Religious Right Activists Suddenly Against Biblical Definition of Marriage

[DonViejo]

SUBMITTED BY Brian Tashman on Tuesday, 12/17/2013 3:05 pm

Why are religious conservatives trying to change the biblical definition of marriage and curb religious liberty?

The same activists who support a wide definition of religious liberty that entails sweeping legal exemptions for Christians and who believe that US laws must closely follow biblical dictates, are now upset that a religious family has successfully challenged Utah’s anti-polygamy statute. Polygamous marriage remains illegal in Utah, but the decision allows polygamous families to live together legally.

As we’ve pointed out, polygamy and incest were commonplace in the Hebrew Bible. “If you're going to be a strict literalist, there's nothing wrong with polygamy,” notes biblical scholar Michael Coogan.

Naturally, social conservatives are blaming progressives and President Obama for the Utah ruling, and boasting that they predicted it all along.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council called the decision “collateral cultural and religious carnage” of the gay rights movement and warned — maybe for the first time in its history — that the ruling would “turn back the clock on women’s rights.”

James Dobson wrote that “just as same sex marriage led straight to polygamy, the destruction of the family will quickly undermine the foundations of the nation,” while the National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown maintained that there is “no doubt that the arguments for same-sex marriage were a template for this case.”

- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/religious-right-activists-suddenly-against-biblical-definition-marriage#sthash.ir1SZ88D.dpuf

[OffWithTheirHeads]

1. And why do we even pay attention to Sheite Christians

What a waste of energy.

[DonViejo]

2. So we know what the enemy is thinking, writing about

and strategizing over.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. I disagree. By even giving them a forum, we validate them.

[DonViejo]

4. If we had been more knowledgeable about them when St Ronnie

started holding them up as role models, they may have been stopped from accomplishing much of what they have accomplished...including being the prime movers behind the impeachment of Bill Clinton.

[cbayer]

9. Agree. They snuck up on us to some extent and we were asleep at the wheel.

We can't let that happen again.

[LeftishBrit]

10. Exactly

We have to look out for the abuses of the Religious Right - and especially perhaps the political pro-life movement, or they will find ways of blindsiding us and getting power far beyond their numbers. They are fanatically determined to gain power. When we consider them as irrelevant and crazy, and ignore their machinations, strange things can happen. There are few places where the religious right can't engineer political takeovers. My area is a classic example of a place where the Christian Right could not possibly influence the outcome of an election. Well, until they did.

In Australia, less than ten per cent of people even attend church regularly, and they had an openly atheist Prime Minister 40 years ago. Now they have the Mad Monk.

[cbayer]

11. I think their biggest threat, and often our weakest area of defense, is

in local and state elections at this point.

Some can and should be ignored, like the Westboro nut cases.

But those who actually have big followings and lots of resources and a history of political success should be monitored closely.

[cbayer]

8. Because, like it or not, they hold some significant political sway.

Ignoring them doesn't do much good. Many are working to reduce their power and influence, and exposing their hypocrisy might be an important weapon in that fight.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Simply because these operations are simply using religion to...

scam their flocks and gain political power. Actual theology or Jesus' words are only used when they reinforce their predetermined points.

I have known a few fundy churches that did actually preach and believe the New Testament and fed the poor and helped heal the sick while assisting parents, wed or not... all while preaching love and peace instead of anger and hate. None of them got very big, but they were strong.

[AtheistCrusader]

6. Wait til they discover polyandry.

Matriarchal families with multiple husbands?

Watch their poor heads explode.


(Ok, I'm being a little petty there.)

[cbayer]

7. Fascinating dilemma they are facing, isn't it.

I'm not really understanding this court's ruling, but it does create quite a conundrum for the FRC, which is fine with me.

[okasha]

12. I seem to remember that Solomon

is said to have had upwards of 3000 wives and "concubines." (His father seemed to have jumped anything that moved, yet "Yahweh loved David.&quot

I've always held that the poor old Solly died of exhaustion.