If someone told you they were gay and married their partner?

I come in peace and I swear I'm not trying to start an argument here.





I'm openly gay and I realize that posting something in the Religion %26amp; Spirituality section is asking for trouble, but I'm not.





I know many religious denominations (for various reason) are against same-sex marriage and even though I disagree with the religious right, I respect them. This is America.





My initial question is: if you found out that a friend or loved one is gay, (or even someone you already knew to be gay) and that they had eloped and gotten married to their partner of the same-sex (somewhere where it was legal), how would you handle the situation?





Would you respect the couple as being ';married,'; even if you disagreed to that notion, or would you openly voice your opinion on their ';marriage?';If someone told you they were gay and married their partner?
I'd ask why I wasn't invited, and get them a wedding present anyway :)





Peace.If someone told you they were gay and married their partner?
Any friend of mine in that position would know my views very clearly. So there would be no need to restate them, and I would be free to continue with the friendship.





By the way, 'that' may be America, but 'this' is somewhere else. Some people think they are the centre of the universe ....





Incidentally my opinions apply to someone who is homophobic as well as homophilic.
I'd congratulate them and ask them where they had it done. I have gay friends waiting to get married.


If it was one of my existing gay friends that had taken off and eloped without inviting me, I'd be upset at first, but then forgive them and probably buy the happy couple a wedding present. Who wouldn't?
Marriage is a failed institution. It exists ONLY in the minds of anyone foolish enough to want to limit their sexual activity to one person. If someone says they are married, I just accept it. I certainly don't recognize the church and state as owners of any part of my life.
Absolutely you should respect the couple as being married. Marriage is not necessarily a legally binding document, it's a lifestyle. If they feel they're married, respect it as that.
I have no qualms myself with gay people forming loving committed relationships. I would be supportive of their marriage. I'm not religious but I do know that there are religious groups like Unitarian Universalists who support gay marriage.
I suppose witnessofJesus also believes that straight couples never cheat on their partners. As that is clearly not true, what a stupid answer.





Sorry not to respond to the actual question but I'm gay so my own views would be obvious!
I agree with The Dark Side





some believers respect LBG people and their marriages but that's a minority
I'd ask to see pics from the wedding/honeymoon (I love looking at wedding albums as lame as that sounds) and rush to get a gift when I got the chance.
I'd be a little upset that they didn't invite me to the wedding. Marriage is marriage so any other thoughts on the subject would be making an issue where there shouldn't be one.
I wouldn't give a flying hoot. I have gay friends. I'm not concerned with others love lives.
I'll congratulate them.
I would keep it to myself. It is wrong to meddle in other peoples affairs.
Well the big question here is, would my voicing my opinion do any good?





I have some gay friends. One of my best friends from High School is gay, and he recently got married. We sent him a gift. Wanted to go to the wedding but couldn't afford the trip to New Orleans. Though to be perfect I was a bit worried about taking my kids and the example it would set for them, as well.





Now, as a Conservative Christian I worry about my gay friends...same as I worry about my straight friends who are sleeping around. My religion tells me that they are in trouble. (Same as I am in trouble with God...just for different sins. My trying to act morally superior would be like someone who is dying of lung cancer getting down on a bunch of TB patients for being unhealthy.)





Now I know my gay friends through church, believe it or not. I know they struggle with their homosexuality, and they try to stick with their commitment to Christianity, and that they are trying their best and it hasn't been easy for them. I respect them for that.





But, back to the point...the question is, would stomping up and down make any difference?





If I felt that it might; I would consider it. However in the case of all the gay couples I have known (and it is less than a dozen), it wouldn't.


Making a scene would NOT benefit them, it would only be an ego feeder for me, a way to make myself seem ';holier than thou'; and that is the sin of pride. I would be causing them pain just so I could feel all special. That's wrong.





So I just send them a wedding present and keep in touch and pray for them. That is the most I can do.
I'm gay so my opinion is obvious. And by the way Larry R, what ';example'; are you worried your children might pick up? That's stupid and I cannot respect your opinion, besides I and I think all my gay and lesbian friends agree, that we do NOT need you to worry for us, we're perfectly normal people and do not need your prayers. Being gay is not ';contagious'; and certainly not a disease. I'm sorry but I simply can't and will never respect a bigoted point of view. You either accept me as a whole, including my unchangeable, natural sexual orientation or you don't. And saying that ';You love sinner, hate the sin'; is just plain stupid. You (Conservative Christians) dare to equate homosexuality with murder and robbery and say that you love us but not our sexual orientation?


That's a twisted logic.





I'm surprised that you (The asker) actually respect those bigoted opinions. The ';love'; they claim they show is severely twisted and not real. Do I hate them? Of course not, otherwise I'm a hater like they're.





edit: I believe that I ';tolerate'; their opinions but same way I ';tolerate'; the existence of KKK's opinions. I just certainly do NOT respect those opinions
if i had a freind come up to me, i would be first shocked.


but then i would think, their marriage could never be monogomous.


i would believe that one or both would commit adutery and cheat all the time.
Well to tell you the truth I would openly voice my opinion that I do not believe the marriage is of God but is that of man only. However that would not stop me from liking or even loving the family member or friend, and I would acknowledge their being together in much the same way I do the friends and family who are in a heterosexual relationship and living together with out being married, this I also believe to be a sin. Every one has sins they struggle with and only God is to judge them, it is a christians duty to preach repentance and salvation but not his duty to judge. Thus we are to follow the laws and rules God has set before us. I will give you a example. In the Church of Jesus Christ L.D.S. we are not by the Lords commandment to let those we know partake of the sacrament if we know they will be doing so unworthily as it will be doing so to their damnation, not their salvation. Or in other words they will be openly going against the Lords word. When they are by taking the sacrament giving their oath to obey his word. Thus God has no choice but to judge them as a liar. However we are to council and follow his example, and not judge that person but to try to help that person overcome the sin. We would not direct them not to attend church, in fact we would do just the opposite. However in the Church of Jesus Christ L.D.S. there are rules given by the Lord we also have to follow or it will be to our damnation as well. These rules include things like taking the sacrament and some service of the church like callings they cannot hold. This is not to deny the person spiritual experances but that the Lord does not and cannot except their behavior.
I would not be much of a friend if I remained silent while my friend was on a path of danger.A government might recognize gay marriage, but God does not. In God's eyes any sex outside of marriage between a man and his own wife (woman) is sin. When a nation's government approves of anything that is sinful like abortion or gay marriage it brings a curse upon the nation.


Our actions and thoughts are able to be controlled they are not genetic.


In the book of Matthew, Jesus says that if a man looks upon a woman to lust after her he has committed adultery with her in his heart already even if he does not have sex with her. Even our thoughts are considered sin if we do not control them. That would go for any type of sex.


I am not saying this because I hate gays, but because if I say this, then I might be able to save some from perdition.
I'm a Christian. The Bible is my reference book. It says that homosexuality is a sin. End of story. I've known lots and lots of gay people. They know how I feel and I know how they feel. If a gay ';couple'; got married, that wouldn't change ANYTHING with me. To me, that's outside of them. Some governing body has put its stamp of approval on their union. I don't blame them for doing it. (We all want to feel validated, right?) But you know that I view that governing body is one that panders to the homosexual agenda and ... well, just as I don't let my father-in-law and his girlfriend sleep together in my house, I wouldn't let the gay couple, ';married'; or not.





Lord bless.