That's an interesting way to put your position, Blake. Although I disagree with you over it, as I have for quite some time, I can see where you're coming from.

I just don't get it. Evangelical conservatives like yourself want less government intervention in your private lives, yet you insist on the government regulating private matters you don't agree with. Sorry Blake, but you can't have it both ways. I think the Democrats won on Tuesday because many conservatives are a little frustrated with how those of your viewpoint are trying to highjack the federal government. There are more pressing issues in this country and this commonwealth than gay marriage and abortion. I respect your views on these topics, but I do not believe these are matters that should be addressed by any state or federal government. Brian Erskine is right on one thing: "What's right isn't always popular and what's popular isn't always right." The marriage amendment may have passed with 57% support, but that's only because the Evangelical minority prayed on many voters' homophobia and lack of understanding.

I don't see how you can say that there are more pressing issues. They all are very important in their own regard, especially abortion, which has likely murdered more innocents than the Holocaust.

And I'm interested in hearing you expand on the "lack of understanding" comment.

I’m not trying to downplay the importance of issues like abortion in the grand scheme of things. Abortion is something that we DO need to address, but it’s not something that the government needs to address. We need to be looking for ways to stop abortion in the private sector rather than asking the government to create a law that would require a great deal of oversight and tax revenue. Why ask the government to do something else that we can do on our own? As for issues the government can and should be addressing, how about improving public schools and actually funding the President’s “No Child Left Behind” initiatives? Perhaps our tax dollars should be used to provide a greater level of border security and prevent illegal immigrants (and future terrorists) from entering our country? These are issues that average Americans care about and I believe most people would consider them more pressing than abortion and gay marriage.

As for my comment about a lack of understanding, I’m not going to try to convince you that “gay is ok” – but I think this idea of taking sides on gay issues is very divisive for the Christian faith. I’ve read far more passages in the bible about God’s love than I have about his condemnation. Call me a bleeding heart, but I think God would rather we accept the differences in our neighbors and let him do the judging when the time comes. We should be doing more to encourage all people to walk in God’s path, rather than run them off with constitutional amendments that give non-believers a very bad impression of who we really are.

It must seem a shame to you, then, that most of our founders would be described as agnostics, atheists or at best deists. To wit, a treaty with Tripoli drafted in 1796 during Washington's tenure and signed by Adams that begins: "As the Goverment of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion..."

Or perhaps the words of Jefferson: "To talk of immaterial existences is to talk of nothings. To say that the human soul, angels, god, are immaterial, is to say they are nothings, or that there is no god, no angels, no soul. I cannot reason otherwise...without plunging into the fathomless abyss of dreams and phantasms."

Or James Madison: "During almost 15 centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."

Or John Adams: "I almost shudder at the thought of alluding to the most fatal example of the abuses of grief which the history of mankind has preserved--the Cross. Consider what calamities that engine of grief has produced!"

And so on and so on.

I have to disagree with your statement: "I voted for marriage..." by saying that you didn't vote for marriage. You voted against the right to marriage for a specific segment of the population, which one could argue is the exact opposite of what you claim to have voted for. Incidentally, I'd be interested to hear what Jesus had to say on the matter. I'd thereafter be very interested to see how to-the-letter literally you think you take the Old and New Testaments.

I also have to disagree with your notion that they should have created a Christian nation here. The colonists from the British isles here came in part to be able to believe what they wanted about the supernatural. For their descendants later to forge a nation in which this freedom was curbed would have been a complete contradiction.

How 'bout some Borat coverage up in here?

I actually did a review of Borat but submitted it to The Tartan, instead.

That goes ditto for an article I'm working on for this Wednesday's issue about said film.

Blake, since I won't be in Radford on Wednesday (and therefore will not be able to access The Tartan), how about you post the article on here, courtesy of The Tartan?

Blake, I aplaud you for your conviction in what you believe in. I think where the grey area comes to play is that while the individual can and should take the stance you are taking, our leaders should not. While they may have their personal beliefs of Christianity, they have the obligation to protect and support the life liberty and pursuit of happiness for all of their constituents, including ethnic, religious and sexual minorities.

Good article though.

Post script to my last comment:

I think the most important measure we need to take if we truly want to save the "sanctity of marriage" is to curb the divorce rate. Also, different people may have different definitions of what the sanctity of marriage means. Christian marriages aren't the only ones that take place in this country.

Once again keep up the good work. I always enjoy your articles.