Newman: Marriage Is Union Between One Man and One Woman
Dacula Patch columnist Ray Newman weighs in on same-sex marriage debate in Atlanta Journal Constitution opinion piece.
Photos
Dacula Patch columnist Ray Newman was recently invited to write an opinion piece for the Atlanta Journal Constitution regarding his views on same-sex marriage.
The May 23 column was written in response to President Barack Obama's endorsement of same-sex marriage earlier this month.
In an interview with ABC News, Obama said, "At a certain point, I've just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
Newman affirmed his support for the notion that marriage is intended to be a relationship between one man and one woman and wrote, "I am saddened we have come to the place in our nation where cultural changes are now impacting behavior more than the traditional building blocks that have served us well throughout history."
Newman concluded, "The foundation upon which our nation is built must remain strong or we will see the nation fall into ruin."
What is your opinion on same-sex marriage? Should marriage be limited to a union between one man and one woman or, as President Obama suggested, should same-sex couples be able to get married? Let us know in the comments.
Tommy Fountain, Sr.
9:16 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Yes, one man and one woman is the mandate from the Bible. Great article Bro. Ray!
Misty Panetta
12:57 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
In my opinion, if we're going to "enforce" the fact that marriage should remain between one man and one woman, we should also "enforce" the other things in the Bible. For instance, don't wear clothes of more than one fabric, if you have a flat nose or if you are blind you cannot go to an altar of God, women can't wear gold or jewelry, and you cannot cut your hair or shave your beard.... So, it appears that times have changed, doesn't it? I am in a "one woman, one man" relationship and I see NO problem with one person wanting to love another person. That should remain true no matter what their gender. I'd rather people LOVE each other than to walk around judging and hating on another.
Jonathan Sims
10:42 am on Thursday, July 12, 2012
If you actually read your Bible, you'll notice you're only qouting from the Old Testament of the Bible, not from the New Testament version of the Bible where Jesus Christ came down on Earth and change that type of thinking from the people. But, you forgot about that part! Let's not forget, since you want to qoute from the Old Testament so much, have you forgotten what was said in Genesis 2: 24-25, Read it, maybe you'll realize that same sex relations is wrong.
North Georgia Weather
3:07 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Love is great! But marriage should be between a man and women.
Brian Crawford
5:53 pm on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
I respect Ray's recognition of our Judeo-Christian foundations but just as we've grown to understand that slavery is morally reprehensible and that women share equal rights with men, most of us have grown to understand that denying basic rights to folks based on their sexuality is wrong.
The term marriage has already come to mean many things outside of the strict Biblical view. We routinely recognize marriages performed by civil servants for example. The church itself has no problem recognizing un-Biblical marriages between divorced people.
Ray's notion that same-sex marriage will lead our nation to ruin could be dismissed as grumpy old man talk if it weren't so damaging to so many people. Our Gay friends, colleagues, and family members deserve to have their long term committed relationships with one another recognized as valid and equal under the law.
Kristi Reed
4:03 pm on Tuesday, July 10, 2012
*Comment deleted
Please refrain from using profanity when commenting. Thank you.
Mike Griffiths
6:59 pm on Friday, July 20, 2012
If you believe that we are children of God and that he has a plan for us as explained in the Bible which includes moral standards and tests of obedience that lead to greater blessings in the world to come, then you are likely to conclude that marriage can only be between a man and a woman because the Bible (new testament) is very explicit in the standards related to morality. Jesus was loving, but also strict. When the woman was taken in adultery, he told her that he did not judge her, but he then also told her to go and sin no more.
However, if you have no belief in God, or if you don't think that the Bible is God's literal word, then your sense of morality will be based on what you perceive to be common sense, or current popular social beliefs. In which case why should marriage be just between a man and a woman? In fact, if this has nothing to do with God, then why not three men, or three women if that's what they want.
Bottom line, either there is divine standard that we are supposed to be living by that will somehow be best for us in the long term, or there should be no standard at all, and people can do whatever they please.
I do beleive in God, but I am uncomfortable with the idea that a religious standard can be imposed on a society where the society as a whole do not accept the religion as a basis for standards.