You May Now Vote, And Cast The First Stone

Not much to add to this. The letter speaks for itself. It’s nice to see the friends that we have out there in conservative areas of the nation. We need to try to gather hope from that.

APPROVAL OF S.C. QUESTION 1
Gay members of community deserve rights
By The Rev. L. Groelinger

On Nov. 7, the [S.C.] majority spoke [in approving ballot Question 1, the marriage amendment]. The majority decided to inflict its position on a minority and severely restrict the civil rights of that minority. Not only will gay members of this community be prohibited from marriage; they also will not even be able to have a relationship titled domestic - no civil union, no shared property rights, no ability to make health care decisions for an incapacitated mate, not even a familial right to visit a dying partner in a hospital.

Is this truly what we wish to do to our neighbor? Is this what Christ meant when he told us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves?

Is there such harm in allowing a gay couple to pay the same tax rate that my wife and I do as a married couple? Is there such harm in allowing a person access to health care coverage so that someone might be moved off the Medicaid role, or worse not be able to pay a medical bill at all so that we the community must absorb it in higher health care costs?

By ousting a portion of society from the fold, society limits its ability to deal with the portion it has eliminated. A married couple must heed certain behavioral limits within the marriage contract. If one partner chooses to step outside that contract, certain legal sanctions can apply.

Why would society choose to keep a portion of its people outside of that regulatory limit? The marriage amendment effectively says behave as you wish, society cares not.

The “great majority” has spoken. Well, Dorothy, it’s time to pick up your slippers and go home. Since there is no domestic relationship, the protections under the domestic violence laws of this state can not apply to a gay partnership.

There are still other laws which apply. However, a portion of our community has been denied equal protection under law.

I wonder how many of that roughly two-thirds of those who voted are sinless. They have certainly cast the first stone. (source)