One thing I find encouraging on here!

[DramaQueen]

Waldorf. Are you dutch?
I love Waldorf

[Goosebump]

I think this post has grown grossly off topic. I'm not sure if that matters for I am very new.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

I think this post has grown grossly off topic. I'm not sure if that matters for I am very new.

Apologies. Shouldn't have taken your thread off on a tangent to this degree. Unfortunately sometimes when people post Gish gallop it dilutes threads.

On topic:

[robvalue]

Polygamy allowed in the bible:

“If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.”
—Exodus 21:10
“If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn.”
—Deuteronomy 21:15-16

More discussion

Also many characters in the bible have multiple wives just fine without god blowing them up like he seems to often do if they step out of line.

[bennyboy]

Multiple wives? Hmmmmm. If they cancel each other out and leave me alone, but still have sex with me regularly-- big big plus. If they form a union and gang-nag me-- suicide time. On one hand, it would be nice to have sex with multiple women without feeling guilting. On the other hand, PMS.

Hmmm hmmm hmmmmmm.

Wait-- what happened to this thread being about a lack of opposition to gay rights, and this making the OP feel happy?

[robvalue]

I was backing up my earlier point about it not making sense to use the bible to condemn homosexuality while ignoring its stance on polygamy.

Indeed, if homophobia is on the decrease, then that is a wonderful thing. I sure hope it is.

[Goosebump]

Apologies. Shouldn't have taken your thread off on a tangent to this degree. Unfortunately sometimes when people post Gish gallop it dilutes threads.

No worries, It's not my thread, was simply an observation. It's my role to apologize if I've interrupted the flow of dialogue in any way as I believe there is lively debate still to be had here. My error for being new and impetuous.

[Brian37]

Is that there is much less discussion of same sex marriage than I would have thought coming from the religious on this forum.
Which indicates to me that it is no longer a big deal. People are marrying who they want and the sky is not falling in, the world is still turning about the sun.
Christians and others have grudgingly accepted it...?

Um no. Expand your sample rate, try going to conservative Christian websites. Yes the tide is changing, but that does not mean that bigotry is not a problem now.

[Diablo]

Here is a pretty interesting website. It lists prominent homophobes who have been found with theirs fingers in the candy store:

http://gayhomophobe.com/

This is a classic:

Conservative GOP Arizona Sheriff—and Mitt Romney AZ Campaign Co-Chair—Pledges to Deport Illegal Immigrants
Posted by Dan Savage on Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 10:15 AM

And that includes his ex-boyfriend:

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu—who became the face of Arizona border security nationally after he started stridently opposing illegal immigration—threatened his Mexican ex-lover with deportation when the man refused to promise never to disclose their years-long relationship, the former boyfriend and his lawyer tell New Times.... "If what [Babeu's attorney] says is correct [about Jose's being illegal], either the sheriff had a long relationship with someone he knew was undocumented, while all the time being Mr. Bluster about the border and using it for political gain," or he threatened to deport someone he just broke up with, Merritt says. "That's just the worst kind of hypocrisy."

[Statler Waldorf]

That, and Statler, he with the "atheists hate God" signature, expects us to take him seriously.

No I actually do not expect you to take me seriously; the irrational rarely take rationality seriously. I am simply defending my position and seeking a defense of yours. Atheists do hate God by the way.

Still a failing argument. In homosexuality, the parties involved have made informed consent. In the case of rape, consent has not been made; in the case of pedophilia, a child does not have the capacity to make informed consent.

I will simply ask again, why is consent the deciding factor? Who determined that? Asserting it does not make it so. There are plenty of rapists who disagree with you and say that consent does not matter (and probably call you a bigot and rapiphobe for “hating rapists”).

The problem with rape and pedophilia isn't the mechanical act. It's the infringement on the will (or development) of the participants. Homosexuality has no such problem.

Why is it morally wrong to infringe on the will and/or development of others? Who determined that?

Waldorf. Are you dutch?
I love Waldorf

No sir. I love you back.

I think this post has grown grossly off topic. I'm not sure if that matters for I am very new.

It tends to happen to threads I jump into. I disagree with most people in here at such a fundamental level that we end up having to chase down definitions and secondary arguments a lot. Buckle up!

Apologies. Shouldn't have taken your thread off on a tangent to this degree. Unfortunately sometimes when people post Gish gallop it dilutes threads.

On topic:

Seeking the proper usage and definitions of terms is not a “gish gallop”.

Polygamy allowed in the bible:

“If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.”
—Exodus 21:10

That’s not condoning polygamy; it simply is a rule for what to do if it arises. The Bible has similar rules for adultery and theft but likewise does not condone either.

“If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have bornSeeking the proper usage and definitions of terms is not a “gish gallop”. him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated: then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn.”
—Deuteronomy 21:15-16

Same as above. You need to provide a verse that says, “It’s acceptable to have multiple wives.” You will not find it.

Also many characters in the bible have multiple wives just fine without god blowing them up like he seems to often do if they step out of line.

Characters in the Bible do horrible things; that does not demonstrate the Bible condones such things.

I think this was the verse you should have read…

“And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold”- Deuteronomy 17:17 (ESV)