Re: Father's Day ad pulled!
Reply #68 –
Can I assume that as a self declared practicing Christian, you'll be voting no, assuming you do indeed vote ?
You can assume what you like.
I can honestly state I am more than a yes than no vote, although like MIO has stated, I don't like the way this has played out. It seems "unfair".
Christianity to me has not dictated my vote. Why? Simple. Marriage predates Christianity. Dowry's were paid, marriages were generally arranged for family status, yada yada yada yada. We don't do much in modern society based on what we did prior to religion anyway, so to me that is something that is tied to dogma and how people perceive religion rather than what the actual religion is supposed to teach you. This tells me that Atheists really have not understood what religion is all about but thats a seperate topic which I don't think we will ever debate properly as its all about who wishes to push a belief onto someone else, and that is due to the way in which interpretation works. So I leave that out of this argument.
Irrespective, my Christian faith actually pushes me more to vote Yes than no. Why? many would look at me befuddled and like I have no idea, but there is sound logic there. For me, anyone that believes that God created the earth and all life, did so for a purpose. That purpose is unclear and something I believe we will find out in due course, but extrapolating that further into a specific example, one of the kids from my primary school was as queer as queer can be and he would have been in grade 1 (apologies for the terminology to anyone who might be offended in advance, I frankly don't know how to paint the picture appropriately). The mannerisms, the speech, the inflections on the voice that seems to be quite common among the homosexual community was very clear for all to see. Even at such a young age as 7, not many are going to know much about these things, but I had seen enough Julian Cleary on television to understand that landscape enough to know that this guy was destined to join that community. Primary school ended, I went to high school, and as is common you lose touch with most of the kids from primary school if they go to another school. My cousin started working at a telecommunications company and was having discussion with me about this guy who was out of the closet. Lets not pretend in the 90's that this was common in workplaces, it was uncommon. Irrespective, he told me this guys name, and I was not surprised to hear it was the same kid from primary school. Sure enough what we all knew 12 years earlier, happened to become true and that he grew up to become a homosexual.
Now, this led me to ask some serious questions about why. I cannot for the life of me understand why people would choose to go that way. It goes against everything in my being and what I think and feel is the right way to live your life (which is why I think so many people would be more no than yes). So that leads me to think that the Homosexual community were created as they are to teach us in society about something that God intended us to learn. Applying Christian dogma (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) I have arrived at the result, that this community exists to show us how evil we human beings can truly be to each other. It changes nothing to do with me, or my existence as to whether or not gay people marry. So I am more likely to vote yes than no.
This argument needs debate. Logical, constructed debate. Not, emotive, intolerant of opinions, beliefs, stigma etc.
IMHO the less debate it faces, and some of it will be really hurtful stuff, which needs to be buried with facts and logical counter argument, not simple dismissal of others based on preconceived ideas, you would be surprised on how much traction the yes vote will actually achieve. The side asserts itself so proudly that it cant possibly be wrong, yet seems to be very scared of simple logical debate, and part of me thinks that its based on emotion. There is an entire demographic of people who leave emotion at the door when making decisions, and those people are males. 48% (minus whatever demographic of people will vote yes, because they want the rights in their community).
At the end of the day, the YES campaign would do well to read the tea leaves a little. The only votes that they are likely to get from those not from their community come from the 30 something% of people who identify as Atheist on the 2016 census.
So PaulP, I think I have answered your question somewhat. I don't know how this is going to pan out. I know a No vote, will simply mean the status quo (like MBB's feed I am very over it) will remain, but I honestly don't think Yes will get up, particularly if current form continues.
Topic: SSM Plebiscite (Read 112528 times)
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