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Ken Schram is Wrong
KOMO News' Ken Schram says, "the judge blew it," when he issued a restraining order against releasing the names of those who signed Referendum 71.
He says, "And now we end up with a judge who ignores the law in favor of those who want to hide behind it."
Schram, however, admits that the people who are seeking to post the names online and "contact" those who signed are attempting to intimidate. "It's intimidation pure and simple," he says.
The judge is not ignoring the law, he is merely saying that in light of the "pure and simple intimidation" and the documented numerous cases of harassment that occurred during the signature gathering process, perhaps the law should be reviewed in light of these abuses.
I thought liberals were always up for reviewing social norms, laws, and even history itself.
However that part of the issue is not where Schram errors most.
Here's where Schram is way off the mark and his picture on the KOMO logo makes the point.
Right off the top Schram refers to all people of faith who believe in and actively defend natural marriage as, "the anti-gay crowd."
His sweeping, generalized accusation includes thousands of people who hold to a faith and belief that marriage has historically---for more than 5000 years, been between a man and a woman. Every culture has recognized this model because it is the only sustainable model for a successful society. Every major religion condemns homosexual relations. And for those of us who are Christians, we believe the Bible teaches that natural marriage is to be honored and that natural marriage is the biblical model.
We are not "anti" gay we are "pro" marriage.
Schram says, "I think Referendum 71 is a petty, mean-spirited attempt to suppress the rights of same-sex couples."
It isn't.
How many of us does Ken really know? Evidently not many. After working with tens of thousands of people across this state in gathering signatures, neither I, nor anyone else I have spoken with, met anyone who was doing what they were doing out of a mean spirit.
People of faith, who believe the Bible, have an abiding belief that homosexual relations are sin and that the lifestyle leads to a greatly diminished quality of life with eternal consequences. We also believe that people have a right to live as they choose. The spirit of biblical Christianity is to see all people experience the love, forgiveness, deliverance and restoration, regardless of what their sins may be, that comes through the power of a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Only when homosexual activists began to aggressively seek to redefine marriage and the family, did people of faith become active on this issue.
Ken, we are not trying to suppress anything. We are not "anti," we are pro-marriage, pro-life and pro the best life people can possibly experience.
In regard to pointing fingers: perhaps you should revisit your own picture on KOMO's logo. While you are pointing one finger at us, you are pointing three of them at yourself.
And yes, we forgive you.
________________
Gary Randall
President
Faith & Freedom
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20 Comments:
Ken Schram only exists to shoot off his mouth and create controversy. It pays the bills. Too bad anyone listens to him.
So true. The three fingers pointing back to Schram. Sometimes I wonder if he says things to up his 'ratings' on his shows!
Maybe people should consider referring to people of faith
as prochrist as they believe
that government stimulus for
homosexuality is moving in a
wrong direction for any nation
and that Jesus is the way to salvation whether for a man only
or an entire nation.
Many people wish everyone in government were followers of Jesus, and that goes for people of all occupations.
Many people wish the government the best and that includes making all laws and doing all things to the glory of God and not to the boast of anything of the flesh which has fallen into sin.
Many people hope and pray for a better Washington state and a better nation that is united more
fully under God.
We need the help of God to see this happen and his grace that comes to us through faith in Jesus
Christ. Isn't he the only real hope for a man, state, or nation,
for how can anyone have faith in God without him?
We must be for Jesus and that will mean being against those things that he is not for. We can not well afford to watch things go
on which will hasten desolation or the destruction of people, states, or nations.
His kingdom will come and it will come in glory. He will not glorify
anything that is against God. He will not promote those things in any way. He will be for God as he always has been for God, for his name is faithful and true.
"We" extend forgiveness, but it must be received... There must be repentance. Forgiveness is available...
"We also believe that people have a right to live as they choose."
Is this a new position?
I disagree with you politically Randall, but I am very fascinated by this case. I think it brings up some interesting constitutional questions about the right to privacy. Of coarse, your opponents (myself included) would like our right to privacy respected too. I don't understand why my domestic partnership is part of a searchable database. I also do not understand why the people get to vote on the legal rights that my family needs. You have successfully made my private life a very public issue. So in fairness maybe those who wish to make my private family life public, should also be made public.
The only thing Ken Shram is wrong about is the idea that having your neighbors know about and possibly discuss your anti-equality views with you is "pure and simple intimidation". Under this rubric, every missionary, who knocks on strangers doors, every evangelical, who "shares" their faith with a non-believer is engaging in "pure and simple intimidation". I doubt Ken really believes that.
As to the characterization of referendum 71 being anti-gay, this is simple objective fact. SB 5668 doesn't deal with or affect marriage in any way shape or form. Repealing it will not strengthen a single marriage or entice an single couple into marriage, so to claim this effort is is "pro-marriage" is highly dubious.
Furthermore, I don't need to meet Gary Randall or any other backer of Ref 71 to see that they are motivated by anti-gay bias. I need only read their words, written here on this blog by Randall and offered up for public consumption by the other backers. If anything can be construed to benefit LGBT people they are against it, period!
Of course Randall's resorting to Shram's not knowing him personally, how many of the "gay activists", who Randall demonizes here on a regular basis questioning their motives and intentions, does he know personally?
Which brings me to my final point- hypocrisy. Had a Judge made a similar ruling in favor of gays, who wanted their names withheld, Randall would be the first in line screaming "judicial activism". Witness his reaction to the targets of Phillip Irvin's continued campaign of "pure and simple intimidation" against the LGBT employees of City Light.
The way that you justify your actions never ceases to amaze me.
"We are not "anti" gay we are "pro" marriage."
Gary - you know that this law has absolutely nothing to do with marriage. Yes, it does give all the same rights to same sex couples as marriage does, which by the way you are trying to take away, but it specifically states that domestic partnerships are not marriage.
How can you justify your actions?? You are attempting to take away individuals' rights to take sick leave when their partner is ill...you have no compassion.
The kindest thing anyone can do for gay people is to:
Teach them the truth
Help them change
Show them how to become clean through honest repentance
Leave the "gay lifestyle" and enjoy a happy normal life.
(Yes, I do know a few gays who have left that life style, it is possible regardless of what others say.)
Lust cannot bring the happiness that love brings. Lust is a counterfeit.
Physical pleasure usually only brings lasting harm.
PRS in Federal Way
anon 11:36 Evangelicals have always believed that God has given us free will or freedom of choice. That's why John 3:16 says that who ever "believes" on Him will have everlasting life. It's an individual choice.
1:37
If Evangelicals have always believed people have a right to live as they wish, why do they consistently support laws to prevent them from doing so? I am old enough to remember Evangelical activists fighting to keep homosexuality a crime, punishable by jail time.
11:50. Domestic partnerships are part of a searchable data base for the same reason marriages are part of a searchable data base. Here's the question regarding the R-71 signatures. Has a pro-marriage activist organization publicly threatened you by saying that they are going to put your name and personal address on an activist web site so you can be "contacted"?
That hasn't happened. That's the difference.
Faith and Freedom Staff
Some soldiers came to John the baptist to be baptized of him in
order that they might receive the
kingdom of heaven when it came to
them, saying "Teacher, what shall we do?" (see Luke 3:14)
John answered,"Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."
What do you think he might have said if two homosexuals came to him asking him if he would marry them, if they they
could receive the kingdom when it
came to them, or "What should we do?"
I agree with the judge.
The issues of abortion , gay rights , etc are hot emotional issues. To relaease the names of the signers of ref 71 would at the most put the signers in danger and at the least open for harassment.
Personal in formation on people involved in these hot issues should be kept private.
Doctors and nurses that work in birth control clinics have been
harasesed and killed in the past
over the abortion issue.
Gary, you are sadly mistaken if you think that being gay leads to a "greatly diminished quality of life".
Perhaps you need to talk to some of the 130 family members and friends who came to my fully legal same-sex wedding ceremony in Canada last month. There was a lot of celebration and happiness, perhaps even more than a traditional wedding, due to the discrimination and difficulties we have to overcome in society on a daily basis.
Some gay people certainly do suffer a diminished quality of life, but it is because of actions like yours. Parents who kick their gay child out of their home, those who call them names, and those who think that if they eliminate legal recognition of gay relationships that somehow they will all turn straight and live happy lives.
I have a challenge for you. Spend a day with two gay families in this state and then tell me that you think their children don't deserve the protection of their parents being married.
There is no substitute for righteousness. Nothing but what's
right will work. Nothing wrong is
good. Only the things that are right are good.
God knows what's right. He told us
what is wrong. Homosexuality is wrong. It's wrong for any nation
that is going to be judged by God,
and he is going to judge them all.
Is it right if a man do anything that will cause his neighbor to loose favor with God?
All the sins of America have an effect on each one of us. What's wrong affects us all.
The good news is that God forgives
sin when it's repented of and he gives new life by his spirit through Jesus Christ. Then a man has a new perspective, a new objective, even a new order.
1>08 there is no question of 'family life' nor the children nor the 'parents'being 'nice, doing a good job of parenting,etc. It's the fact of not being 'natural' and the way God intended for families of man and woman raising children. Unfortunately, in todays world, it makes it too easy to become 'parents' with the technology we have. In reality, this just cannot be done in the 'natural' way. Also, I wished the many, many people who have gotten OUT of this deivant lifestyle, would speak up to give others the courage to do the same, and share how much better life is for them! Many in today's Society has not accepted the gay-marriage lifestyle. In the past, the gay 'couple's lived in peace, and they 'need' to do so again, and stay OUT of our authentic marriages! Many of us have had 'friends' who were gay, but they at one time were never 'in our faces' as they are now! We are NOT haters of this 'movement', we are praying for them to be out of this lifestyle, and in the meatime, Love them 'in the Lord.!
@11:50 Marriages are not in a searchable database. If there is one, please point it out. Could you please address my second point, that you are making this a public issue by trying to take away my inalienable right to protect my family? Of coarse I do not advocate intimidation. Reasonable people do not. It is very intimidating, though when thousands of people mobilize to vote your rights away. Some people just are not mature enough to temper the defenses to civil discourse. I have received death threats from anti-gay people before. I get them quite regularly in fact. It is sad that there are crazy people on both sides of this issue. It is unfair, though to characterize an entire population based on the behavior of a few. I certainly know that not all Christians hate gays.
You do have rights, just as many as the rest of us, you as a single person. There is not hate. There is a 'standing up' for God's principles. There is concern for people in this deviant behaviours.
Your rights are not BEING votes away. You have just a many rights as the rest of us--as we see it--you are asking for more, being single, you do not need more rights!
@8:48 Well there in lies the issue. I am not single. I have a family and a partner of over 6 years. We care for each other in every way a heterosexual couple cares for each other. It is not fair or honest to deny that fact. Your refusal to admit I am real equates hate.
I am still looking forward to the online database of marriages. I can't seem to find it. Can you?
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