Monday, March 18, 2013

Rob Portman: A Leopard Changes His Spots


In a singular act of courage (or political suicide), Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio publically changed his stance on same-sex marriage.  I admire his courage in making that change.  It cannot have been easy for him to do so.  I have been reading his Facebook page and other online comments.  There have been supportive posts; then again, I have seen horrific, vile, and inflammatory ones.  I wonder if the latter comment posters ever listen to themselves.

I do find it interesting that politicians think it is okay to blatantly orate and legislate discrimination, then suddenly change their minds when it becomes “personal.”  When I vote for someone, I do so with the hope that he or she will govern in a way that reflects the needs of those that put him or her in office.  That requires the elected official put aside personal feelings and do what is best for the constituents, not use that power to foist his or her own personal or religious beliefs on the people who voted. 
We are all equal under the law, and that means something to me.  It’s important to remember that equality under the law means the right to equal protection of the laws, a law being any basic right or freedom to which all human beings are entitled and in whose exercise a government may not interfere (including rights to life and liberty as well as freedom of thought and expression and equality before the law).  This applies to everyone, not just to those who are white, or Christian, or male, or straight.
I have always believed in organized religion.  I think it’s important for children to grow up learning the religious basics:  love God, love your neighbor, and do no harm.  It gives them a foundation from which to become responsible, ethical adults.  But more and more I see hateful rhetoric, name calling, and discrimination…all couched under the umbrella of religion.  Love your neighbor means every neighbor, not just the white neighbor, or the Christian neighbor, or the male neighbor, or the straight neighbor.  It means treating everyone the way you want to be treated.  It means giving everyone you meet your respect.
There are those who think that acceptance and legalization of same-sex unions or marriages will bring the downfall of America; that God, in his wrath, will strike us down like Sodom and Gomorrah.  I believe that the downfall of this nation will come not because we accept and legalize such unions, but because we don’t accept them.  We promote intolerance, and in doing so, we inflame division.  It is the division that will be our undoing. 
If the God we believe in created the universe and everything in it, then he doesn’t care if his creations are white, black, red, green, male, female, gay, straight, or in between.  He doesn’t care if they are Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindi, Hari Krishna, Wiccan, Pagan, Agnostic, or Atheist.  God loves ALL his creations in their myriad of differences and in the wonders of their diversity.  Who are we to question God’s wisdom?  Who are we to harangue, berate, judge, disrespect, or condemn what God has created? 
Think about it.

12 comments:

  1. True to Betsy McMillan's immoral beliefs, she took Portman's immoral belief's and made it reality. Her immoral reality.

    Said differently, morality is what the Progressives say it is, the Bible notwithstanding. Overlooked by Portman, his immoral son and the Betsy McMillan, is that the Bible is the root of Judeo Christian conduct. If that's so, and it is, how can one accept part, e.g., thou shall not kill, but not another part, e.g.,

    " Professing to be wise, they became fools,**** Therefore, God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
    For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error." St Paul, Romans

    Portman and people like him continue to destroy the moral fabric of society and then like "fools" wonder what's wrong.

    According to at least one commentator, Brad Keena,
    http://www.clintonmemoriallibrary.com/clint_change.html,
    "The first sign of the end of a culture is that of a society which no longer worships or acknowledges God. Christianity had played a significant role in the discovery and settlement of America. It had provided a standard in judging education, legislation, and behavior-both public and private. In the 1990s, it has actually become unpopular to advocate traditional Judeo-Christian values, such as the Ten Commandments. Thanks to Political Correctness, the popular culture ridicules those who worship God as the sovereign creator.

    A second indicator of the end of a culture is the decline of the family. Just 40 years ago families usually lived close to grandparents. Fathers were responsible for the welfare of the family. Moms generally stayed home. It was safe to walk to school or go to the movies unattended. Today, statistics show divorce is at an all time high in the United States. It is now so common for young people to grow up in divorced households that the term "broken family" is now a forgotten expression in the popular culture. Fathers are living apart from their natural children. Mothers no longer stay at home, but work as a head of the household. As a result, women in our society have lost their feminine identity.
    A third important indicator of cultural demise is a society's low view of life. Today, the popular culture now views abortion as a "right." The failure of our government to outlaw partial birth abortion for such a long time demonstrated how intolerant of life the culture has become. Steadily, society's undermining of life has grown to include calls for legalizing euthanasia, assisted suicide, and scientific experimentation. But history warns no society can last without a high view of life."


    By the way, does Portman represent his immoral son only or all Ohio citizens.

    Nathaniel Hawthorne
    16590 Snowshoe Trl
    Chagrin Falls OH 44023

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  2. On the Rob Portman comment. You did not research the Bible and find out what God has to say about the matter. Religion is man made and only God word defines itself. It would be good to know the truth and not assume you know the answer.

    sincerely
    Dennis Holland

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  3. Much of this article has to do with the fact that one of the greatest commandments that God gave us was to love each other as thyself. You use this commandment as a basis for much of your arguement for gay marriage. Unfortunately, you are forgeting about the other great commandment of God, and the one that is first. Is is "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength." This means spreading the word of God and living life according to his rules, not yours Betsy. God is very clear that homosexuality is a grave sin. We do not hate those who are gay and lesbians because we are all sinners and each of us have things we need to overcome to show we love God. He challenges us in this way. If we truely love God we will work to obey his rules, not reinvente or reinterpret them to our liking. It takes a lot of nerve to suggest that God would be ok with diversity in terms of homosexuality when he makes it quite clear this goes against his word. 1 Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 9-11 states:

    Do you not realise that people who do evil will never inherit the kingdom of God? Make no mistake -- the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, the self-indulgent, sodomites,

    10 thieves, misers, drunkards, slanderers and swindlers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God.

    Think about it.

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  4. Ms. McMillian,

    In your article on Rob Portman you made numerous statements about what you believe, and you of course can believe anything you like. But unlike an “opinion,” beliefs can either be right or wrong. Right and wrong are defined by God alone. His Word-the Bible is the only source of absolute truth. We can accept or reject what Scripture states on any issue, but doing so doesn’t change what is right and wrong. When it comes to the issue of homosexuality and homosexual marriage Scripture is clear.

    The Bible states that homosexuality is a sin. God calls it an abomination.” That isn’t my opinion, it is what God states. Homosexuality has always been a sin and will always be a sin. That won’t change even if everyone rejects that truth. Marriage is between a man and a woman. Always has been. Always will be. Homosexual marriage will always be illegitimate. Simple because something is legal doesn’t make it moral.

    God does care about whether someone is a homosexual. He does care if someone is a Christian or not. The Bible could not be more clear that the only way to spend eternity in heaven is by Biblically believing in Jesus. We all have a choice. We can accept God’s free gift of salvation, or we can reject it. But if we choose to reject it we will pay the penalty for our own sins by spending eternity in hell separated from God. The Bible is also clear about hell. In fact, Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven.

    Scripture also calls us to “judge.” We are to judge many things. We all make such judgments every day. You have made a judgment based on your beliefs. What Scripture speaks against is hypocritical judging. Christians need to remember that we are sinners forgiven through God’s grace by believing in Jesus. We are to speak the truth with love.

    Those who proclaim that they are somehow “tolerant” because of what they approve, are themselves “intolerant” by what they themselves condemn. In many cases it is those who stand up for a Biblical Worldview. Tolerance isn’t the virtue some make it out to be. There are many things we do not and should not tolerate. How about murder, rape, robbery, and a long list of other sins/crimes?

    No, this country will not be better off if it continues in the direction it is headed. No it hasn’t been better off by allowing the destruction of over 55 million pre-born babies by abortion. Yes, God does and will judge this nation, as he has many other nations. Yes, Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed by God. Yes they were destroyed in large measure because of the sin of homosexuality.

    Those that reject Biblical truth can either allow their eyes to be opened and accept God’s only means of salvation or they will find out one second after they die that their “worldview” was wrong. That will be too late. The Bible assures us that one day “very knee shall bow” to the only God that exists-the God of the Bible.

    Below you will find what the Bible says about the issue from the web site “gotquestions.org.”

    Thank you.


    John & Linda Laws

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  5. It's understandable how a homosexual like Betsy would laud Sen Portman for abandoning his principles and legal position relative to homosexuality when he learned of his sons proclivity. ---- but how many other decisions will he make based on his personal emotions rather than representing those who sent him to D.C. ???????? He has no core and will not be reelected.

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    1. This is my favorite of the comments on my Rob Portman post. I read it and laughed. You see, My husband, Jim, would definitely not agree with your assumption that I am homosexual. Fact is I am heterosexual...always have been, always will be. My sexuality is not a choice. I was born this way. I did not laud Senator Portman for abandoning his principals. I admired the courage it took for him to publicly change his stance knowing it was political suicide.

      Betsy

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  6. Betsy,
    I stand corrected on your marital status.------- Your words were" I admire his courage in making that change". I would suggest that is 'lauding' the Senator. --------and your use of the word 'stance' is interesting. Are absolutes in which one believes stances?? Sen. Portman abandoned his absolute to placate his son whom he can love but not agree with his life style. -----Portman's change would indicate not courage but lack of a rudder or spine..

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  7. As I recall, I did not correct you regarding my marital status, since you never mentioned it. What you said was "...a homosexual like Betsy..." You assumed I was gay.

    I do admire Sen. Portman's courage in making that change. My dictionary defines "admire" as a feeling of respect for someone or something. It defines "laud" as to praise or glorify. While I admire Portman for the courage of his announcement in the face of his political doom, I hardly glorify the man. Praise and glory is something I reserve for God.

    My dictionary defines "stance" not as an absolute, but as an attitude or view about an issue that you state clearly. Senator Portman clearly took a stance against gay marriage. Now he has taken a stance for it. One can change one’s stance, as in the example, "The bombing was unlikely to force the government to change its stance on military deployment.”

    If someone disagrees with you, and you convince him that he is wrong, and he comes around to your way of thinking, does that mean that he has seen the error of his ways? Do you admire him for seeing his error and having the courage to admit it and realign his thinking?

    Does this only apply if he is changing his views to align with yours, but not if he originally agrees with your views and then changes to something that contradicts them?

    Sometimes it takes more spine to change to the unpopular view than it does to follow along with the crowd. It takes courage to put aside those tenets that have been pounded into you for years, and look at things from someone else's perspective. When you do, you might find that all those things you were taught simply aren't as horrible as you were led to believe.

    I am neither for nor against gay marriage specifically. I am pro equality. Every person in this country should have equal rights, privileges, and protections under the law. The government exists, supposedly, to ensure such rights and protections. It was never meant to legislate morality. Government needs to return its attention to its intended tasks and stay out of the bedrooms and personal lives of its citizens. We have much bigger problems to deal with than who is sleeping with whom.

    I will say this. If I had been living faithfully with the man I loved for years and was denied the right to be with him, or he with me, as one of us lay dying because we didn't have a piece of paper saying we were legally married, I would be mad as hell.

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  8. Betsy,
    Are you playing word games with me?? If you are, I'm sure you will win. -----so let's blow away the smoke about words.
    The theme of your column clearly was "praise" or "lauding"<even your dictionary)Sen. Portman's position, and a rather thinly disguised sales pitch by you for homosexual marriage under the guise of freedom, equal treatment under the law,and all that other good stuff.
    If you truely believe it is necessary to recognize homosexual unions as marriages then I suggest you go have a long talk with a good honest constitutional lawyer. He will explain the power of Congress to enact legal status for these Unions equavalent to marriage. Hard to believe you don't already know this.----If equal rights is the goal of homosexuals, then that is where they should lobby. Remember, we are a Democratic Republic not a Court Republic.
    Now as to the word game, please permit me to reneigh(?) for a moment. -------Anyone who uses the word stance, or view or, position or, whatever, belives in certain truths or absolutes which mould their thoughts. ----and as you say, they can change if someone convinces them otherwise.
    But there are no new truths, absolutes, or tenets<your word) relative to homosexuality Sen Portman discovered that would intelectually cause him to mentality change a 2000+ year definition of marriage---to thus include homosexual partners.
    The real objective of that 2% of the population who seek to use the word marriage to define its Unions is not calling for the above mentioned so called rights. Their mission is to devalue traditional marriage. Ergo, Anything goes.Beastiality(?), man/boy love, woman/girl love, poligamy, and who knows what else. ------You want the Gov. out of the bedroom, but Homosexuals want it in via the courts. -------Could we be the modern Roman Empire????

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  9. Thank you for sharing your opinions on this topic, but I literally have no more time to debate on this thread. I have enjoyed reading your thoughts, but there is obviously not going to be a meeting of the minds here, so we are each wasting our own and each other's time in continuing the conversation. Best to you.

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  10. Betsy,
    God bless you. They were not my opinions. They were facts. --- You are truly the poster girl for liberalism. When facts overwhelm your emotions you spin away from the issue or close the conversation.---- but as the saying goes, you are still one of God's children. Stay well. JCP

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  11. Betsy,
    Please, just one more thing. Justice Sotomoyer asked Lawyer Olson if marriage is a fundamental right, there can be no restrictions. Betsy my dear, wrap your mind around that one. JCP

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