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What I have to deal with from my MIL....
This is an email she wrote me after weeks of ranting and raving about finding out I agree with gay marriage.
I was very surprised to find out that you feel it's ok to be gay, I believe in god and what the bible says & it clearly states a man was made for a woman, and that if you have sex with the same gender you are going to burn in HELL. That is how I feel and I have no problem letting any one know. It makes me sick what the country has become when people thank it's ok to go against God and to do what ever they want.
PS. If we all went gay the world as we know it would end
This is what I want to write back....but my husband said I can't unless I want to start a war, and I respect his wishes.
I agree to disagree, but I still have my thoughts on this subject as well as you do. What people do in the privacy of their own home is no ones business but their own, regardless if they are gay or straight. My uncle, cousins and a few very close friends of mine are gay and I hold them very close to my heart which is why I am the way I am... a liberal as you told my husband. I myself have experimented with women and was always very hurt by the comments you always make about homosexuals, but always kept my mouth shut to keep the peace with you. I have told you numerous times that I was okay with homosexuals and you always replied with "oh, Adrienne is too"...what that is supposed to mean, I have no clue. I also believe in God, but I also have my own mind. I don't feel that I should live my life based on a book, and people who try to shove it down my throat makes me want to act against it even more. No one has the right to judge others because they are different. Everyone sins on a daily basis, even you..and you can't deny that. So why is it different that homosexuals as you say "sin" by loving each other and getting married, but it's perfectly ok for people who are straight to kill each other, do drugs, drink, and cause themselves harm. I thought it was a "sin" to cause yourself and others harm...but I guess that's ok because they at least have the same sexual orientation as you. The world will not end... That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and for you to think that or believe that is absolutely ridiculous. I was raised to accept people for who they are, not for who they love or date or have sex with. You have no reason to be upset about this, for I am just defending my standpoint on the subject; as you said, i'm not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. For you to call my husband to talk crap about me, and expect him to keep a secret from me is the most immature thing I have seen in a long time from a 46 year old woman. If you have a problem with me, call me and talk to me. It's perfectly fine for you to defend your opinion or even attack my opinion is fine. But to sit there and attack me as a person and make it seem like I'm a bad person really hurt to hear, especially since you told my husband not to say anything....
Ok, how do you deal with this? I realize people have their own opinions but this is ridiculous. She called my husband and told him "shes just another f*g lover, and I'm disappointed because I thought my son married someone who saw everything like us, but don't tell her I said this" grr, it gets under my skin sooo bad that she puts my husband in the middle of a problem between me and her...
Re: What I have to deal with from my MIL....
I don't know....your MIL is someone you're going to have to be around for a long time. Even though you start out agreeing to disagree the final result will probably be your MIL being more upset. Know that by telling her you've experimented with women, you're giving her info that she'll probably continue to use against you. Perhaps you fight fire with fire by using other bible passages to point out her hipocrasy:
You must not wear clothing woven part of wool, part of linen.' [Deuteronomy 22:11]
'She (a rape victim) must marry the rapist, because he has violated her. And so long as he lives, he may not divorce her.' [Deuteronomy 22:29]
'...the dead man's wife must not marry a stranger outside the family. Her husband's brother must fulfill the duty of a brother and marry the dead man's wife.' [Deuteronomy 25:5]
'Do not cut off the hair on the sides of your head.' [Leviticus 19:27]
'Do not trim the edges of your beard.' [Leviticus 19:27]
This is a tough situation because you want to stand up for yourself, but you may be putting your husband in the middle of a cr@ppy situation. You could be the bigger person and just say "let's agree to disagree, I'll respect you and you'll respect me by not making derogitory comments about homosexuality in my presence."
Either way - good luck!
I knew the DP getting this Divinity degree would come in handy....
). This may be more specific than you ever wanted, but maybe will provide a little something to back you up to your MIL.
The main arguments that are used to "prove" biblical support against homosexuality come from the Old Testament. The Judeo Christian tradition of differentiating the Old from the New was because through the birth of Jesus, things were made new, so these passages have to be accepted in the context of the time. (We no longer have to sacrifice lambs, etc to be forgiven..."washed in the blood of The Lamb" refers to Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice, so we are "cleansed" through his death making the sacrificing obsolete.) The passages that are referred to in the New Testament are usually from Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, 1 Timothy 1, and Jude 1. If you take the words as they are in the original language, the interpretation that we have for English translates into an inexact meaning. Example: Romans 1 refers to the people of Rome (according to the anti-gay interpretation) going against what is natural when they were giving into their lusts for members of the same sex. When you look at the context of when Paul wrote this to the Christians in Rome, the city was known for its sexual debauchery. Earlier verses in this chapter note that some of the Christians there had turned to paganism where it was common to worship idols and engage in ritual sex orgies. The original Greek phrase that has been translated to be "vile affections" doesn't refer to passion or lust. It refers to a frenzied state of mind induced by many ancient cults in its worshippers by wine, drugs, and music. The Greek phase "para physin" is what has been translated "against nature" or "unnatural" or "immoral." But, the word actually translates into a broader sense that implies a mere deviation from common, ordinary experiences. This passage can be interpreted to mean that people with a heterosexual orientation engaging in same-sex behavior is against their nature, just as a homosexual person engaging in opposite-sex behavior would be against their nature. It has also been noted that neither same-sex or opposite-sex behavior in the context of a committed relationship is referred to at all in this example.
So, my point is that the context of the time in which the passage was written and the way it was translated has to be considered. If you're interested in more examples, let me know and I can send some more info and links your way. HTH at least a little.
So, I talked to DP and compiled this list of like 6 or 7 different web sites that were all on different topics. But then I found this site that basically lists them all in one place and gives a great summary of conservative viewpoints. Thought this may be helpful when dealing with your MIL knowing the basis of conservative Christian arguments too...
)
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm
They also discuss same-sex marriage, parenting, and some other topics that may be of interest in different areas of the site.
HTH!!!
Seriously, good luck. Your MIL is being totally unreasonable and definitely not following a Christian viewpoint. Intolerance and hatred is definitely not condoned anywhere in Scripture.
I'm sorry you have to deal with her.