Just call it marriage already, and let the CHURCHES come up with another word. “Spiritual union.”

Warren’s an ass. To state the obvious.

so long as the same legal status is afforded all legal unions, whether gay or secular, then let’s be adults about this and stop using the intentionally-inflammatory expression “gay marriage.” That’s what this really comes down to–the inability for either party to flinch from wanting to “own” the definition of the word marriage.

I agree that securing all the legal protections/privileges is the primary point, but here’s where I think you’re wrong:

it’s only those on the religious side who want to claim “ownership” of the word “marriage’. They’re the only ones who want to keep it ‘to themselves’.

Unlike them, gay people don’t want to ‘hoard’ the title…..they merely want to be equally included.

Big difference.

And ‘gay marriage’ is no more ‘intentionally inflammatory’ than the phrase ‘interracial marriage’. I’m sorry, but I think it’s ridiculous to label the quest for equal treatment as ‘intentionally inflammatory’.

Whether it’s other nations or our nation, he has no problem taking political sides when it suits his needs. It’s shameful he’s not taking a stance now when the correct response is so painfully obvious.

No, it’s shameful when he is using his religious position to seek political ends. Right now he’s correct to not try to use his position to influence voters. Separation of church and state is a good thing no matter which side the church is planning on supporting.

I takes more backbone to ignore genocide in other countries than it does to support the sending of troops to try to stop it.

You’re making the mistake of thinking that sending troops is the only or the best way of stopping genocide. I used to think the same way, until I realized how terrible the government’s track record was on that issue. Not surprisingly, it turns out bombing for peace doesn’t actually work. I’m all for non-governmental humanitarian aid, but sending in troops/weapons/etc. is like trying to fight fire with fire and typically ends up making us two enemies and no friends.

Your point is true but what’s with the “real world” bit? Do you think America some kind of imaginary realm?

Reading some of the stories on FA, it’s hard not to get the impression that the United States is, if not an imaginary realm, then at least on a different planet with a sizeable population who don’t act like normal human beings and seem mostly unaware of anything going on outside the continent, run by an organisation that’s not immediately recognisable as a human government and whose largest religious group doesn’t resemble any of the major world religions that most humans adhere to.

I realise that none of the above is strictly true, but then, the stories on FA are a highly biassed sample.

Gag.

Rick Warren is the worst kind of person, because he isn’t even willing to admit to the awful stuff he believes. While I wouldn’t agree with him, I could at least respect him if he admited that he’s really pretty ok with killing adults for their sex life. But no, honesty would be too much.