Like it or not, the United States was founded on biblical teachings.
The rules are set by the creator for his children. Man was created and was lonely. God made a helper suitable for him. It was a woman. Man and woman are to become one flesh. That's marriage. Same-sex couples cannot, by definition of marriage, be "married."
Christianity is a choice. If you are a child of God, you must go by his will and testament. No one has the right to change the will and testament of anyone else. A person who votes "no" on Question 1 is playing God.
As a preacher, people have asked me if they can divorce and still live together to get better financial benefits. God says no. Couples have lived together outside of marriage for years, but it is not God's way. Yet no one hates those couples.
Christianity is God's family. He is the head and the father of the family on Earth and in heaven. He made the rules, like it or not. When people don't comply, they are claiming to be better than God. When Christians don't comply, they claim to know better than God.
I hope that all my brothers and sisters in Christ will defend the will and testament of God, the father in heaven and on Earth, and will stand up for marriage by joining me in voting "yes" on Question 1.
God bless America.
Keith D. Hamel, Bethel
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When the power of love
When the power of love overcomes the love of power we will finally know peace.
America was founded on the will of God?? that statement is so far from the truth it doesnt even really merit a response....oh look a squirrel
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Paris, you try to sound so all supportive, but you know what, you sound like a smart ass bully. I put it right out there that I will vote Yes, but I don't condemn anyone else if they don't agree with me. I am voting on what I think is right, and absolutely know that what I think is right, someone else thinks is wrong--and I don't have to call anyone names, or mock their faith to put my point across. So in the end, it's people like you that think you are doing good, that make people like me feel the way I do. In most of the letters to the editor I am reading, the Same Sex Marriage supporters are way to quick to call someone else who doesn't agree with them bigots, buffoons, idiots and whatever other foolish names they can come up with--not that Yes people don't, but from my side of the fence, it usually all begins with the famous word "Bigot", if I don't agree with you. You think you help, but you only hurt.
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I just read down through the comments and am shaking my head at the typical buffoonery of the overly religious.
Have any of you morons read the actual same-sex marriage law here in Maine? I bet you haven't. If you had you would know it doesn't discriminate on gender AND it does not force any church or religious person/organization to marry same-sex couples against their will and it does not force them to acknowledge same-sex marriage as law. In other words, there are some religious leaders/people etc who have no problem marrying same sex couples in their churches and those who do not support this idea are not forced to do it or accept it.
Burn your bibles because it's making some of you to not think clearly. The most powerful force in the universe is love. Love feels the same in the United States as it does across this world. You cannot call yourself a 'child of god' if you are not accepting of all that she has created. For those who solely concentrate on the sex of the gays need to talk to their heterosexual friends to find out what they're doing in the bedroom too. You'd be shocked! In fact, why would god create slugs in the first place if she didn't want any kind of homosexual sex to exist, because when you watch slugs have sex you find they use their penises to impregnate each other with. No vaginas involved! And their lovemaking is very compassionate. Don't believe me? Go to Youtube.com and type in "slug sex". If the video makes you angry that god would "make this kind of mistake", then take it up with her! Leave the gays and lesbians alone. They love just as much as you do. Again, burn your bibles because it's making some of you to not think clearly.
In Massachusetts since passing their gay marriage law 5 years ago, the divorce rate has gone down each year, meaning, they're staying married! Yes, gay marriage on the books in Massachusetts has done one of two things: it has either strengthened the heterosexual marriages or the gays who married are still married (maybe they take the 'sanctity of marriage' more seriously than their heterosexual counterparts?). Iowa also has a same-sex marriage law on the books and Iowans were polled recently to find out if same-sex marriage had affected their lives in any way. 92% said NO. In other words, the state is somewhat split on gay marriage, but what they're finding is....gay marriage once it happens doesn't affect their lives at all despite what the overly religious says it will!
Something to think about.
I will support love here in Maine come November 2009, because I know adults here can handle the idea that their neighbor's marriage/relationship may be different than their own, but at the end of the day, they won't care. Love is love. It's universal. Stop trying to divide & conquer against it! Shameful to watch.
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News, once I saw, I realized the same thing, so you got me there and I agree. I guess my point was that I will always love my children, as I want them all to love others, but we can all agree to disagree, so yes, you do have me correcting myself..............there is alot more to coupledom then what goes on behind closed doors........
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Wow, Jami! One can tell from your postings that you are, indeed, a deep thinker! So sorry your needle got stuck................
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Shellby, I find your comment " Just as you don't want to know what goes on in my bedroom, I don't think I need to know about what goes on in yours..." typical of those opposed to same sex marriages. The topic always revolves around sexual activity. There is more to a heterosexual marriage than 2 people engaged in intercourse. It should be the same for a homosexual marriage. Consider the whole person, not just their sexual activity.
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I agree with you News4u. When I see Bob and Jane. I do not picture Bob and Jane engaged in intercourse and when I see Sally and Ann I do not picture them having relations, either. I look at them as committed couples. What happens in the bedrooms of both couples is their business, not mine.
I notice that these people that are so against the marriage of gay/lesbian couples keep saying that is wrong. Why? Because they are picturing the couple in the bedroom. Now that is perverse! To be fixated on what couples are doing in their bedroom is WRONG. That is perversion at its finest. Maybe they should seek therapy for that fixation.
It's a double standard. If Bob and Jane can have sex in their bedroom so can Sally and Ann and it's not any of our business.
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Scene--last night at supper--news story about gay marriage vote--19 year old son states as he is sitting down at the table "I don't know what I would do if my kid said they were gay"--I said "you would love the child, no matter what, but you don't have to agree with their lifestyle choice-- I will always love you and be there for you, but I won't always agree with the choices you make." " Just as you don't want to know what goes on in my bedroom, I don't think I need to know about what goes on in yours. There is nothing that can't be said between us, but again, I may not always have the answer you are seeking. I can't approve what my faith has taught me is wrong, but I shall always love you." It was really that simple, I wish no harm to anyone, but I don't have to agree with what I feel is wrong. You can say I am wrong, but someday, I will hear the correct answer from my God. Those who say I am a fool for believing in God, again, your choice. But someday, we will all be made accountable, and for now, my time here on earth is spent trying to teach these lessons to my children, we can love, but we can have our own opinion as well, the only time we lose is when someone forces us to change what we feel is right for us. I will be voting Yes ....Marriage is between a man and a woman--Civil Unions are between same sex couples.
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THANK GOD I don't belong to your church Mr. Hamel!! Is John 15:12 in your Bible? It's in mine!
You wrote: "As a preacher, people have asked me if they can divorce and still live together to get better financial benefits. God says no. Couples have lived together outside of marriage for years, but it is not God's way. Yet no one hates those couples." So, you believe that a couple (your words, not mine) should not live outside the confines of marriage. Yet, you are opposed to having a committed, loving same sex couple enter into marriage. What a hypocrite! Just curious Mr. Hamel... Would you refuse the money of a homosexual if they put some in the offering plate at your church??
Vote No on question 1
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Mr. Hamel, I enjoyed your letter. It was Biblically factual and right to the point. So many people on here add to, subtract from or twist the scriptures to fit their own purposes. No one who read your letter can say they weren't told when they stand before God.
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Wrong.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."The United States is not,
"The United States is not, in any manner, founded on the Christian faith." George Washington
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Wrong.
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This is another fact that gets ignored by the homphobic religious zealots.
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Remember Mr Hamel, libs don't approve of any religion, except of course for the peaceful Islam, unless they want to make your religion look bad, in which case they will compare you to Islam. It's the same logic they use by arguing for homosexual special rights bills, but calling you a homosexual as an insult if you disagree with them.
"There are a lot of bad republicans; there are no good democrats." Ann Coulter
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gil, the master of circular logic. If ever you have an orginal thought, let us know.
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gil, also the master of hateful diatribe.
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Like it or not, freedom of religion can also mean freedom from religion. Iran runs a theocracy, maybe that's where you belong.
______________________
Franklin D. Roosevelt
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."Like it or not, the United
"Like it or not, the United States was founded on biblical teachings."
Wrong. It was founded on the thoughts of people like Paine and Rousseau and based upon the natural rights of man; ones inherent to our being, not bestowed by god or government. If I were to tell you a creation story from the Buddhist perspective, you would dismiss it even though it is, by far, an older religion. Read The Rights of Man by Tom Paine, get a REAL education, and get back to me.
It is the undauntable thought, my friend. The one that says, "I'm right!" ~Bobby Sands
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Wrong.
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Remember that people came to America to get away from religious persecution. That is why we have a separation of church and state. Now the church is looking to dictate our laws. No on 1 is only about allowing for civil marriage. If you do not want to marry us that’s your business, we are not asking you to change your opinion. According to the general accounting office there are over 1138 federal and state rights denied to same sex couples. We pay taxes like everybody else. We are simply asking for fairness.
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Wrong.
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Yes you are, Jami.
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond."Christianity is a choice.
"Christianity is a choice. If you are a child of God, you must go by his will and testament." So as I understand it, you are saying if you are not Christian, then you are not a child of God. According to what I was taught we are ALL children of God, Christian or not. It's attitudes like yours that have been the root of wars and suffering for millenia. It is people like you who pervert the word of God for their own ends.
Beware false idols and false prophets.
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Wrong.
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Wrong.
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A person who claims to speak for God is playing God. God created gays and lesbians, who are you to say they are a mistake? God? Jesus said nothing against the homosexual. Who are you? Jesus?
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Wrong.
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People choose the gay lifestyle. God does not create them. Read the Bible and you will read God's word.
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Mr Hamel, render unto Caesar what is Caesar's.... The government gives married people many benefits. If you don't want to give them to others, then relinquish them. Fair is fair.
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