As the clock struck midnight marking the start of 2008, dozens of gay and lesbian couples stood outside the New Hampshire Statehouse to enter into civil unions.
Beginning this year, civil unions for same-sex couples are legally recognized in New Hampshire. The law was adopted and signed in May 2007.
"We've been together 20 years; we've been waiting for this moment for 20 years; finally the state will recognize us as we are," said Julie Bernier who was joined by partner Joan Andresen.
Organizers of the outdoor ceremony said they checked in 37 gay and lesbian couples for the 11 p.m. event on Monday.
Same-sex "marriage" advocates cheered while no protesters were seen at the Statehouse.
Michael Hein of The Christian Civic League of Maine was the lone opponent who drove 180 miles from Augusta, Maine, and passed out statements denouncing homosexuality. He also attended the event to "report to the people of Maine that this is going on next door," according to The Associated Press.
"Without our vigilance in Maine, (civil unions are) something that could occur as soon as next year," Hein said to AP.
Meanwhile, V. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, announced that he will marry his same-sex partner in June.
"I always wanted to be a June bride," Robinson recently told an audience at a Florida law school during a lecture series on Sex, Morality and Law.
Robinson caused uproar when he became the first openly gay bishop to be consecrated in 2003. Conservative Anglicans worldwide have denounced the consecration and called for repentance.
New Hampshire became the fourth state - following Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey - in the nation to allow civil unions when Democratic Gov. John Lynch signed the bill into law last year. The civil unions law gives same-sex couples the same rights, responsibilities and obligations of marriage without calling the union a marriage.
Same-sex "marriage" supporters are expected to push for "full marriage equality - with the word marriage - soon," said state Rep. Jim Splaine, a sponsor of the civil unions bill.
Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex "marriage." New Hampshire estimates that as many as 3,500 to 4,000 civil unions will be performed this year.
Comments
The Bible wasn't written by God nor was it written by Jesus. The bible was written by men. It has it's strengths and it's discrepancies. You should take in with a grain of salt. In addition, there are thousands of ways to interpret the bible.
1 Timothy 4:1
[ The Great Apostasy ] Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
1 Timothy 4:1-3 (in Context) 1 Timothy 4 (Whole Chapter)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
2 Timothy 4:2-4 (in Context) 2 Timothy 4 (Whole Chapter)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
2 Peter 2:1
[ Destructive Doctrines ] But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:1-3 (in Context) 2 Peter 2 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 2:4
[ Doom of False Teachers ] For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;
2 Peter 2:3-5 (in Context) 2 Peter 2 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 2:12
[ Depravity of False Teachers ] But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,
2 Peter 2:11-13 (in Context) 2 Peter 2 (Whole Chapter)
2 Peter 2:18
[ Deceptions of False Teachers ] For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error.
2 Peter 2:17-19 (in Context) 2 Peter 2 (Whole Chapter)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
" Our job as Christians is to show love the same way Christ did..... lovingly tell them they are in sin"
No it isn't. Christ said that our job is to love all our neighbors. He didn't say anything about judging them, condemning them, or 'lovingly' tell them that God hates them and will make them burn in hell. There is no lovingly way to hate a person, and when you fight basic rights to be free of discrimination in the workforce or living quarters, you are doing just that.
Or would you rather me go through the several hundred sins in the Bible and see which ones you violate, and then lovingly tell you how wrong you live your life? Oh, I don't think you would want to hear it. Neither do we.
Beloved, may I suggest that Maranatha7593 is correct. Part of the reason the homosexual community does not like Christianity is not just because God has deemed it an immoral act, homosexuals wrestle with this on a daily basis and don't need to be reminded. No, I believe that another part of the overall reason is that Christians can be more overwhelmed with "the law" more than "the love" as we have been so commanded. We have a tendency to shove Bible versus down the homosexual community's throat instead of opening our hearts and pouring God's love to these same. I myself am guilty of this.
Does this mean that I condone homosexuality? Of course not. The Word of God is quite clear on this. However, that sin, as with any sin, is between the sinner and God himself. What should I believe that my sin is less than theirs? Why should I believe that my rebellion in some areas is less worse than their rebellion in their areas?
Beloved, our jobs as Christians is not to judge, but to point the way. If we point the way using the law, we will have as much success as Lot did. If we point the way with love, we will have a far greater success rate. That is what people will respond to. That is what they are craving, this inner love that they think that only other people can fulfill, but will only be fulfilled by Jesus Himself.
What would get the better response, somebody who just slams the law down and says "obey or go to Hell"; or somebody who opens their hearts and serves them, as Jesus Himself came to serve us.
"Through our service to others, as Jesus served us, the called of them shall come forth and serve with us."
kc,
It's a conspiracy, man.
dongard, Where did you hear that???
saying that Christians have never harmed or jailed homosexuals is simply not true. Not only have christians in positions of authority persecuted homosexuals, but throughout the christian era uncountable numbers of christian leaders have called for the most severe tortures and deaths of people whose only crime was to engage in a sex act.
Most Christian leaders today do not demand extreme penalties, only because they know that most people would not support it. The desire to imprison gays just because they are gay still runs deep.
maranatha7593:
"Is it a loving thing to lie to them, to tell them that God approves of that form of immorality when God's Word is so clear that He doesn't? God tells us in His Word to speak the truth in love. If we do not speak the truth, we do not love."
Amen maranatha!!! I hate it when people say I hate homosexuals because I tell them that they are in sin. Our job as Christians is to show love the same way Christ did..... lovingly tell them they are in sin (using the law aka 10 commandments) and tell them to repent and trust in Jesus Christ.
God bless,
Anthony
www.bellybutton88.blogspot.com
iff: " Actually Jesus didn't condemn gay people at all. Only Paul in the NT and the Book of Leviticus in the OT say anything that could come close to being interpreted as having anything to say about gay people."
Jesus continually affirmed the Word of God, including the OT. He did not NEED to condemn homosexuality because He was always addressing Jews who already KNEW the moral law of God. He did not condemn incest, rape, and child molestation either - does that mean He "must have been in favor of" those forms of immorality as well? Of course not! Jesus expressly, specifically addressed God's original plan for man and woman in Matthew 19 and made it clear that plan has not changed.
Paul and the other NT letter writers were addressing GENTILE believers who did not have the foundation of God's moral law in their lives; therefore, they needed that instruction.
You accuse Christians of not "loving" homosexuals. Is it a loving thing to lie to them, to tell them that God approves of that form of immorality when God's Word is so clear that He doesn't? God tells us in His Word to speak the truth in love. If we do not speak the truth, we do not love.
"Homosexuals should be witnessed to lovingly and kindly with no compromise. Christians have never believed homosexuals should be stoned or harmed in anyway. Just witnessed to, but homosexuals are trying to make law that will force Christian to be silent or jailed for their faith. Taking away parent authority in schools forcing youngsters to embrace this sin."
Well said! You've addressed both sides of the coin here, and done it well. :-)
Quecat: "All of God's MORAL laws contained in the Mosaic covenant, by the way, are repeated in the New Testament. So it's not really all that difficult for us to determine what is moral law and still good for us today, versus what is civil or ceremonial law and therefore limited to Israel as a theocracy in Old Testament time. Of the Ten Commandments of the Mosaic Covenant, for example, all are moral laws, with the exception of one- keeping the Sabbath."
Well said! I really wish more people could grasp this truth.
iff wrote: "Maranatha - Not once have I ever seen you scold a "Christian" who says stuff like that though so in essence you are just as bad as them."
iff, I haven't *seen* anyone "say stuff like that".
Not only have you not corrected "Christians" who made statements not in agreement with God's Word, you yourself have contradicted the Word of God.
Regarding stoning sinners of any sort, you won’t find that in the New Testament. However you will find each sin unequivocally condemned as being a sin. God ultimately will judge these behaviors. It is only for we as Christians to warn our fellow man of the destructive path that he may be walking.
(sorry for the delay in part 2 of this post - I'm in Iowa and had to go caucus)
Go Huckabee! :)
(continued from earlier post)
All of God's MORAL laws contained in the Mosaic covenant, by the way, are repeated in the New Testament. So it's not really all that difficult for us to determine what is moral law and still good for us today, versus what is civil or ceremonial law and therefore limited to Israel as a theocracy in Old Testament time. Of the Ten Commandments of the Mosaic Covenant, for example, all are moral laws, with the exception of one- keeping the Sabbath. Thus all of the "Big Ten" (except the Sabbath) are found in the New Testament. They were not "thrown out" with the coming of Christ. (continued)
Quecat - It has been doing the same to me.