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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow Obama Decided God Was OK With Marriage Equality (cites: Golden Rule)
WASHINGTON In 2004, Barack Obama cited his Christian faith while explaining his opposition to same-sex marriage. "What I believe, in my faith, is that a man and a woman, when they get married, are performing something before God, and it's not simply the two persons who are meeting," he said.
Eight years later, he cited his faith again when he became the first sitting president to endorse marriage equality.
"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'd want to be treated," Obama said.
What changed in Obama's understanding of the Bible and Christianity between 2004 and 2012 is one of the last mysteries of his transformation from opponent to champion of marriage equality. While the president has explained this evolution in personal and political terms citing conversations with gay friends, and the changing attitudes of the public he has never directly explained how he came to believe that God approves of same-sex marriage.
MORE:
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-robin-roberts-abc-news-interview-president-obama/story?id=16316043&singlePage=true#.UVdPGKJzGpB
via (of all places):
http://www.buzzfeed.com/evanmcsan/how-obama-decided-god-was-ok-with-marriage-equality
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)It was and is all about money and donors who told Barack and Michelle they could no longer fund people who said what they said and associated with Warrens and McClurkins. Clooney was being told to shut the fuck up by many people because he was on the one hand 'an ardent supporter of equality' and on the other a man who attacked any critic of Obama's. Some said 'George, if you defend a man from criticism you also defend his ideas about Sanctity, you chump'.
Cha
(297,258 posts)forestpath
(3,102 posts)Cha
(297,258 posts)so many people have seen their way to totally accepting Gay Marriage who were previously against it.
thanks kpete
mercymechap
(579 posts)a certain thing (many times out of our own understanding) only to realize that as we experience life and the many different opinions and circumstances of life, as well as other parts of scripture, that our belief may have been formed from our own understanding of one particular verse or verses in the Bible. While the New Testament does say that men who have sex with men will not inherit the Kingdom of God, it also says that we must love our neighbor as ourself. I do not have to answer to God for what others do, just the things that I do. Being in favor of allowing homosexuals to marry does not alter my relationship with God, nor my relationship with my husband.
I may not completely understand homosexuality, but I certainly do not want any person to be denied their rights. Giving them the ability to marry will do away with their being denied rights given to heterosexual couples. Perhaps that is what Obama has come to realize.