Message Replied To ==========
I wonder about something. Most military personnel I've met are some form of XN
And usually a more conservative form. I imagine that much of the military is made up of this type of person.
Is the next fundy push, then, to discourage evangelicals from serving in th he armed forces? After all, can a fundamentalist reasonably be expected to sacrifice their life for a country that allows gay marriage? And if this became a popular stance, how would it affect the military?
I don't think this will happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if it did.
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Of the guys that I have worked with over the last 10 years, few would qualify as evangelicals and most, while they might identify themselves as Christians, do not make most decisions based on their faith. I am not comfortable, as a supervisor living within the rules of the workplace, with giving spontaneous witness to the guys that work for me or initiating discussions on matters of faith so I cannot be sure of this statement. However, I am a Gideon and have a half dozen New Testaments siting on a side table here in the office. In five years I have had one Soldier pick one up.
I have come to believe that the gay marraige issue being a hot button is more generational than anything. I have stated here many times that I am against gay marriage for religious reasons and against GLBT openly serving in the military for morale/esprit issues. It is my observation that the morale/esprit issue is generational. The older a Soldier is the more emotional they are on the issue. Younger guys that come through here (33-38 is younger among the folks here) are not as adamant or at least not as vocal.
I have tried to articulate my own position as I sit, a 56 year old retired Soldier who still works on a daily basis with those still in uniform. I am against gay marriage but know that there will come a time when it is a fact of life. I am still concerned with openly gay Soldiers serving in the ranks. There have been incidents that I know of personally that have ruined careers and broken units apart.
I believe homsexual acts are a sin. I also believe that lusting after the girls in the Mullet Toss Bikini contest picture below is a sin. I am thankful for a forgiving Lord who accepts that I am a sinner. Finally, I do not believe it is within my portfolio as a Christian to force the world to fit my view. Faith is an individual relationship with our creator and it is not my place to throw stones.
I love my country despite her flaws and would again take up arms in her defense if that became nesessary whether gay marriage is legal or not. The Old Lady ain't perfect, she never was, but she's mine and I believe that she is still the best hope for this world.
