Working at a tax prep office, I've had to learn how the "Defense of Marriage Act" affects the tax options of same-sex couples. Considering that sharing a household involves pretty much the same expenses and obligations that affect straight married couples, it seems unfair that they don't get the same financial breaks. Since conservatives seem to be a lot more rational when it comes to money, maybe activists should start talking about how badly gays are getting shorted dollar for dollar compared to straights who have similar living arrangements with their significant others. It can amount to thousands of dollars, not small change. The standard gay/antigay marriage argument goes something like this:
"You can't go changing the definition of marriage, it will destroy the foundations of marriage itself and civilization will collapse!"... "Why do you have to inflict your hatred on us? We just want to live our lives like you do."... "But it's just a word. Why can't you be happy with civil unions? Why does it have to be 'marriage'?"... (echoing across a vast cavern of time and space)
One protest idea: encourage gay and lesbian couples to cross-marry and share housing. A gay man can marry a lesbian woman, her wife can be officially the wife of another gay man who is married to the first gay man, all sharing living expenses and filing married jointly. Call it marriage, with a sly wink and a Ka-ching! sound. I have actually heard conservatives say that gays are allowed to marry, as long as they marry the appropriate gender, and therefore they shouldn't complain. My solution should satisfy both sides, problem solved!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Obama SWORE on a BIBLE!!!
I'm absolutely shocked and dismayed that our new President would show such utter contempt for God's Word as to deliberately disobey Jesus:
Matthew 5: "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one" (I have no idea who this site represents, but it has a good explanation of the oath prohibition in the New Testament)
From the evil one! You saw it here. Obama desecrated the Bible by swearing an oath that came direct from the mouth of Satan. Where's the outrage?
Matthew 5: "But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one" (I have no idea who this site represents, but it has a good explanation of the oath prohibition in the New Testament)
From the evil one! You saw it here. Obama desecrated the Bible by swearing an oath that came direct from the mouth of Satan. Where's the outrage?
Debt Forgiveness Credits
Has anyone suggested creating a debt forgiveness credit system? Might be somewhat more Christian than the status quo. Not that we're a Christian nation or anything.
"Forgive and you will be forgiven. But if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven." The big monotheisms all specifically mention debt forgiveness in their holy books, and the perils of driving people into debt and subjecting them to recurring penalties for getting stuck. For all the superstition, prejudice and violence in the Bible and the Quran, there were probably very valid reasons for prophets to make debt a moral issue, with God's wrath reserved for the greedy and unjust, along with the polytheists, atheists, gays, adulteresses and persecutors of the flogged, crucified or beheaded faithful flock.
Credits would give legitimacy to forgiveness by making it possible to cash in credits to wipe out debt, create chains or networks to collapse debt and perhaps discover added value in relationship as a side effect. How many untried configurations might reduce frustration and stress throughout the culture, if those who owe and those who are owed were arranged less inside a hierarchical pyramid and more in an evolving network of mutual benefit? If money can be created out of nothing, why not make debt disappear into nothing? If I were an economist, I might be able to knock down that idea, but I'm not.
My own view on debt (not having any), is that near-poverty without stress is much more enjoyable than the freedom to buy what you want as soon as you want it, when it comes with strings of obligation, deadlines or penalties.
"Forgive and you will be forgiven. But if you do not forgive, you will not be forgiven." The big monotheisms all specifically mention debt forgiveness in their holy books, and the perils of driving people into debt and subjecting them to recurring penalties for getting stuck. For all the superstition, prejudice and violence in the Bible and the Quran, there were probably very valid reasons for prophets to make debt a moral issue, with God's wrath reserved for the greedy and unjust, along with the polytheists, atheists, gays, adulteresses and persecutors of the flogged, crucified or beheaded faithful flock.
Credits would give legitimacy to forgiveness by making it possible to cash in credits to wipe out debt, create chains or networks to collapse debt and perhaps discover added value in relationship as a side effect. How many untried configurations might reduce frustration and stress throughout the culture, if those who owe and those who are owed were arranged less inside a hierarchical pyramid and more in an evolving network of mutual benefit? If money can be created out of nothing, why not make debt disappear into nothing? If I were an economist, I might be able to knock down that idea, but I'm not.
My own view on debt (not having any), is that near-poverty without stress is much more enjoyable than the freedom to buy what you want as soon as you want it, when it comes with strings of obligation, deadlines or penalties.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Wacky Biblical Definitions of Marriage
Family Values Update: "Sponsors of the California ballot measure that banned same-sex marriage are seeking to nullify thousands of marriages between gay and lesbian couples performed after the state Supreme Court ruled them constitutional."
Way to defend the concept of marriage as the union of one penis and one vagina (don't get me started about intersexuals, clearly sent by Satan to screw up the system). I'm sure glad love has nothing to do with it. Jesus would be so proud...
Or would he? Let's see where consistency leads, if one defines marriage Biblically:
Matthew 5:31 "It has been said [by Moses], 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
Since secular law doesn't recognize the definition of marriage given by Jesus and it would be a hard sell in a state referendum, it will be up to the Christian community to police itself and come up with a new word for those "adulterous marriages". Matridultery? Adultrimony? Maybe they could have a contest for the best word...
Some other Biblical "definitions of marriage" that might prove troublesome for legalistic Christians:
Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (If she IS pledged to be married, the rapist is stoned to death, unless it happens within earshot of people and nobody hears the girl scream, in which case she is also stoned to death.)
That's Biblical justice for you... of course that's the Old Testament, which no longer counts, according to:
Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
So much for those Ten Commandments monuments. Lord, when will you teach your followers to read their own book? (God: "And I thought it was such a great idea to put ineffable knowledge in a book so it wouldn't get lost. Now they're trashing the meaning while going at each other's throats over the text. You know, that's uniquely human, I designed that. What? Stop looking at me that way. I'm sure there was a reason when I did it.")
Way to defend the concept of marriage as the union of one penis and one vagina (don't get me started about intersexuals, clearly sent by Satan to screw up the system). I'm sure glad love has nothing to do with it. Jesus would be so proud...
Or would he? Let's see where consistency leads, if one defines marriage Biblically:
Matthew 5:31 "It has been said [by Moses], 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery."
Since secular law doesn't recognize the definition of marriage given by Jesus and it would be a hard sell in a state referendum, it will be up to the Christian community to police itself and come up with a new word for those "adulterous marriages". Matridultery? Adultrimony? Maybe they could have a contest for the best word...
Some other Biblical "definitions of marriage" that might prove troublesome for legalistic Christians:
Deuteronomy 22:28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl's father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (If she IS pledged to be married, the rapist is stoned to death, unless it happens within earshot of people and nobody hears the girl scream, in which case she is also stoned to death.)
That's Biblical justice for you... of course that's the Old Testament, which no longer counts, according to:
Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.
So much for those Ten Commandments monuments. Lord, when will you teach your followers to read their own book? (God: "And I thought it was such a great idea to put ineffable knowledge in a book so it wouldn't get lost. Now they're trashing the meaning while going at each other's throats over the text. You know, that's uniquely human, I designed that. What? Stop looking at me that way. I'm sure there was a reason when I did it.")
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