tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866683815436246416.post3801431849508877940..comments2009-11-06T10:42:52.784-08:00Comments on Word Stem: The "Right" ThingMeghan Wolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04630537263731095687noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866683815436246416.post-51205214759656773492009-11-06T10:42:52.784-08:002009-11-06T10:42:52.784-08:00My question is why do people on both sides of this...My question is why do people on both sides of this muddy the water by retreating to dogmatically held presuppositions? <br /><br />I agree that the same rights / opportunities should exist for all people regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation. <br /><br />I agree that marriage in the USA is ultimately a legal rather than religious status and that it is the legal rights that are being disputed and therefore the process should be address by the law of the land and the legislative process. <br /><br />The challenge, of course, is that law is a cultural artifact that codifies and creates norms. Norms flow out of a particular worldview. In a pluralistic society conflict is inevitable because the law will always reflect the presuppositions of the worldview of the dominant group. <br /><br />What's at stake here isn't simply, "Should gay women and men be allowed to be happy?" Or even "Should the state be equitable in dealing with heterosexual as well as homosexual people?" It's "Who gets to decide what it means to be human?" What are we? Why do we exist? What is the basis of moral decision making? What is the purpose for life?<br /><br />What's driving opposition to the 'reconstruction' of marriage is fear that the cultural artifacts that have supported one worldview are being eroded and replaced. While you may celebrate this change, as a compassionate person certainly you can appreciate how disorienting this is to those who are committed to a particular way of seeing the world. No one likes to lose their house even if the they can't pay the mortgage.<br /><br />The passion for change is admirable. I would urge those who strive for social change on the basis of tolerance, equality for all, and love to demonstrate those characteristics in their language and attitudes towards those who disagree with them. My dogmatically held presupposition is that people matter and deserve respect regardless of whether or not I agree with them. Love - JDGAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13668017950551476018noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8866683815436246416.post-17334130779776639762009-01-23T15:13:00.000-08:002009-01-23T15:13:00.000-08:00If you have a gun not to your head but to someone'...If you have a gun not to your head but to someone's head that you love and potentially to everyone else that you love and care about, then maybe you can appreciate the position of understanding why these votes are not about choice but commands under a perceived threat and consequence that can not be negotiated, discussed and especially compromised, this is the deal breaker, this is the all or nothing, I wish it were a little more complicated but for about 5,000 years, at least there has been this impasse. As is, it is not about 'the right thing', it's about the Biblical god thing.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05292572443361143066noreply@blogger.com