Really it is confusing.

Gate Watching

A woman arrived at the Gates of Heaven. While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked through the gates. She saw a beautiful banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had loved and who had died before her.

They saw her and began calling greetings to her "Hello - How are you! We've been waiting for you! Good to see you."

When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, "This is such a wonderful place! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," Saint Peter told her.

"Which word?" the woman asked.

"Love."

The woman correctly spelled "Love" and Saint Peter welcomed her into Heaven.

About a year later, Saint Peter came to the woman and asked her to watch the Gates of Heaven for him that day. While the woman was guarding the Gates of Heaven, her husband arrived.

"I'm surprised to see you," the woman said. "How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been doing pretty well since you died," her husband told her. "I married the beautiful young nurse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the multi-state lottery. I sold the little house you and I lived in and bought a huge mansion and my wife and I traveled all around the world. We were on vacation in Cancun and I went water skiing today. I fell and hit my head, and here I am. What a bummer! How do I get in?"

"You have to spell a word," the woman told him.

"Which word?" her husband asked.

"Czechoslovakia."

Rex,
I couldn't agree more, homosexual couples should be recognised in law, politically we take the taxes they pay, the effort they give to build this nation, as far as I am concerned you can't have it both ways, either don't accept the taxes and effort, or give them what is rightfully theirs, if the government can't bring itself to call it marriage, fine, call it an official union, call it anything, but do it. Warren Entch MP for Cairns {Liberal} agrees with this approach. Sadly his party don't.

I am much divided on this issue. So I’m not going to rant and rave about what I think is right or wrong. Instead, I’m going to give the Conservatives a couple of things to think about…

1. If gay couples can’t have some sort of legally recognised union (I’m not necessarily endorsing full-blown marriage), then, when they adopt children, there is less legal and financial stability for the child, particularly in the event of a separation.

What’s that I hear you say? “Gay couples shouldn’t be adopting children because they can’t provide the balance of both the male and female role-models?”

Well…maybe so. But would you prefer parentless children stay in an orphanage with NO role-model at all, and potentially suffer the sexual abuse they often encounter in orphanages?

Do you honestly think it is better for children to be sexually abused during their childhood in an orphanage with no one to guide them during those precious years than it is for them to be adopted by a gay couple, who are quite capable and willing to provide a safe and loving home for these children?

I didn’t think so.

2. This one’s for the Religious-Right…

I hear you harp on about how much of an abomination of God homosexuality is, yet you remain strangely quiet when your wealthy fellow Christians destroy the livelihoods of ordinary people and society in general through their incessant pursuit for larger profits.

OK. This isn’t so relevant in Australia, but take a look at your counter-parts in the U.S. Most of the filthy rich corporate big-wigs in America claim to be Christian and you all pat them on the back for their success while completely ignoring their blatant breaches of what The Bible preaches (i.e. caring for those in need). Instead you attack homosexuals for their lifestyle, which, let’s face it, doesn’t hurt anyone else.

The Christian-Right are so hell-bent on bagging gays when their own kind are committing far bigger sins than homosexuals will ever be guilty of.

The Christian-Right have no perspective – Let’s hope God does…

SHONGA,

“50 y.o. married with a child heterosexual Catholic male” doesn’t make you a Christian more than sleeping in your garage will make you a car.

Yes there are Christians who have homosexual tendencies – but if they are practicing homosexual they cannot call themselves Christians... unless they truly repent.

The bible is very clear on that; and is not open to interpretation like you were led to believe. All sins are abhorrent to God; there is no difference between pedophilia, rape, pre-marital sex, adultery, theft, cheating on tax returns…

With God there is no room for hypocrisy. God hates sin.

What would you have done if you discovered that after x years of marriage your wife or child was gay?

No we don’t burn witches at the stake anymore but that doesn’t mean they should not be given the opportunity to repent and sin no more.

There is a vast difference between compassion and acceptance of sinful behaviour. God loves his creation but hates their disobedience.

Homosexuality is a flagrant disobedience to God. Putting selfish desires before obedience to God’s laws.

As for your last comment: “…you can't have it both ways, either don't accept the taxes and effort, or give them what is rightfully theirs,…” I think those are separate matters. Paying taxes is a citizen duty in a democratic society, living an immoral sinful life is harmful to self and to society and therefore NOT a citizen right.

Wait a minute, I have heard all these arguements from another forum title, from the same people with not one change of thread or view. I always said that I am more than happy for my gay friends to get married, and I hope they invite my children to their weddings too.

I also said that this is civil union, not marriage, so we keep the Church out of this, and keep this out of the Church. I mentioned that if you are not a consenting adult gay couple wanting to have a civil union based on commitment and love, then it is none of you freakin business anyway.

You can hate them in the privacy of your own Churches of hate, but let the innocent couples commit their love to eacher, not to wear it on their sleave, not to make a spectacle, not to shove it down anyone's neck and make a big deal about it. Just leave them alone and stop this bullying. Any form of bullying to any minority group is sickening in a country that pretends to be a liberal democracy. The gay couples just want their own lives in a commitment of love. At least they have a foundation for a life.

As to the "practicing homosexual", that is a hillarious phrase, if you think it is like playing a clarinet, you will never get it right.

They are borne with it dum dum, no practice is needed.

BTW. If one of my kids told be they were gay, I would hug them and make me promise one thing. Please do not leave home until you are 21. A protective parent, I don't want to interfer, I just want to be there for them, not spying, not looking, just being there if they need me. I know full well that it aint easy for gay kids left abandoned by hateful parents, they leave them vulnerable to vultures who prey on their innocence.