North State Voices: Why I perform same-sex ceremonies

Awesome!!

Thank you Susan. I am so pleased that you and your cohorts "get" that not being able to marry made us all second class (or 3rd class) citizens of this state. When my beloved Steve and I married in San Francisco, we felt it and it felt wonderful. I am so very pleased you and yours "get it."

Keep on marrying those happy couples! They and I and the entire LGBT send blessings upon you!

Richard in Cherokee

Thanks Susan, for once again standing up so publicly for what you believe. I have always admired your courage. You rock.

I should've taken heed to the man that was holding a sign in the park which said, "The End is Near". I believe him now.

NVLorie wrote:

Thanks Susan, for once again standing up so publicly for what you believe. I have always admired your courage. You rock.

Gag me with a chain saw. Nothing more grotesque then two men kissing

It will be "skin off your nose" when you find that you have contributed to the moral breakdown of our society. For decades, our country has condemned sodomy. Now, it is legal! What in the world is next?

I would not want to be a part of something that is immoral, abnormal and unhealthy; yet, you seem rather proud of yourself. Be sure, they will answer to God and so will you. If the Judge of all mankind says it is wrong, is is wrong, no matter what the CA Supreme Court declares.

And when Susan and I answer to God, the heavens will open, Love will surround us, and all will be well.

For the Universal Truth is Love. Does the New Testament and all of the Earth's religions not teach that God IS Love? And in California, each adult is able to choose the one adult they will love and establish a family with.

For it is Love that makes a family. It is Love that makes a marriage. And God blesses Love wherever Love springs forth ... in a parent's tender touch, in a grandfather's teaching his grandchild, in a stranger giving a homeless person a hand up, in a couple's embrace, in a gardener's weeding their bed, in a million simple acts the world over.

Hate, God abhors. Hate that seeks to detroy others' families. Hate that seeks to set up one's own family or marriage as better than others. Hate that makes "my Jesus" better than "your Jesus." Yes, all of the Earth's religions are pretty clear that Hate, God abhors.

So for me and mine, we shall seek to Love.

What is hate?

Brad, hate is that which divides and injures. Hate is that which sets one over another. Hate is saying in public my straight family is morally superior to your gay family. Hate is saying over and over in public any way you express love to your husband is a sin and will land you in the lake of fire for all eternity. Hate is seeking laws that make straight families special and gay families 2nd or 3rd class or invisible. Hate is pretending to love the sinner and hate the sin ... when everyone knows such is a disguise for unmitigated bigotry and hate. Brad, that is a little bit of what hate is. But hate is much more.

Hate is the absence of love and respect, the very least, the absence of tolerance. Or doing something out of spite.

What is Love?
Love includes wanting to see a person lead the best life possible.

So, if we are told in our Bible, which we Christians hold as truth, that something is a sin, If we warn a person out of love, and we want them to lead the best life possible, is that not love?

You did have some good points in your definition too. But, how do you know if someone is pretending to love the sinner and not the sin?

Oh Brad, as a gay man I have years of people telling me they hate the sin and love the sinner. Meanwhile they hate my family; hate the way I love my husband; consider me unfit to parnt my child becaue I am gay; believe should have the right not to hire me, not to promote me, and to fire me at any he chooses just because I am gay; believe that home sellers and landlords should have the right not to sell to me and not to rent to me because I am gay; blieve that business owners and restaurants should have the right not to serve me because I am gay; believe that cities should have the right to refuse me and mine permits for perades and festvals because we are disgusting; believes my daughter should go all the way through public school without ever hearing about another family like hers - that there should be no mention of gay families or gay anything in the schools; that gay people should not b allowed to serve in the armed forces ... etc etc etc.

Brad, when you hate the sin and the sin includes my family, my parenting, my friends, all the things I hold dear ... well, it walks like hate, it talks like hate .. by George, it IS hate!

The skin on your nose only comes off when it is out of joint.