We just saw on Strollerderby that John McCain, an adoptive father himself, recently said the following, as quoted in the New York Times, "I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don't believe in gay adoption." Strollerderby goes into all the reasons why this is ludicrous, and how gay adoption has been shown again and again to produce kids just as happy and healthy as those in straight adoptive homes. If you want to humanize this topic, just check out this amazingly great blog by two men who are foster parents to a toddler.
But it reminded us of something John Edwards (remember him?) said back in the day.
In that seminal debate discussion of gay rights led by Tim Russert, Edwards said:
I suspect my two younger children, Emma Claire, who's 9, and Jack, who's 7, will reach the same conclusion that my daughter Cate, who's 25, has reached, which is she doesn't understand why her dad is not in favor of same-sex marriage. And she says her generation will be the generation that brings about the great change in America on that issue.
He may be right. Because it's not just Democratic kids who don't have a problem with gay marriage; plenty of Republican children are as socially liberal as foxy Meghan McCain (heck, she even watches bisexual dating show A Shot at Love, as GQ discovered).
We'd be willing to bet that in another generation or two gay marriage will not only be legal, but also that people will look back and wonder what all the fuss was about.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 30)
31. Anthony, please remember that the Catholic church also sorted through the books and included or excluded what they wanted long before the Protestants did so. Basically, whichever Bible you read, it has parts missing or reinterpreted.
tiredofthisdebate at 1:11PM on Jul 18th 2008
32. Well said Kala. I completely agree with you. This country spends too much time fighting about whether gays should be allowed to marry, have children, etc and not nearly enough time worrying about what really plagues this country. I don't understand why people are more concerned with the gay man down the street than with the child molesters next door.
tiredofthisdebate at 1:17PM on Jul 18th 2008
33. #16 Cap'n Spaulding. For being "a pediatrician," I'm surprised that you think the adoptive pool needs to be expanded to include gays as adopters, due to some self-described shortage of adopters. There are presently significantly more couples wanting to adopt than babies available, thanks in part to abortion-on-demand. I have a coworker who has been on the adoption waiting list for five years now. Secondly, you state that there is "data" that supports same sex adoption as being harmless. I can only tell you experiences in the real world: A previous girlfriend of mine has a lesbian sister. We'd occasionally go to her sister's/lover's house to play cards. The sister has a ten y/o daughter from a marriage before she became gay. One day the daughter began screeming from another room "mom-come here, quick!!" We all ran into the room thinking she injured herself. She then pointed at the TV showing a shampoo commercial and said; "look at how hot she is mom." This from a ten year old. It would seem that your "data" is faulty, and possibly self-serving??
Lizard at 1:17PM on Jul 18th 2008
34. People who beleive in the BIBLE...have nto even read teh bible. They do not even know the history of the Bible. They do not even know the history of their religion. Do they even remember that our country to was built to have free religion, so why do we try to base so much on one religion.
I think the Christian religion had me more afraid of Satan than Freddy Kreuger. The old religion tactic..Scare someone to beleive what you beleive in. Its worked for centuries... Then I grew up and realized both were make-beleive.
Bignacka at 1:28PM on Jul 18th 2008
35. #26. Kala says: "To all the bible lovers that keep pulling that card: God loves everyone equally. To say that someone might go to hell for loving someone of the same gender is selling God short. My God is one who loves and accepts EVERY ONE. I think He would be disgusted by all this intolerance that we have towards each other. We should be spending time bothering rapists and killers NOT gay people."
With yor essay in mind, one could argue that all rapists, murderers, child molesters, thieves, should all get free passes because "God loves everyone." Sorry, but you revisionists need to eat a little of your own crow pie. Each one of them can present the case that their "God's children, and shouldn't be persecuted. No matter how long you stay in someone's face or "act up," 'gayism' will never be considered a natural/normal act. Eighty percent of the rest of the world can't all be wrong when it scorns homoosexual conduct.
Lizard at 1:42PM on Jul 18th 2008
36. This would not be an issue if we understood why God created the two genders in the first place. Sex is both unitive and procreative. Male and female compliment one another. A man completes what is lacking in a woman and vice versa. Homosexual sex is akin to mutual masturbation. It is against creation. Deliberately having a child when you are in a gay relationship is immoral and very selfish. It disrupts the structure of the family as God intended. (I personally think it is diabolical!)It prevents the child from having a mother and father. He will grow up believing that a gay relationship is equal to heterosexual marriage. The understanding of human sexuality will be incorrect. If he later objects to being denied two parents of the opposite gender; the fallout will be traumatic. No one ever addresses what happens if he later resents being raised in a homosexual home. What happens if he later comes to regard homosexuality as a sin?
janesophie1 at 1:44PM on Jul 18th 2008
37. This would not be an issue if we understood why God created the two genders in the first place. Sex is both unitive and procreative. Male and female compliment one another. A man completes what is lacking in a woman and vice versa. Homosexual sex is akin to mutual masturbation. It is against creation. Deliberately having a child when you are in a gay relationship is immoral and very selfish. It disrupts the structure of the family as God intended. (I personally think it is diabolical!)It prevents the child from having a mother and father. He will grow up believing that a gay relationship is equal to heterosexual marriage. The understanding of human sexuality will be incorrect. If he later objects to being denied two parents of the opposite gender; the fallout will be traumatic. No one ever addresses what happens if he later resents being raised in a homosexual home. What happens if he later comes to regard homosexuality as a sin?
janesophie1 at 1:44PM on Jul 18th 2008
38. This would not be an issue if we understood why God created the two genders in the first place. Sex is both unitive and procreative. Male and female compliment one another. A man completes what is lacking in a woman and vice versa. Homosexual sex is akin to mutual masturbation. It is against creation. Deliberately having a child when you are in a gay relationship is immoral and very selfish. It disrupts the structure of the family as God intended. (I personally think it is diabolical!)It prevents the child from having a mother and father. He will grow up believing that a gay relationship is equal to heterosexual marriage. The understanding of human sexuality will be incorrect. If he later objects to being denied two parents of the opposite gender; the fallout will be traumatic. No one ever addresses what happens if he later resents being raised in a homosexual home. What happens if he later comes to regard homosexuality as a sin?
janesophie1 at 1:45PM on Jul 18th 2008
39. With yor essay in mind, one could argue that all rapists, murderers, child molesters, thieves, should all get free passes because "God loves everyone."
xx
a person would have to be programmed and not able to think except in flip on flop off terms to come to such a conclusion.
Those are felony crimes against individuals.
There is no such similarity in a consenting gay couple with or without children in custody.
You are either being extremely fulsome and demagogic or you are indulging in automatic thinking.
If you want moral high ground you must earn it and making a mistake like you did there trivializes your position.
Clif Kuplen at 1:54PM on Jul 18th 2008
40. @32. "Why do Christians insist on foring their beleifs on everyone. Christianity is not the sole Religion. Christians can be the most egotistical of them all though. Why hate and belittle other people who do not beleive in what you guys do. Christianity is based on all the other religions..FAITH.. You are basically hoping you guys are right in your beliefs.
Leave people alone and let people be happy. Live your own lives. Your personal beliefs should not affect others lives."
All religions proselytize. The Christians are just the easiest to ridicule by the liberal lefties, because the lefties (mainly TV/Print media) don't have to worry about getting their heads hacked off or live in exile for the rest of their lives for insulting Christians. Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, etc., are much stricter in their views against homosexuality, but do you see liberal media chastising them??
Lizard at 1:59PM on Jul 18th 2008
41. @38"Those are felony crimes against individuals"
"Gayism" is a felony crime against the moral fabric of a country. An excercise in self-serving, self-limiting, unnatural, disease spreading activity.
Lizard at 2:07PM on Jul 18th 2008
42. #26 Anthony says; "Politically and economically we (Gays)are more organized than ever and will demand the equality we are entitled too."
Funny, but the "North American Man/Boy Love Association," says the same thing...
Lizard at 2:21PM on Jul 18th 2008
43. Is homosexuality really unnatural? It has existed throughout history and has always been perpetuated in nature. Therefore it is a natural occurance and of that there can be no doubt. The homosexual community continues to thrive in spite of extereme civil laws and social presures to eradicate it. Just because something is less common or is less prevalent in nature, does not mean that it is less natural. If so, could we not say that individuals with blue eyes are less natural? How about those with blond hair? Or heterosexual couples that cannot conceive? All are less common in nauture but are no less natural and are certainly not deviant.
Anthony at 2:30PM on Jul 18th 2008
44. People keep suggesting that the rest of us read the Bible to know how to deal with gay rights. This is the same Bible that approves of stoning women - just women - who commit adultery. The Bible also offers advice on how to make slavery efficient, says that people who work on the sabbath should be killed, and that children who talk back to their parents should also be killed.
In one chapter of Genesis, the Bible says God created Adam and Eve together. In the next chapter, this same Bible says that God created Eve well after creating Adam. Can't this perfect Bible get anything right? The story of Santa Claus is more consistent than the Bible and just as filled with truth.
Paul Halbach at 2:33PM on Jul 18th 2008
45. Jane; your homophobia stuns me. You seriously believe that when two people of the same gender love each other and are monogamous, that it's so evil that it's worse than foster care for a child to be raised by those parents.
My wife and I have many wonderful people in our lives who happen to be gay. They would make wonderful parents.
Your life is a little less bright because you preclude getting to know a different people simply because of their sexuality.
Sad.
Ryan Anderson at 2:33PM on Jul 18th 2008