Thoughts on June 26th of 2015

This is my husband Todd
 at one of our many trips to the zoo.

I was raised in a very liberal family.  My grandfather manipulated the system to get food stamps.  Divorce was okay in my family.  Being a single parent was alright, and my family did hire illegals to help in the family business. To name a few of our 'liberties' if you will.

On the other side of the spectrum, my grandmother first introduced me to God.  I lived in a conservative pious community that was nothing like my family where I learned what biblical holiness meant. My great aunt taught me about prayer. My dad is still one of the most hauntingly honest people I know. Some of my early mentors showed me a whole different way to live.

I was raised in the middle of two extremes.

Some members of my family were openly 'alternative' in sexual orientation. No one in my family had a problem with it.  Even now there are those close to me that have chosen that lifestyle.

Rebecca and Tory on Tory's 4th birthday.

Yes I am talking about the Supreme Court decision about Same Sex Marriage not my family of origin, but it does remind me very much of the split within this country over this issue.

Honestly same sex marriage goes against everything I believe (I'll come to what I believe in a little bit.), but I am under no compulsion to push my belief system on anyone else.  There are many members of my family that have been elated with the decision of the courts.

 I was far from it, but not completely because of the issue they decided on.

My biggest problem with this whole thing is the Supreme Court decided to tell states they don't have the right to allow their people to decide on a matter of conscious.  Since when does our Constitution give them that power?  What happens to the states where 80% to 90% of the voting people already made a decision about this issue?  Is their voice just negated by our highest court?  What about the next issue presented to the court?  What if it is about education or parents rights?  Are they under compulsion to decide for the states again  and so for all the people without any kind of vote?  Who gave them that right?

This is Meg & Alex

I believe in government 'for the people by the people'.  I read the Constitution and see states have the right to govern themselves for the most part.  That people can vote for what they want in their state and also have the right to speak up. Our court negated that fundamental right. That alone burns me.  It doesn't matter what they used as their basis.  It was the fact they took away freedom on June 26th.

Then I really began thinking about June 26th-- partially because I knew I would write about this issue, and I knew many of my family do read my blog.  Beyond that it was really bothering me. It still bothers me...

This whole issue of defining marriage I would take further, I don't believe that states nor government should be involved in deciding for anyone what marriage is or is not.  They should not be issuing marriage licences nor anything of the kind.  Like it or not-- marriage is a very private and a very religious issue.

If we are not a religious democracy our government has no business deciding by a piece of expensive paper who is married and who is not.  

A seven year old Peter.  He's doubled in age since then.

There is also another issue that comes up, and one that even my husband and I differ on. The last couple years I've read about people being fined by cities, counties, and states for consciously objecting to participating in a same sex marriage.  Whether it be by a religious leader refusing to perform the ceremony or a cake maker that can't bring themselves to agree to make a cake for the couple, and several other similar situations.

If business is free, then it is free to decide who to serve and who it won't.  I would not expect a priest to be under compulsion to marry a pagan couple.  It is against his core beliefs.  That same priest should be under no compulsion to marry a couple that had been divorced before, an Islamic couple, or a couple that is of the same sex.  I would also expect the same right to extend to the cake maker, the seamstress, and/or any service that has to do with marriage.  No one should be forced to go against their beliefs.

Maybe I will be stoned for saying this, but so be it.  Choosing a relationship is as much a matter of conscious as me choosing my belief system.  The government whether federal or at the state level does not have the right to define what marriage is at all.  That is between the individuals and what they believe.

 --If we are not a religious democracy.

Boycott the businesses that don't serve the people you agree with, and choose your side with your money and allow those others to choose their side.  It will be a very divided system, but finally it will be free instead of everyone feeling like they are a target of hate.

Ever heard the adage 'Live and let live'?  Don't try to change me or the community I live within, and I will give the same dignity.

I don't hate anyone.  I love those around me no matter where their persuasions lead them.  I am tired of being looked at as a bigot because I don't agree.

This is me with Hope & Tory last year.

I am a Christian... A Jesus follower... By denomination Eastern Rite or 'Byzantine' Catholic... Most people have no clue what that means.  Let me explain it simply.  I love God with all my soul, mind, body, etc. I love Jesus because he died for me, and I am doing my best to follow him as he wants me to.  I believe there is good and evil, and I believe the Devil is real --not some terrible fairy tale. I believe prayer changes lives, and doing good makes life better. I believe the Bible is true and the inspired word of God the Father.  I believe Jesus came to the Earth and was perfect and died for my sin even though no one else is perfect. I believe Mary his mother was a virgin and remained so after his birth. I believe the saints pray with us and help us, but we should worship the Trinity only.  So I do talk to those that have gone ahead of me to Eternity and I do ask them to pray for me or situations or other people.  I ask the angels to intervene and also to protect us. I believe miracles are real and possible, and the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical realm.

These are my core beliefs that make me who I am.  You can say that you don't agree, but that doesn't change who I am.  To go against these beliefs go against everything I am.
 
I realize I believe different than many, and this country is made up of many people. Many do not care what I believe.  Some see me as a heretic.  Some see me as their enemy.  Some see me as a conservative.  There are few that think I am too liberal (I doubt very many think that honestly, but in some ways I am.).

I cannot change their opinions.  I am not God!  And I don't want to be!

I make a practice of not judging others that do not agree with my beliefs.  Also I know many people that give me the same kindness.  That is part of loving others and giving them dignity. For the most part I am private and do not meddle in others lives or with their choices.

I am not scared of people that are different from me, nor am I angry with them for not being like me, nor filled with hate.  I love them.  I just am not them and should not be forced to go against what is part of my core belief system because the Supreme Court says so-- even when it goes against the Constitution.

My beliefs are part of who I am.  They make me me.  But they do not line up with my family of origin or many people I know.  I have no allusion that this is a 'Christian' nation. It is not.  From studying history, though it came with Christian roots and societal morals, it has never been.
 I like freedom.  But that means everyone has freedom.  I don't want to go back to England when Catholics were killed just because they were Catholics.  Or to France or Spain where the opposite was happening.

So I love freedom more than my words here can tell you.  That means, though, we need to stop 'benching it'.  It may get a little uncomfortable because I may make a decision that my city disagrees with or people of other persuasions (and I am not just talking about sexual orientation here) disagree with.  Our police need to stop being an army, and we need to allow the citizens to be armed.  And perhaps let the marriages be between the people and their choice of conscious instead of defined by any governmental agency.  That means some will have two wives and one husband.  Or any kind of strange combination that will make me sick to my stomach, but I will have my husband who I dearly love.  And if I get really sick I will move to a state where the people have decided on the Christian thoughts on the matter or I will keep away from businesses that offend my conscious.  If the bench keeps deciding then I might just move to a state that decides to object by succession.

That would solve it too...  Well maybe... This is Cat out hoping you weren't to horribly scalded by my thoughts.

Please feel free to share your own, even if I would disagree.