Terrific piece, Alex. And many kudos to Newsweek.

I love it when the fundies get up on their high horse about the "accuracy" of their Bible, which is so full of contradictions, confusions and curious omissions that it has kept serious scholars arguing for centuries.

Hey Alex, I don't mean to nit-pick because I know you are a thoughtfully inclusive writer, but... the term religious includes more than the Abrahamic traditions. Wicca, Buddhism, Hindu, are religions too as are the faiths practiced by the first peoples of the world. I know that you understand this, but someone who reads your title may not. Thanks :)

By the way, here is the link to the article for those of you who haven't read it. It isn't anything particularly new, but it is still a great read.

The fundies are always upset about something. I can't imagine leaving a life consumed by such bitterness.

...Or fear that they are losing the ability to control others. Well done Alex.

The Newsweek article does one thing very well: it turns the bible-based arguments against same sex marriage on their heads and shows that there is plenty of bible-based evidence to support same sex marriage. It contains some swift de-bunking of erroneous assumptions and exegesis. It is clear, brief and useful.

Perhaps we should start a fund to get Peter and his friends into therapy so that they may deal with some of that pent up anger, fear, and frustration.

That much angst just can't be good for someone.

Religion is a legalistic term, my faith is not a religion, it is a set of beliefs some of which are shared by others, some of which I have learned on my own through meditation and contemplation. I call myself "wiccan", because that is a group that I share some of the core beliefs with, such as the witch's rede or law, and it is an easy label that most people know. Faith however, has little or nothing to do with religion.

Just the fact that not all christians share the same beliefs as those who advocate the exclusion of gays should be evidence enough that their opposition comes not just from interpretation of scripture, but from a deeper, more personal source.

Great reporting Alex.

If there is a biblical arguement for same sex marriage I hope no ones daft enough to use it.

The most important thing about this article is that some of corporate press sees a connection between the Obama/mormon/catholic axis that defeated same sex marriage and the newly reignited GLBT struggles. They’re weighing in on our side to help put out the flames because social struggle makes them nervous. Newsweek’s intervention is welcome because it undercuts the right wing and exposes superstition driven opponents of same sex marriage, like LaBarbera and Obama as bigots.

Still, this article ignores the central political question. Total equality, whether it’s called marriage, partnering or civil unions has to apply to everyone equally. Anything short of that is second class citizenship, and that’s a very dangerous status to be in.

We need a federal constitutional amendment guaranteeing our rights along the lines of the 14th, 15th and 19th amendments and the proposed ERA.

The various and sundry versions of the bible that Newsweek quotes, as well as the quran, the book of mormon and L. Ron Hubbard’s dianetics are at best badly conceived fantasies based on Sumerian and Egyptian fantasies plagiarized by Moses and Abraham. At their worst they’re a compilation of prehistoric, treacherous codes of conduct. And a terrible waste of paper and ink.