Duncan v. Koppelman debate

[Gibbens, Daniel G]

There's a couple of mini-arguments on which I'd like to enter a quibble, and
then add a comment:

(1) With Andy where he writes:  In order to stop the process he deplores,
Rick needs a nationwide revival of
conservative Christianity, of a kind adequate to swamp people's growing
sympathy with the gay people who, to an increasingly obvious extent, are
their
friends and neighbors.  (More modernist forms of Christianity will not do
the
job, because they are not sufficiently intolerant of same-sex
relationships.)

My quibble:  As an Episcopalian who agrees with most of fellow Episcopalian
Stephen Carter's "The Culture ...," I doubt that I am a part of a more
modernist form of Christianity.  And I agree any form is not likely to do
the job if the job is converting the masses to
Andy's views.  But I perceive the debate is as lively inside Christianity as
it is between Christians and others.  And the leadership of my peculiar form
is explicitly encouraging the debate in local churches across the nation at
this time.  So in case Andy implies Christians are of no value on the issue
(I doubt he does), I quibble.  And I believe the debate among Christians is
healthy and is moving people toward Andy's position, people who are mightily
concerned about Christian scripture and the value of history.  So I also
agree with Andy when he writes "it's a victory for my side that it found its
way onto that agenda at all."  One further note, there is ample Christian
scripture supportive of loving one another, and without regard to such
traits as race or sexual orientation.

(2) With Rick where he writes:  Although a Revival would indeed be a great
thing for this nation, the homosexual marriage movement (such as it is) must
not only overcome
traditional religion, but also the common sense of the American people. The
truth about the nature of marriage is written on the hearts and minds of our
people.

My quibble:  As a life-long Oklahoman, Methodist and then Episcopalian, a
weekly church-goer and regular church-worker who is committed to the power
of prayer, a product of a life-long 45-year marriage, fully engaged at this
time in a marriage of 45 years, whose two children amazingly enough have
each been married to only one spouse (respectively for 21 and 18 years), and
a lover of good beer, this combination probably labels me as an atypical
citizen and therefore my sense is not common.  But I'm surely a part of
traditional religion, and although only one person, I know I'm not alone --
and it definitely NOT written on either my heart or my mind that homosexual
marriage is wrong.

NO quibble with Doug's statement: *** as on so many issues in America, the
debate is dominated by the activists with the most extreme and
non-negotiable views.

My comment:  So it may be important for those in the middle to be debaters
also, although their views are often obnoxious to extremists on both sides.