posted by Steve Wild on February 11, 2009 5:06 PM as Religion
Originally posted on dailyspeech.net on July 29, 2005
I listened to a report (from the Crooks and Liars website) on MSNBC with Paula Zahn talking about a group called Love in Action Refuge which offers people "struggling with the addiction" of homosexuality to leave "that lifestyle". The report showed how these so-called ex-gay ministries keep no statistics on their success rate at "converting" homosexuals and in fact in this report this group did not even pretend to "convert" but rather to help modify behavior, not one's "orientation".
In the three years this particular ministry, Love in Action Refuge, has been in existence, theyreport only 24 clients. The MSNBC report and Paula Zahn discussed how so-called reparative therapy can be dangerous rather then helpful, especially for strugglingdeeply religious teenagers - many of whom become suicidal.
The fewmen interviewed who were through the program and live a celibate ... >> full...
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posted by Steve Wild on February 11, 2009 4:43 PM as Religion
Originally posted on dailyspeech.net on July 11, 2005
Love, that hard to define human emotion. We know it when we see it, when we feel it, but it is not easy to define in words.
One knows they are truly alive when one loves, when one is loved.
Love is both exhilarating and invigorating as well as terrifying and painful all at the same time. Each of us have developed certain psychological needs unique to us that govern how we relate to others, how we love, our opportunities for love, to be loved.
They say God is love, the pure essence of love. When I entertain the possibility of God, I choose to believe in that God. Yes, my atheist friends, I am a skeptic, but I am also a romantic, I am a human being with emotional needs and I prefer to believe ... >> full...
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posted by Steve Wild on February 11, 2009 3:54 PM as Religion
Originally posted on dailyspeech.net on June 10, 2005
Some of my atheist readers may be surprised by these comments, especially considering my many articles against religious extremism, but when I say I am a fervent defender of the First Amendment, I mean every word of it.
A Vermonter requested the above vanity license plate and was refused "because the state cannot endorse a religious viewpoint".
Nevermind the fact the average person seeing this plate would not know it's shorthand for John 3:16, the most popular evangelical Christian Bible verse. The point is, it's a vanity plate which means it's the car owner with the message, not the state. Is Vermont not infringing on this person's "freedom of religion" right in the First Amendment, not to mention his "freedom of speech" right?
One could argue since the message is ... >> full...
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posted by Steve Wild on February 11, 2009 3:45 PM as GLBT
Originally posted on dailyspeech.net on May 31, 2005
So, how many federal and state benefits, protections and responsibilities are married couples automatically granted when married (benefits, protections and responsibilities not available to gay couples, including, on the Federal level, those legally married in Massachusetts)? According to the federal government's General Accounting Office, there are 1,049.
- Access to Social Security after spouse's death
- Access to health insurance through spouse's workplace
- The right to custody of children after divorce
- Visitation rights for non-biological children
- Joint parenting rights, such as access to children's school records
- Bereavement leaves after death of spouse
- Burial determination after death of spouse
- Domestic violence intervention
- Sick leave to care for spouse or non-biological child
- Legal validation of a long-term relationship
- Ability to live in neighborhoods deemed "families only"
- Access to life insurance in ... >> full...
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posted by Steve Wild on February 11, 2009 2:07 PM as GLBT
Originally posted on dailyspeech.net on May 31, 2005
Let me further expand on my thoughts about marriage equality and why that is actually good for the institution of marriage as opposed to destroying it.
In reading Gay Marriage by Jonathan Rauch, Mr. Rauch points outs some thoughts I have not considered despite my active interest in this subject.
He first talks about marriage in general and what it is. Marriage is more then a contract between two people. Marriage is a contract known by and promoted by a community. The community knows what the marriage contract entails. They know it entails a serious commitment between two people, a commitment that not only has its blessings and rewards, but also has its disappointments and burdens.
The blessings and rewards include having a partner who will be there for you always, someone you can always count on ... >> full...
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