In my opinion if people want to choose to be thieves or homosexuals(all sin being equal), and stand for what they believe in, that is their choice and I will stand by anyone's choice if it is a wise and well informed decision. But to force me through the laws to accept their way of life is another thing. Personally I do not force anyone to get married, stay single, go to church etc etc. If you want to be unified as two of the same sex, well that is your choice, but it is not a "marriage" the same as mine. I personally do not believe in Atheism, it is illogical, but I do believe in Agnosticism, therefore I don't believe people in general do not believe in God, they just don't want to. That would mean that they would have to change their opinions and practices, and they do not want to do that. That said God does not exist or not exist because someone said so, He is far bigger than that. All that said, marriage by God is a union between a man and a woman. I did not say that, God's word did. To end off, I concur with the earlier writer, we must be shown to love homosexuals, just as we are to love anyone that opposes our faith and safety. As Christians we are called into a relationship with God, our neighbors and our enemies.

God Bless All

Peter

If we are going to be correcting words for their "misleading" nature, then I will follow suit and call most of you "so-called Christians." It is an absolute scandal the way American Christians treat gays. Homosexuality is singled out for a special disdain, and Christians emote judgment, not love. The amount of time Christians spend condemning gays and judging them is probably 400 times the amount of time spent loving them. Given that the Bible says "by this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another," I can only conclude that you are not real disciples of Christ because gay people DO NOT feel loved by you (because of the shabby and loveless way you talk to them and about them). Therefore, for accuracy's sake, I shall refer to you as "so-called Christians." Or, like Mr. Colson, I could call you "any number" of terms: modern-day Pharisees, obsessed judgers, focuses of the mote in your neighbors eyes while ignoring the beam in your own!

Joe: I'll comment on your comments (here and in other posts) as well as those made by others. Your passionate and earnest (I believe) plea for understanding seems very honest and real. That is very commendable. All - on all sides of this issue - need to be compassionate, honest and real. Jesus was that way. That is why He was often condemned by the Pharisees, because He did not jump to conclusions, condemn someone without offering mercy and overlook the human weakness that besets us all. I think of the example of the woman caught in adultery (John 8) - whom the religious leaders were preparing to stone. They were acting with reference to an Old Testament law similar to the one you referred to concerning virgins. Jesus did not tell them that the law had been issued by Moses (as a prophet) in error - nor did He tell them not to throw the stones. He just issued one statement to them: He who is without sin cast the first stone. Then He wrote in the sand. The result - one by one they dropped their stones and left, starting with the oldest. He also did not tell the woman that what she was doing (adultery) was OK. To the contrary, he told he that, though He did not condemn her then, she should go and sin no more lest a "worse" thing befall her. Adultery was wrong. It was not and is not marriage. Jesus defined marriage in Matthew 19 very clearly - as between a man and a woman who become one before God - all directly taken from Genesis chapter 1. It can be argued that marriage was the first act of creation after the creation of people. It comes from God - not from us, and is defined by Him, not by us. Marriage is a lot bigger in scope than anything humans could think up. The apostle Paul himself states that it is a mystery (in Ephesians). Perhaps that is why that through such a mystery another great mystery - the conception of a human being made in God's image - takes place.

So Joe, although Jesus did not condemn the woman, He also did not disapprove - or approve - the Mosaiac laws concerning punishment for violation of the sacredness of God's institution of marriage and sexual union. Rather, He upheld the sacredness of it - as God instituted it- even while extending hope to a woman caught up in a toxic perversion of it.

At the same time Jesus showed His magnificent, overarching love and compassion to those who get entangled in any sin, as humans do, including that which is not marriage. He was very willing to forgive - and to guide and help - those among us who get lost and can't seem to make things work.

Joe, there is a way out and Jesus indicated as much to that woman in John 8. He is the way out. And there is hope. That hope is not in people or in laws or in public opinion, whichever way it shifts. It is in the Messiah.

I have never bought into the use of that phrase, so there's no need for me to sign on to this pledge. The term "gay marriage" suggests that there's more than one kind of marriage, that there's somehow a separate institution for the marriages of gay couples. No, there is only marriage, and in states where it's legal, those couples are not "gay married," they're simply married, just like their straight counterparts. Sure, for the time being there are some states that offer the equivalent of marriage to our homosexual sisters and brothers, but without the name. In these states, the couples are not married, but rather domestically partnered or civilly unionized. And in still other states, again at least for now, sadly, no legal status at all is conferred upon same-sex couples.

Yes, words matter and the accurate use of language is important. So let us pledge not to use the phrase "gay marriage" when referring to the issue, but rather "marriage equality." And let us not use the phrase "gay marriage" to describe the legally sanctioned unions of partners of the same gender in the states in which those unions are called marriage, but rather, simply, what it actually is: "marriage." We may or may not like that those couples are married, but they are, and to demean them by calling them anything else is to abuse the power of words and the accuracy of communication.

Dear John Adams,
AIDS was NOT because of homosexual activity, and you know it. It was equally because of unprotected sex (gay AND straight) and the reuse of needles.
Homosexuality did NOT cause the sickness. Do NOT attribute it as the "gay sickness" because it's not.
Dear the rest of you: I pledge never to use the F-t word, and to tell people to stop using it instead of using other actions to express my anger at them. A bundle of sticks is a pretty wimpy insult anyways.
I pledge to fight for the rights of people. Because ALL people are equal, and they deserve to be treated equally. PERIOD.
I pledge to continue to fight for my life. Because I have been so close, SO close to ending it too many times because of you bigoted people. I have destroyed my emotional and psychological health because I have tried for so many years to suppress myself, to make myself just like you, to just be someone else. Guess what. The only person you can be is yourself. You try for your whole life to live as another gender, to live loving and being told that that love is false, that that love is somehow sick and disgusting, when all you feel is pure unadulterated love. If you are married right now, you try imagining that people have told you to go to hell, that people have thrown rocks at your head, that people have threatened to kill you, that people have spat in your face, that people have raped and beaten you, all because you love your husband or wife. It's like telling a mother to kill her own child because the love she has for him or her is false. Because it is somehow fake. ITS NOT. Love is love.
Wake up. The bible says that you may stone your daughter if she cannot be proven a virgin. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21). Unless you guys start upholding this statement, then you better stop upholding the other out dated sections of the bible as well.
I pledge to believe only what I believe in, and to question my own beliefs as often as possible to ensure that they are right. To ensure that I am not mindlessly following. I pledge to be mindful. I pledge to be peaceful. I pledge to love people. I pledge to respect people even if they have not earned it yet. I pledge not to promise respect to people that have done something to destroy my respect and trust in them. I pledge to be compassionate. I pledge to live as living should be. I pledge to be.

Yes, I pledge. Also, let's stop using the term GAY. Let's call it what it is - HOMOSEXUAL unions. Then perhaps we can have a gay (happy) time again.

Thanks for again reminding us that words matter, as does worldview!
I join you in pledging to refrain from using the oxymoron, "gay marriage",a term which subtly legitimizes such behavior.

Perhaps these disobedient relationships could better be referred to as "homosexual disunions" or "homosexual dysjunctions"

I'm sure your readers can come up with even better descriptive options. Keep up the great work of prying our eyes open to see the truth by which we were created to function.

Chuck,
I pledge to not use that term anymore. You are right, words mean things and have power. I'm still amazed that the homosexuals have turned there movement into a civil rights when all along it should've been a "health rights and warning" to all of us. How many tragic deaths have occured because of AIDS etc and the diseases that go with homosexuality.
I also agree with Jorge who says that we should not call them gay. There is truly nothing gay about the lifestyle. There is much loneliness, abuse and suicide that is covered by the media.

Chuck, I have definitely taken the pledge!

I've also taken it with the abortion issue & so I refuse to say "pro-choice". It is "pro-abortion" vs. "pro-life". How can we let the press & others destroy the use of the word 'choice'? Choice always has an object attached! We can be pro the 'choice for abortion' or 'pro the choice for life'.

The ability to choose is also one of THE critical distinctions of our having been made in God's image. HE is the First Chooser! Every choice made in the history of man comes from God's having chosen to create a being who shares in His capacity to choose!

I also have to agree with refusing to use the word "gay" in the context of homosexuality. I'm sad that this word has been utterly destroyed by our culture. I feel I cannot use it at all.

I have attempted to use the phrase, 'sodomite unions', but it feels frightening to use because of how completely it goes against the accepted grain of our culture. It is an absolutely true statement, but I find it very difficult to use.

As

Great "two-minute" clip.

O.K. Here's the "dictionary.com" meaning of the word: "verbicide": THE WILLFUL DISTORTION OR DEPRECIATION OF THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF A WORD...and A PERSON WHO WILLFULLY DISTORTS THE MEANING OF A WORD.

I pledge to put a bridle on my tongue so that I may use words as that bring clarity and not confusion.

Very sobering that someone like Chuck Colson missed that "gay marriage" distortion that is being imposed on our culture. That tells me we ought to be all the more vigilant these days as the enemy of humanity is trying to destroy our culture with not just suicides, homicides, abortacides, but also verbacide.

We can be "culture-changers" by doing something as seemingly small as making sure our words keep their original meaning. Who's "cide" are you on?

@Mom

The only point I'll add to your great post is that homosexual activists using the "oppressed minority" card to shame heterosexuals is starting to backfire.

A great example is the Netherlands, which really contributed to the West declaring homosexuality as normal and healthy as skin color. Naturally, the Dutch government went to great lengths passing laws to silence and marginalize those who disagreed with this lie (e.g., Christians).

That's no longer the case because of the rise of radical Islamists, who run around attacking Dutch homosexuals. Read recent examples below:

http://bigpeace.com/nmay/2010/09/07/violence-against-gays-in-amsterdam/#idc-cover

How does the Dutch government respond? By ignoring the Islamists' criminal actions.

Why? Because radical Islamists are a minority compared to the more numerous White Dutch homosexuals and are thus "oppressed." Hence, radical Muslims can freely attack homosexuals, who are viewed by the Dutch government as the "oppressors."

Such is the cruel irony of homosexual activism in the West.

I have rarely used the term "gay marriage" when speaking with others or in my writings for simply the reasons you list. But I have also refused to used the term "gay" when referring to homosexuals or the homosexual lifestyle. I believe it conveys an equally false idea of homosexuality. There is nothing gay about sin or a lifestyle that shortens one's lifespan and threatens one's spiritual well being.

Thank to the BP friend and listener for pointing out the power of words and how we refer to the unnatural unions being promoted in our society. The pen is mightier than the sword rings as true today as when it was first written. Another point to make, nowhere are we condemning the individuals in biblically based discussion, but the actions and results, the hate speech is mostly authored by the advocates of the unnatural group's actions. Let's not homogenize the issue with soft pleasing words but ones full of the reality of the situation. Amen

Your argument is not logical. Hitler and Stalin both "won" for a length of time. That certainly did not make them right. You are just looking for justification for your unnatural behavior.

The fact of the matter is that you and your ilk are so afraid of losing control a little bit at a time that you are desperate to remove any forward progress of our society. Face it - you are on the losing side of history. Anytime in the HISTORY of the WORLD that an oppressed group of any meaningful size has stood up and said "Enough is enough! This far and no farther. We are taking what you would deny us," they have won. Blacks, India, Australians, Jews, and now the gays. You have ignored us, ridiculed us, and fought us, and now you are losing the battle. The tide has begun to turn in our favor, not because we are doing anything differently, we are winning because your attacks are becoming more scurilous, more desperate, and ring hollow with the lies that they are built upon that AVERAGE people are beginning to see them for what they really are. So go ahead, continue to ignore us and say what you want to behind our backs, but the TRUTH is we have the law, history and dare I say God, on OUR side. Or else we would be losing, dson't you think?

What about the term "sexual orientation." A label? A political, cultural construct? I'll try: Unbridled sexual behavior targeting preferences related to attractions,not necessarily exclusive, usually having obsessive and compulsive components.

Your clarification on this subject has been very helpful to me. If our society goes forward with redefining marriage to include anyone and anything, marriage will come to mean nothing. I pledge to reserve my use of the word marriage to clearly indicate my support of the historical and Biblical meaning of that word. I will also take care to point this out to my children for it is ultimately for their benefit that the followers of Christ must continue to stand firm on this issue.

If we are to be consistent, not only should we not call gay marriage "marriage" but we should not be calling it "gay." There is nothing gay about this. I submit that we use "sodomite unions." This is the correct description and it is what we should use.

Thank you so much for this 2 minute warning. I am going to share with all that I know. I will take the pledge as well as I have been guilty. I so appreciate all the information on the website to enable us to explain why we are defending the institution of marriage as only between one man and one woman! Keep up the good work for Jesus!

I'll take the pledge to use the word "marriage" accurately.