Posted on 05/10/2012 5:04:55 AM PDT by IbJensen
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 9, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) – President Barack Obama has flip-flopped on gay “marriage” for the second time, endorsing same-sex marriage in an interview today, in which he said his decision was motivated in part by his Christian faith and his belief in the Golden Rule.
“I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama told ABC News reporter Robin Roberts in an interview to air this evening.
He added that his wife, Michelle, agreed with him. “We’ve talked about it over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way,” he said.
“We are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others,” Obama stated, “but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule.”
He explained his foot-dragging reticence to support full same-sex “marriage” by saying he “was sensitive to the fact that, for a lot of people, the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions – religious beliefs and so forth.”
However, Obama had previously implied the Bible supports homosexual unions. “I believe in civil unions that allow a same-sex couple to visit each other in a hospital or transfer property to each other,” he said in 2008. “If people find that controversial, then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans.”
The president told the media his newly articulated position represents his private views, and that he believes each state should make its own decisions about marriage. However, he has publicly opposed state initiatives to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman in North Carolina and Minnesota. His remarks come one day after North Carolina amended its constitution to affirm marriage is the union of one man and one woman.
Fox News anchor Sheppard Smith greeted the president’s statement by saying, “President Obama, now in the 21st century.”
In the ABC interview, Obama highlighted his service to the LGBT political agenda, including “rolling back Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” “no longer defending the Defense Against Marriage Act,” and supporting civil unions. However, he said his personal relationships with homosexuals convinced him he had to go further.
“Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples,” he added.
In today’s statement, Obama appeared to flip-flop on the issue of marriage for a second time. In 1996, while running for Illinois state senate against Alice Palmer, Barack Obama filled out a questionnaire from the homosexual activist group IMPACT stating, “I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages.” His aides later disavowed it.
As a U.S. Senate candidate in 2004, running against Alan Keyes, Obama said, “I’m a Christian. I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman.” He maintained that position in the 2008 presidential race.
Yet Obama had signaled his views on same-sex “marriage” would “evolve” since September 2010.
His most recent announcement followed closely on the heels of Vice President Joe Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan endorsing same-sex “marriage.”
Fox News Channel reports that according to numerous Democratic sources, the timing of today’s interview was not planned but came as a result of the vice president’s “gaffe.”
Obama’s likely 2012 rival Mitt Romney clarified his position in return, saying, “My view is that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman…I don’t intend to make any adjustments at this point – or ever, by the way.”
A transcript of the president’s remarks follows this video.
Transcript:
I have to tell you, as I said, I’ve been going through an evolution on this issue. I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally. That’s why in addition to everything we’ve done in this administration — rolling back Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, so that outstanding Americans can serve our country, whether it is no longer defending the Defense Against Marriage Act which tried to federalize what has historically been state law — I’ve stood on side of broader equality for the LGBT community. And, I hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient. That that was something that would give people hospital visitation rights and other elements that we take for granted. And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people, the word marriage was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth. But I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage. At a certain point, I’ve just concluded that for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married.
According to ABC, he continued:
Some of this is generational. You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same sex equality or, you know, sexual orientation that they believe in equality. They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.
This is something that, you know, we’ve talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do. And that is that, in the end the values that I care most deeply about and she cares most deeply about is how we treat other people and, you know, I, you know, we are both practicing Christians and obviously this position may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others but, you know, when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule, you know, treat others the way you would want to be treated. And I think that’s what we try to impart to our kids and that’s what motivates me as president and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I’ll be as president.
He has made no effort to bring all of Jesus’ comments, of the New Testament comments, and of the entire biblical record on the subjects of homosexuality and of marriage to bear on the topic at hand.
He is doing “fad” theology or “fly by the seat of his pants” theology, and he has come up sorely lacking.
Anyone who ignores Romans 1&2 on this subject simply has no place in the discussion.
Romans 1: 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. 24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator--who is forever praised. Amen. 26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. 28 Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.Romans 2:11 For God does not show favoritism. 12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares
Romans 1, underlined clearly demonstrates that same-sex relationships are a perversion and a rejection of God.
Romans 2, underlined, clearly demonstrates that NATURE itself, written into the conscience, teaches that which is sinful and unnatural.
Therefore, they are without excuse. In their hearts, they know that they engage in unnatural behavior that is an in-your-face rejection of God.
And Jesus clearly said the biblical example of marriage is at creation: "God made them male and female, and a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two of them shall be ONE FLESH.
One flesh is impossible with same-sex relationships. It is possible only with the union of male and female, and the evidence of ONE FLESH is having one flesh literally appear in the physical word embodied, ensouled, and a living, breathing new individual in the sight of God.
Soon (hopefully very soon), Hussein will have an opportunity to say this to the Judge, as he is being judged. There is NO doubt how the Judge feels about the matter. I suppose the real questions are whether he will repent, be cast into eternal darkness... or cast ALIVE in to the lake of fire.
“says support based on Jesus, Golden Rule”
So where is the leftist aka progressive perverted homosexual chant of, separation of church and state?
As a libertarian leaning conservative, I really don’t care what homos do behind closed doors. My opposition is to the normalization of the practice. I have a 3 year old son and society makes it difficult enough to raise him as it is. It really has nothing to do with religion or Bible verses... I find it obscene and I just don’t want him exposed to it and thinking it is a legitimate alternative.
Actually, there are NO states in which gay men and women are barried from marrying one another..
A gay man can marry a gay woman in any state in the Union. Assuming she's not a blood relative, or currently married to somebody else, and she's of age to consent.
If those two are “practicing Christians” I’m the Pope.
Jesus’s stance on marriage is explained in Luke from the wedding at Cana. Man and Woman.
Whoever Obama's paying to help him appear to be a Christian, to win the Evangelical vote...is doing a terrible job. He should ask me for a few pointers. First of all, "obscure reference in Romans" is a dead give away that he's never cracked a Bible. "Evangelicals" love Romans. They have it practically memorized. -"obscure reference in Zephaniah" might have been more appropriate. And, Obama, when you say things like, "Sin is...being out of alignment with my values." That is a blaring siren of Biblical ignorance. The Bible says, "Sin is being out of alignment with God's values." That's like the number one lesson in every book of the Bible. You really need some help. Your statements are New Age, relativist, & humanist. Basically, they are textbook comments that go back to the first sin in the Garden of Eden, when the serpent lied and told Adam and Eve that they could be equal with God. (Read the book "When the World Will Be As One") "New Age" is the oldest false religion. It is a lie. And as for your "church" or Rev. Wright, Evangelicals think it's a sad cartoon. Obama, call me. I'll explain Christianity to you. Maybe you'll get saved and start loving unborn babies.I don't want a political label, but Obama bears traits that resemble the anti- Christ and I'm scared to death that un- educated people will ignorantly vote him into office.
Obama’s words, “for me personally,” prove that neither the Koran or the Holy Bible are his authority. His own mind is the authority.
It was funny, when I quoted the verse about “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”,
my lib-in-law nodded in approval, like that was the way it should be...
Perhaps someone with a law degree can clarify this for me, but my assumption is that the Defense of Marriage Act, passed in the 1990’s and signed by Clinton, prevents people from invoking the Full Faith and Credit clause in states that do not recognize gay marriage.
So as long as Full Faith and Credit cannot be invoked, it really is a state by state issue. However, if the DFOM is repealled, than, all it takes is one state to recognize gay marriage for all 57 of them to be forced to recognize gay marriages performed in that state.
Just so you don’t think I’m trying to confuse the issue, I think a marriage is one man, one woman.
Let’s change the definition of car to include anything that moves.
Did you guys watch the Kentucky Derby Car race last weekend?
To me the same-sex marriage need not be a religious or moral issue.It simply goes contrary to human biology.And as has been stated many times on FR and elsewhere, no homosexual gene has been found.
I really don’t know why this is such a surprise. He is a left wing liberal and has been since day 1. There are many out there who truly believe that Christ approved homosexuality, in this day and age that isn’t a surprise either.
Blasphemer!!!!!
For a Christian, the Epistles have the same authority and weight as the Gospels, because they also contain the teachings of Christ.
Obama went to Notre Dame and presumed to tell Catholics that he will be the judge of what the Catholic Church should stand for. Now he is extending it to all Christians--he's the infallible interpreter of the Sermon on the Mount and the New Testament as a whole.
I guess we can add “Blasphemer” to the lengthy description of Barack Hussein Soetoro 0dinga Dogeater 0bama ... he’s an abortionist, homosexualist, gun-control-freak, big government, nanny-state, regulatory-state, BLASPHEMOUS socialist.
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