After banning gay marriage, look what's next on the fundy agenda

[Socialist Dem]

"When you talk about protecting marriage, you need to talk about divorce," said Bryce Christensen, a Southern Utah University professor who writes frequently about family issues.

While Christensen doesn't oppose the campaign to enact state and federal bans on gay marriage, he worries it's distracting from immediate threats to marriage's place in society.

"If those initiatives are part of a broader effort to reaffirm lifetime fidelity in marriage, they're worthwhile," he said. "If they're isolated — if we don't address cohabitation and casual divorce and deliberate childlessness — then I think they're futile and will be brushed aside."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=3&u=/ap/protecting_marriage

[ClassWarrior]

1. It's a poison pill. These immoral, irresponsible freaks will never...

...ban their precious divorce.

NGU.

[LizW]

6. Sure they will. For you. For me.

Never forget the double standard the Repugs love. They make the rules the rest of us have to live by, but they don't. Bill Clinton was a sinner because he fooled around with a younger woman. Newt Gingrich, who was doing the same thing at the same time, wasn't.

[Gman]

2. It will once again be a stigma to

be an "old maid" or a childless couple.

[teach1st]

3. I see kids hurt by divorce all the time...

..and stable families are a Good Thing from my perspective as an educator. But I worry about how these issues are to be addressed by the radical fundamental right. They have a history of attempting to ban anything they don't agree with with. Banning doesn't work. It often makes things worse.

We need to identify the causes of family dysfunction and apply societal fixes and support. But that's a pretty liberal solution and banning behavior seems so easy.

[tech3149]

12. Love your Jefferson quote

Do you have a source? I always try and second source to help assure authenticity.

Regarding the discussion, I agree that divorce has many negative impacts and children are most at risk. The risk imposed by the radical right is only one of many that are based on belief or limited understanding. I've spent my adult life addressing failures and trying to correct them in the best fashion possible. I've seen the "treat the symptom rather than cure the disease" become more common in every aspect of life. It may provide short term results, but the root cause will assure the problem continues. A guiding principal for me is Proverbs 4:7 regarding knowledge and understanding. Having the knowledge is only the beginning, you must understand what that knowledge can do to affect a change.

[Straight Shooter]

4. Sounds to me like another fundy trying to make a name for himself

A little competition for Dobson, maybe.

Who wants to make a bet that Mr. Christensen secretly fantasizes about sex with a fishnet-stockinged dominatrix who fastens a leather leash to his diamond-studded collar and whips him with a feathered riding crop.

[Warpy]

5. Deliberate childlessness?

I suppose that will cover people like me who were childless per physician's order. I also suppose it'll mean an end to birth control for all couples.

Casual divorce? I suppose that covers women who resent being beaten or people of either sex who are trying to financially survive an alcoholic or drug addicted spouse.

Cohabitation? Yeah, and don't forget to bust up all those elderly couples who cohabit so their social security won't be decreased by marriage.

These people are beyond sick.

[tekriter]

7. Well, from their point of view...

if you have a medical reason for not having children it must be God's just punishment for some horrible sin.

Obviously God doesn't want non-deserving people to have kids, right?

[AndyTiedye]

8. All Of These Are On Their Agenda Already

> I suppose that will cover people like me who were childless per physician's order.

Medical necessity means nothing to them. They want to force women to
carry to term even if it kills them. The baby is worth far more to them.

> I also suppose it'll mean an end to birth control for all couples.

THEY claim (based on nothing) that most effective forms of birth control
are really abortion, and they want to ban them too. Their pharmacists
are already refusing to fill prescriptions for the Pill (and steal/destroy your prescription so you have to go to the doctor again)
and they have state laws to back them up in some places.
Birth control may well be illegal very soon.

> Casual divorce? I suppose that covers women who resent being beaten

Especially them. According to some Fundies, wife-beating is OK because
it was common in Biblical times.

> or people of either sex who are trying to financially survive an
> alcoholic or drug addicted spouse.

I'm sure they have a faith-based program for that. There are no
more devout Fundies than "recovering" alcoholics.

> Cohabitation? Yeah, and don't forget to bust up all those elderly
> couples who cohabit so their social security won't be decreased by
> marriage.

WHAT social security?

[DBoon]

10. Attack Roe v. Wade -> attack on contraception

Roe. V. Wade was based on legal precedents set in the 1960's, striking down state anti-contraceptive laws. The precendent set was that of privacy in sexual matters between adults.

If Roe v. Wade is overturned, expect these precedents to be weakened as well, and a whole host of morality legislation will crawl out of the closet.

[neebob]

9. Deliberate childlessness is a problem?

If so, I'm pretty sure I don't want to hear how to address it.

[DireStrike]

11. Of course it's a problem!

Where is all the cheap labor gonna come from?

[AnIndependentTexan]

13. If those idiots go after divorce I'll be pissed. The FUNDIE BASTARDS don't

Know a damn thing about what they are talking about. I'm a child that was effected by PARENTS NOT HAVING A DIVORCE. My parents kept fighting everyday. The only reason why they have stayed together is because they thought it would be worst for the kids if they were a part. I remember everyday of hell listening to it at all hours.

It was getting so bad that my mom was trying to start physical fights with my dad. The worst part is my mom wouldn't realize what she was doing and then TAKE IT out on us kids. She was emotional unstable. There were moments were I felt like KILLING MYSELF was the only option because I WAS TIRED OF IT ALL.

Right now my dad is living at his parents apart from my mom. My dad and I actual spend more time together. We go to the movie every Friday. I also recently went to my grandparents house on his side. My parents aren't divorce, but they are also avoiding each other as much as possible. There are still moments that my mom is a loaded gun emotional waiting to go off, but it isn't as bad as when my father was here.

This is also one reason why I am on democratic underground so much. At 17 I paid for a webtv unit. That was my first connection to the internet. It was because of the internet and being able to find myself and speaking to others online that I became emotional stable. I believe if I didn't have the internet I would have killed myself back then with what I was going through pressure wise.

[OneBlueSky]

14. outlawing masturbation, of course . . .

Operation Infinite Purity
http://www.whitehouse.org/initiatives/purity/index.asp

[Greylyn58]

15. Here Are My Thoughts

on that from another thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2733538#2733632

[ldf]

16. i just sent this to my partner

and his immediate response was that you will always be able to tell the TRULY christian women, because they will still be wearing their bouffant hairdos UNDER their burkas.

:evilgrin: