Whenever the Louisiana legislature is in session, you can be sure that mischief is afoot. Here's a sad story.
From the Advocate:
Under heavy opposition by religious interests, a Louisiana Senate panel rejected legislation Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to adopt children in Louisiana.
Proponents said the legislation would expand the pool of people available to provide loving homes for children by allowing two unmarried people to adopt.
Opponents said children need homes with a traditional mother and father as God intended.
“We believe this bill is nothing more than social engineering using children as guinea pigs,” said the Rev. Louis Husser, of Robert.
The legislation died when one senator voted for it while three voted against.
....
“We are talking about homes for children. We need parents whether they be two single parents or married couples to adopt children,” said the bill sponsor, Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans.
He said limiting the pool of people who can adopt keeps children in foster homes and group homes, particularly at-risk children who need the most parental care.
Thank you, Sen. Morrell, for your lone voice of compassion and common sense. Of course, the opponents of permitting same-sex couples to adopt know the mind of God, and few in the legislature would go against the mind of God.
The story brings tears to my eyes. It's just so wrong.
My God. "Social Engineering?" I haven't heard that one since the 1960's when the CCC and the KKK was complaining about "mongrelization of the races." Sigh.
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with God, never has. She's just a handy alibi.
ReplyDeleteI'm now grinding my teeth over this story. The tears are gone.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many of the traditionally-minded people who would vote against this are then willing to put their lives on the line by adopting? It's so much easier to vote than to love!!!
ReplyDeleteExtending the Rainbow Dove
ReplyDelete"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." Leviticus 18:22 RSV
This sentence has created more controversy and discord than any other verse in the Bible. God's promise to our planet is righteousness, peace and joy through his Word; and yet, we find his word used to create hatred, strife and pain.
I chose Christ as my Lord and Savior thirty years ago. However, for the next twenty years, I divorced twice and had a child out of wedlock. I was still a Christian, I loved God, he loved me, and I spent nearly every day speaking with him and studying his word, but still, the consequences of my actions is that I am a single mother.
The book of Leviticus is filled with the particulars of Mosiac Law. Let's look at some of the less controversial laws in Leviticus. " And the swine, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you" Leviticus 11:6 RSV Here God is charging Moses that the people of Israel shoudl not eat pork. Why? Because if the flesh of pork is not cooked properly, it can transmit parasites to the people. So, we see that the ordered abstinence from pork was not a test from God on our obdience, but rather ordered for our own protection.
When God ordered that we rest on the Sabbath, this law was not for his pleasure. He knew that without the law we would work our employees seven days a week, and that without a day of rest, we would become stressed and possibly ill.
So let's look again at Leviticus 18:22. Have you noticed that there is an omission to this verse. Although this verse address a man lying with man, there is no reference to a woman lying with a woman. Why? Remember, these laws are to protect us from disease, stress and pain. The disease quotient is greatly increased when a man lies with another man. The possiblity for disease is not as great when a woman lies with another woman.
Although disobeying God's laws will result in consequences, these consequences are not judgements. Jesus ate with prostitutes, tax collectors and other sinners. He did not judge them, but merely witnessed to them about God's love and forgiveness.
God's only requisite for our inclusion into his family, is we believe that Jesus is the son of God and he died for our sins. Everything else is just a matter of consequence.
Tim, well said, especially, "It's so much easier to vote than to love!!!"
ReplyDeleteHepzibah, thank you for your words. If you haven't, you may want to read Fr Tobias Haller's book, Reasonable and Holy which makes a scriptural case for the holiness of faithful same-sex relationships.
How these people can think leaving kids in foster care rather than giving them stable homes is better beats me. There is no thought for the children involved in their judgements at all.
ReplyDeleteThose children, Cathy, are not part of their electorate.
ReplyDeletewv = leden
(some people's hearts)
It's infuriating and discouraging when legislators cave in to pressure and yield to the dumbass ideas of "religious" folks, and in this instance, at the expense of children.
ReplyDeleteAnd how many of these people have divorced and remarried? Hm? And how many of these people claim that they want the gummint out of their lives (no big gummint) and then turn around and meddle in other people's lives? I can't even think reasonably.
ReplyDeleteThe religious right is hugely powerful in Louisiana. What with the conservative Roman Catholics in the southern part of the state and the conservative Baptists in the north, and the Pentecostals around and about, folks with views like mine don't have a chance to be an influence.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness, not all the Roman Catholics nor all the Baptists are conservative, and there are a good many conservative Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc. around, too.