Posted on 01/12/2002 2:14:54 PM PST by GrandMoM
News headline Retrieved
Gay Ambassador Troubles Embassy Staff
Story: Little attention was drawn to Michael Guest's homosexual relationship with his "partner" during his confirmation process as President Bush's ambassador to Romania. However, those working under Guest in Bucharest now find it difficult to avoid his flaunting of the relationship, according to an American embassy worker who recently spoke with FRC.
Although Guest had been active in a gay and lesbian group within the State Department, he was not publicly identified as being homosexual until his swearing-in on September 18, when Secretary of State Colin Powell acknowledged Guest's "partner," Alex Nevarez, during the ceremony.
Nevarez, a former teacher, relocated to Romania with Guest and now lives with him there in the residence provided to the ambassador by the U.S. government.
According to our source, several families in the embassy community have expressed concern about the ambassador's living arrangement, and at least one will no longer bring their children to embassy social events because they do not want them exposed to the example set by Guest and his "partner."
For example, Guest and Nevarez escorted one another as a couple at the embassy's annual Marine Corps Ball, a highly formal event. "It's causing me to have to compromise the values I raise my family by," the source said.
The appointment of Guest to serve in Romania showed a particular cultural insensitivity, given that the country is a stronghold of the conservative Eastern Orthodox Church.
Our source indicated that the Orthodox Church is represented at virtually all government ceremonies in Romania. One Romanian professor, in a letter to a Bucharest daily newspaper, said that "Romanians . . . cannot comprehend homosexual acts in any other way but as a deviation from the natural order and the world created by the Lord," and he noted that the Guest appointment "generates bewilderment, indignation, and disgust among the Romanians."
Romanian laws relating to homosexuality were recently liberalized, but only under coercion from the European Union, to which Romania hopes to gain entrance. Although Guest has denied he will promote a "gay agenda" as ambassador, his mere presence in Bucharest is already having that effect.
Another person serving at the embassy held a meeting in November to encourage leaders of Romania's fledgling "gay movement." And some embassy employees fear that Bucharest will gain a reputation as a "gay-friendly" post, so that more homosexuals will request assignment there. Ambassador Guest's treatment of same-sex "partners" (including his own) as the equivalent of married spouses is a mere half step away from government endorsement of "same-sex marriage." Not only does this violate the spirit of the 1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act (which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman), but it is also a distraction from the important work of our embassy in Romania.
A: Can you show me where in the Constitution is says anything about that?
B: What is 'Judeo-Christianity' anyway? Is that a particular branch of Christianity? Where can I find a Judeo-Christian church? Do they celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas?
Were any of the Founding Fathers Jews? About all that can be said of the Founding Fathers is they were a mixture of Protestant denominations with maybe a Deist or two.
A: Can you show me where in the Constitution is says anything about that?
Good evening. =)
The constitution and the Declaration Of Independance both incorporate the religious beliefs of the founders. The bill of rights is a good example. If you look at the worlds religions you will notice that only in Judeo-Christianity do human beings have any special rights or dignity. Look at the countries who are founded or ruled by Islam and you will see no such treatment of human beings. Indeed, they have little or no worth. The same holds true for Hinduism or any other pagan form of religion, which is why I fight so vigorously against cultural paganism.
B: What is 'Judeo-Christianity' anyway? Is that a particular branch of Christianity? Where can I find a Judeo-Christian church? Do they celebrate both Hannukah and Christmas?
Judeo-Christianity is a generic term that incorporates the philosophy of both Jews and Christians. The christian religion stems from Judaism. I posted a thread a while back that outlines our shared roots. [Jesus the Jew] To sum it up in a few words, both religions are based on Love of God [the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob] and love of neighbor. Although Jews don't recognize Christ, the basic philosophy on how to live life is much the same. I hope you will take a peek at that thread and let me know what you think.
Were any of the Founding Fathers Jews? About all that can be said of the Founding Fathers is they were a mixture of Protestant denominations with maybe a Deist or two.
Again, Christianity sprang from Judaism and still hold many of the same phiolosphies, as opposed to Islam or other religions which are not based on love.
http://www.bowdoin.edu/~sbodurt2/court/cases/bowers.html
I don't have the time to unpack all of that, but I'll offer a few points.
The foundation of 'Judeo-Christianity' is the Ten Commandments, is it not? The first commandment is "You shall have no other gods before me." The first Amendment begins "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..." How do you reconcile those two seemingly opposite principles?
What do you mean by 'special rights or dignities?' Do you mean that pagans and Moslems have no rights or dignities? What special rights and dignities do Christians and Jews have? Also, how is 'cultural paganism' different from paganism?
Judeo-Christianity is a generic term that incorporates the philosophy of both Jews and Christians. The christian religion stems from Judaism.
And did the founders have generic religious views that incorporated both Christian and Jewish philosophies? No, they were Christian. Not just Christian, but Protestant. I'm looking forward to reading your article about the Jewish antecedents of Christianity, but I don't see how it could be relevant to the 'foundation' of this nation.
You are beyond the reach of reason.
The foundations of Judaism actually begins a little earlier than the ten commandments. The God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob spoke to Moses near mount Horab about leading the Jewish people out of bondage from the land of Egypt. It is outlined in the old testament in the book of Exodus.
You are correct that the first commandment is "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other Gods before me." The establishment clause in no way takes away from this commandment. It was simply put in place to prevent what happened in England from happening here. People being the falliable creatures we are, misuse religion in the name of power given half the chance. This doesn't negate the fact that our founding principles were based on the religion of love.
What do you mean by 'special rights or dignities?' Do you mean that pagans and Moslems have no rights or dignities? What special rights and dignities do Christians and Jews have? Also, how is 'cultural paganism' different from paganism?
[True]Christians and Jews believe that humanity has a singular dignity apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, which gives us special rights, chief among those are Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I mean that moslems have the same dignity that all human beings have except that Islam denies them these fundemental rights. They are treated with no more respect than dogs.
I say cultural paganism [as opposed to paganism] because of the lifestyle. When speaking on general terms, Paganism includes the worship of gods and goddesses. I am not referring to that. I'm referring to the fundemental differences between cultural chirstianity and cultural paganism.
Christianity is based on concrete moral truths. Cultural paganism is based on feel-good relativism. For example, we can use homosexuality. See post 181.
And did the founders have generic religious views that incorporated both Christian and Jewish philosophies? No, they were Christian. Not just Christian, but Protestant.
Indeed, many were fundamentalist protestant. This does not change the foundation, as the two greatest commandments are the basis of Judeo-Christianity--Love of God and love of neighbor.
I'm looking forward to reading your article about the Jewish antecedents of Christianity, but I don't see how it could be relevant to the 'foundation' of this nation.
It has nothing to do with the founding of the country, except from the standpoint of outlining our moral base--outlining "Judeo-Christianity."
There ya go Dubya.. Now, please refrence this for the future.
I suggest you go read up on pagan religions, because this statement proves that you are woefully ignorant of the beliefs of several of them.
I would have referred you to the Army Chaplains Manual on various religions, but the site I had bookmarked is gone. You can look here for decent but less thorough coverage.
I'll read the link. Thanks.
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