Do you think the gay marriage & abortion issues have given religion a bad name?

Not really. Religion has done that to itself to some extent with the unrest in the middle east and the scandals with the Catholic church. There is a reason there's a separation of church and state with the exception of God being mentioned on the money. I feel the same as you about religious beliefs being personal. I don't care if gays get married because they seem to get divorced as often as heterosexuals do so what's the difference? As for abortion, I'm pro choice because of women being sexually assaulted. She should not have to bear the child of the man who sexually assaulted her. I don't believe in abortion as birth control because someone does not know how to not get pregnant.

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RE:

Do you think the gay marriage & abortion issues have given religion a bad name?

There was a big discussion about this on my Facebook page today & there are those that think since the abortion & gay marriage issues have resurfaced so to speak it has given religion a bad look because one of my FBF made a comment stating those that vote against these two issues are people...

It has little to nothing to do with religion, other than that religion being an adjunct and clarifier of social mores and issues.

Marriage is defined in society as a union of man and woman - gays cannot, no matter how they try, be such a couple, since they are same sex. Therefore, in order to create an option of marriage for gays, the entire social more around marriage needs to be changed, and accepted by a majority of the people.

To date nobody knows, beyond the rhetoric of the media on this issue, how the overall public views the situation at all. Laws can be created that permit gay marriage - but the question remains whether or not such a law is at the behest of the majority of the populace.

Religion of the West is only one spokespiece on this issue - and has no means of forcing anyone to abide by their viewpoint other than those who choose to be within the religious framework of the specific church under consideration. No church in the West can force anyone to live by it - that is no how they work.

As for abortion, some churches simply consider that human life is sacred... that's not wrong and they are as entitled as anyone else to their opinion, and simply holding a view is not forcing it on anyone else.

We seem to have lost track of that simple right to hold a point of view without being attacked and vilified for holding it.

"I disagree with your point of view, but I will defend to the death your right to hold it." - some famous guy.

A lot of the problem is many people just look for things to criticize the "religious" people on (or, let's be honest, Christians, as other beliefs are usually immune from criticism, though not always). If it wasn't these things, they'd just find something else.

On that note, I do think the people who are so militant about these two issues, especially gay marriage, aren't helping the image of Christians out. It's not that there's a focus on gay marriage, it's that people are so overly judgmental about it and militant about it. I know to an extent it's a reaction to the overly zealous supporters of gay marriage, who think anyone who isn't openly praising them is being a bigot towards them, but considering how many people are looking for an excuse to criticize Christians, fighting fire with fire is not a good idea in this situation, and unfortunately seems to be the favorite tactic of many. And many of them are judgmental to a point Christians were specifically forbidden from getting to. I have yet to figure out where the idea homosexuality is an unpardonable sin comes from in the Bible.

My issues with how people approach abortion are a little different. I think simply approaching it from the angle of making it illegal isn't helping much, as it won't end abortion and simply punishes. I think we all know if you make something illegal you won't stop it. What is the ultimate goal here, ending abortion or just punishing it? Based on the actions of many, I get the impression many pro-lifers simply want to punish it and aren't really out to end it. That's perhaps a little bit of a different discussion.

Every religion to it's believers is a set of rules created by god. If you change it you are performing a blasphemy. Sad as it is, that's a paradigm. It's unfit to the world we currently live it. Religion is belief it's not open to discussion, or opinion. Religious people should not partake in it. Those that don't believe should not care. Modern church and society made people forget those simple facts.

Religion isn't an issue where I live. No one cares about it. lol

Marriage has nothing to do with religion (civil), so obviously gay couples should (and can now, I think) receive the same tax and various other benefits straight couples do.

Abortion, well again abortion predates it. So again, it's more a secular issue.

There are lots of things that give religion a bad name, not just abortion and gay marriage

I don't think gay marriage or abortion have done anything to your religion. You could say these two issues have just exposed flaws that were always there. If religion is real then it should look positively in any light. /You shouldn't have to hide from the world to keep from exposing irrational ideas.

Yes, but religion already had a bad name in my books due it's treatment of women.

I talked to religious people about abortion - and they seemed to see it as punishment for girls who had sex. I asked them if they helped these single moms out and they said no - "She made her bed, she had to sleep in it" so the poor babies of these women will bear the burden of the religious people who want the children born because they don't care if they are in poverty - have no father - they don't care at all about the babies at all - take no responsibility for the money and time needed to raise properly or their education -their mentality was punishing the mother only but in reality they are also punishing the child - I think that is sick personally - if you want to force children on people - you help those children.

In terms of gay marriage - I don't see why they would be against monogamy in homosexuality - they just let prejudice overcome basic rationality and compassion.

I think that religion has just been taken out of context. The point is that there is separation of church and state for a reason, but religious views are trying to find their way into state.