same-sex marriage in 2008 was overturned by federal trial and appeals courts in a case now before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court could rule that the Constitution requires same-sex marriage everywhere. Or it could affirm the appeals court's rationale, which applies to California only.
Or it could say that the Constitution leaves this issue to the states. That's the outcome that, as a supporter of same-sex marriage, I prefer.
Nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized same-sex marriage, most by legislative or popular vote. Another 11 states have no constitutional amendment barring it.
And the 30 states with such constitutional amendments could repeal those amendments by popular vote.
That would require continuing debate and discussion. A good place to start is for everyone to recognize that, as Portman writes, "well-intentioned people can disagree on the question of marriage for gay couples."
I believe that large majorities of people on both sides take their stands out of good motives. Yes, you can find some haters on both sides if you look hard.
But the large majority of Americans believe that their view -- traditional marriage or extension of marriage to same-sex couples -- is or would be good for individuals and good for society.
Backers of traditional marriage can cite hundreds of years of experience and tradition. Backers of same-sex marriage can cite the growing acceptance of gay individuals and couples in all parts of the country.
Those who oppose it fear it will weaken the institution of marriage. But so far I haven't seen evidence that extending marriage to the 3 or 4 percent who are gay has weakened the institution nearly as much as the much larger number of Americans who get divorced or have children without getting married at all.
This is an issue that divides Americans not just on partisan or religious but most conspicuously on generational lines. Young people, including many Republicans, heavily favor same-sex marriage. Elderly people, including many Democrats, heavily oppose it.
If opinion continues to move toward same-sex marriage, it will be a tough issue for Republicans, since most of their voters currently are opposed. But it will be a tough issue for some Democrats, as well, since many black voters are staunchly opposed.
But it's an issue we can handle better if we respect and acknowledge the good faith of those on the other side.
When Christians follow God’s formula for revival.
2Chronicals 7
Isaiah 1
Those two things really can’t be reconciled. Portman will have to abandon one or the other.
No Southern State WILL EVER VOTE IN SODOMITE “MARRIAGE”.
Whatcha' gonna' do when you're surrounded with propaganda about how wonderful the sodomite's lifestyle is.
Even Disney has homosexual characters getting written into various children's shows. You have Billy Graham endorsing Hillary Clinton for presidency . . . a person known for her sexual weirdness . . . you have a sodomite living in our White House . . . you have all Christian anti-sodomites being portrayed constantly on TV shows as 3-toothed hillbillies or Bible thumpers . . . and laugh-tracks to show them as idiots . . . Oprah, Dr. Phil, you name it, unable to find the homosexual lifestyle particularly filthy, dirty, very unhealthy, and life shortening.
NC voted theirs in by 61% last year. That’s the same % CA voted in prop. 22 in the year 2000. So in 2012 NC basically tied the state of CA 12 years before. That trend doesn’t look too positive for me.
As far as a southern state never voting in ‘gay marriage’, no state anywhere would have done so 20 years ago. 20 years from now? 30 years from now? ‘Gay marriage’ wasn’t even an issue 30 years ago.
Freegards
Yeah it’s bizzare for young voters it seems to be their number one complaint about the Republican party. Doesn’t matter if Obama is one of the reasons they have to live at home burdened with 60k in student loans without a job....
The gay-controlled media sure wants people to think that it’s a number one issue.
“Those who oppose it fear it will weaken the institution of marriage. But so far I haven’t seen evidence that extending marriage to the 3 or 4 percent who are gay has weakened the institution nearly as much as the much larger number of Americans who get divorced or have children without getting married at all.”
Michael Barone says, “hey, marriage is trashed anyway, let’s do it in”.
This, after Bill Bennett, this morning, professing to be an educator opining on this with no research. Then professing an opinion that is the opposite of Catholic teaching, and professing to be a Catholic, vocally , this very morning. He is dangerous He professes opinions cloaked as fact.
And Bill Bennett and Barone, here, do NOT understand the consequences.
Do they have any idea what this is doing to the military chaplains?
It IS religious persecutions.
Bill Bennett is a liberal dangerously professing to be conservative. He’s entitled to his opinions and to voice them, but to profess to be conservative and, God forgive him, Catholic - on the air - and to voice an opinion that leads public opinion without studying anything about it.
Dangerous.
wrestled with how to reconcile my Christian faith with my desire for Will to have the same opportunities to pursue happiness and fulfillment as his brother and sister.”
...........................................................
Will doesn’t want the same opportunities as his brother and sister. Will wants to plug up his buddies retum with his tool and call it marriage.
It isn’t marriage, It’s sodomy, and if the Senator wants that for his son, he is as sick as his on.
Opposition to it also crosses pastry lines.
Party... Dang auto correct.
One of the downstream results of the deconstruction of marriage, sex and gender (and that´s what this is) is that it will become illegal to even favor, advocate for, or try to strengthen, real marriage.
Exaggerating? Not at all. They´ve already shut down Catholic Adoption Services in IL, MA, and CA because they wouldn´t place kids in homosexual domestic arrangements.
They´ve made it a crime (in CA) to counsel a minor towards normal psychosexual development, even if both the minor and his parents have requested help in supporting normal gender identity/sexual orientation.
They´re penalizing anyone offering wedding, marriage, or family-related goods or services --- friving them out of business business if they don´t cater to sexual deviancy.
Gender confusion in very young children is not even being recognized as a problem: it´s a desired feature, even a proud achievement of the new revolutionary gender system!
Who´s it going to hurt?
It´s getting harder and harder to find anyone it isn´t going to hurt.
Watch.
And does Portman think he has somehow 'reconciled' God's express warnings against homosexuality with his need to feel good about himself?
Young people, including many Republicans, heavily favor same-sex marriage. Elderly people, including many Democrats, heavily oppose it.
Proof that the young and dumb can be brain washed and not only on gay issues.
Yes, progressive control of education, the MSM, and most internet mammoths pretty much guarantees anybody under 30 will feel that way.
You got that right, and they think they know everything better then older people who are actually experience in life
I stand by my statement. No Bible Belt state will ever vote in queer “marriage”. The only reason this abnormal BS has won in any state is because billionare liberals from out of state pour in millions and millions of dollars to bribe lawmakers. That is exactly what happened in Washington State. And in Washington State you have uber liberal Bill Gates, who loves to give away his millions to support more baby killing, queer “marriage” or any other liberal cause you can think of.
Indeed hire a teenager while thay still know everything.
And they think they do.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.