So as we all know earlier this week Obama fully endorsed gay marriage. (YEAH OBAMA). Anyways, this has lit a fire under Christians because it's wrong in their little book, aka the bible. Well today I woke up to a Facebook feed with comments galore over the topic of "Under God We Trust" as the US motto and how having gay marriage being someday legal would be contradictory to that phrase. WHAT?!
First of all let me start we a brief history lesson: "Under God We Trust" is NOT original to the United States Nope, it was added in 1956. It replaced the motto from 1782 "E pluribus unum". For further reading, read the wiki http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust
Now onto the main reason for this post. What about "Under God We Trust" HAS to make this the "Christian" God?? Let me answer that one for you: NOTHING. America is founded on freedom and one of those amendments is Freedom of Religion. Actually it's the first amendment! (*edit: Thanks to my friend Dan who pointed out, hence the minor changes, the word GOD does not appear anywhere in the United States Constition)
(http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html <-- The US Constitution )
So what does that mean? It means that America has no "official" religion and that you can believe what ever the heck you want. That also means that the government needs to be neutral party on the stance of religion, hence separation of religion and state.
"Under God We Trust" is just a saying. For the Christians is the christian God, For Muslims is Allah, For Buddhist it's Buddha, For Hindus it's either all gods or one specific one, what ever they want to believe. And for Atheists it's just a saying, just words. So when the argument that "Under God We Trust" is contradictory to Christian beliefs, Christians would do well to remember that the United State Government endorses ALL beliefs, and their belief isn't the only one and it isn't right one. There is no "right" belief, there is only freedom. And that means that gays have every right to be legally married under the United States Government! If it doesn't jive with your beliefs, well then just ignore it. It's not like the gays are going to come swarm the christian churches begging for a marriage ceremony. Chances are they will find a place that welcomes them and will make their special day a good one, not one of closed minded people staring them down because they are "sinning".
Also to use this as an example. There was a time when women didn't have equal rights and I will wager to say that this idea that man is somehow "above" woman is old fashioned and most people will agree to the idea of equal rights for men and women. Well according to the "christian" bible this is wrong. Check it out: http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/christian/TQE2UM34UALGN1D4Q But wait, women have rights today. (As we should) and the bible says the exact opposite. So the argument also that the bible says that being gay is wrong and therefore shouldn't be legal in the law of the United States, is contradictory in the fact that if that's a valid point then you may as well start campaigning for the rights of men over women. (which we all know is an absurd idea and wouldn't fly in today's society).
So to wrap up this last paragraph here, "Christians" need to stop using their "book of god" as a basis for why things should or shouldn't be legal in the US. Your book inst the only book and the idea freedom of religion means keep your religion out of the government! Why should a Muslim or a Buddhist or and atheist have to follow the laws of a Christian rule? Answer: they shouldn't. Keep your beliefs out.
and last but certainly not least:
Leave the gays be! Give them equal rights! Just freaking let them get married and be happy and believe whatever.
"Forward" Mr. President Obama!
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