Comments on: Lifestyle Choices

By: Will Murray

Will Murray — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 23:40:36 +0000

Ian, you have some interesting views that I don’t particularly agree with. It is wonderful that we can express those different views openly in this country, and I hope we never lose that right.

I do think that comparing gay/hetero “lifestyles” with monogamous/promiscuous “lifestyles” is a bit of a stretch. The first grouping is something fundamental about how a person is wired. The second is more likely a factor of choice, experiences, and/or upbringing. The same factors probably led to your opinions about Obama, because I don’t think anyone was born pre-wired with an opinion about that.

By: Ian Stermer

Ian Stermer — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 22:35:15 +0000

Gay lifestyle is a choice, just as hetero lifestyle, monogamous lifestyle, or any other lifestyle. Lifestyle is choice. Attraction to same sex, opposite sex, etc is not a choice. I am attracted to many women. I cannot help that. If I act on it, though, I have made a choice, and have to accept the consequences (STI’s, angry husbands, and most certainly, divorce by my wife.) My choices if I am to avoid these, are to either not marry and play the field, marry and cheat, or stay faithful, sacrificing my desires. We all make choices. My belief that Obama is surrounded by more corruption and scandal than any other incoming President we have had would probably lead to my physical injury were I to voice it in certain neighborhoods. I have to sacrifice what I believe is right to protect myself.

By: Will Murray

Will Murray — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 22:54:05 +0000

But it wouldn’t have made for as interesting a lead-in, would it?

Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn’t really thought about the potential “war for oil” aspects of that bumper sticker message.

You’re also right that a lot of people driving SUVs don’t need to drive one. Sure, people who live in the mountain areas or other places with roads in poor conditions, snow, and so on might qualify as “needing” to drive an SUV on a regular basis. If I were to move to the mountains, as I have considered many times, I know I would want to trade in my minivan for an SUV simply for the 4-wheel drive (no 4×4 minivans that I know of). With my work, I have to have the cargo space. I don’t know how many boxes of server equipment you could squeeze into a Prius, but I’m certain it’s a lot fewer than you could in my van.

Now if only the “Big 3″ U.S. auto makers would realize that the U.S. wants fuel-efficient and/or alternative fuel vehicles like the other two big U.S. auto makers (Toyota and Honda) have, they might not need a bailout offer.

By: John Kusters

John Kusters — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 20:10:41 +0000

For the most part, I agree with what you write. However, a bit of nit-picking: I don’t think the Prius driver’s intent was discrimination. I doubt he would have actually supported a draft or would insist on SUV drivers being drafted first. No, I believe the intent of the bumper sticker is simply to point out that if people drove cars that were more fuel efficient than SUVs we might not have gotten involved in this needless war for oil. Very few people actually *need* SUVs, most of them could have gotten by with sedans or smaller cars.

By: Will Murray

Will Murray — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:17:54 +0000

@cathy couey: LOL! I hadn’t even made the connection between Pious and Prius until you mentioned it. Thank you for the compliments, too.

@Dawn on MDI: Thank you also for the compliments.

I generally try to communicate in as accessible a way. I know that some vocabulary, like immutable and intrinsic, might cause someone to seek out a dictionary, but I like to communicate certain ideas precisely. Besides, it never hurts to look up a word or two a day.

As to thoroughness, I think that too many people have tried to reduce this down to an oversimplification. After all, it’s far easier to communicate a very simple thought in a :30 second commercial than to delve into all the messy real-life details. But “the devil is in the details” as the saying goes. On the surface, it’s easy to ask, “How does keeping marriage solely between one man and one woman affect the civil rights of anyone else?” Diving into it deeper reveals that there’s a lot more to it than one might first think.

I’m glad that my words are encouraging that kind of thinking in others.

By: Dawn on MDI

Dawn on MDI — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 03:00:32 +0000

Journeyman’s work! Nice job. Very well written, incredibly thorough, and accessible to a wide audience. Nicely, nicely done.

By: cathy couey

cathy couey — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 23:24:20 +0000

Wow You have taken a very tough and controversial subject and really made people think. I love the way you led into it. I do personally know several people who have given up their gay lifestyle after accepting Christ. That does not mean that they are any better or worse than those who have not done so. Every person on earth needs to learn acceptance of others. I suppose that will not happen until the Lord returns. I think way too many people are way to pious. the Prius owner among them. How fitting that Prius and pious are so are such similar words. Oh well, I really just came by to see who you were. A very well put together article and obviously thought out.