Same Sex marriage criminalized by Supreme Court of India, it is an UN-wise decision

The Supreme Court's decision on December 11, 2013 to uphold section 377 of the Indian Penal code that criminalizes same sex marriage is not wise, and needs to be challenged.  Is the judgment influenced by the undue belligerence from the right wing Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders or is it in the spirit of the constitution?    

The hallmark of a civil society is respecting the otherness of others and accepting the God-given uniqueness of each member of the society. The Supreme Courts decision to uphold the archaic Victorian law from 19th century does not bode well for an India that has been woven with the pluralistic ethos for nearly five millenniums.

Martin Luther King Jr. was right, injustice to one is injustice to all, and I would add, prejudice to one will end up in prejudice for all.

It is incredible that Australia, another colony of the British Empire has made an identical decision, on the very same day to uphold the primitive prejudices towards homosexuality.

The basis for this judgment and the conflict stems from Section 377 of Indian Penal code enacted by the British Raj in 1861. It criminalizes sexual activities "against the order of nature", including homosexual acts. In July 2009, the Delhi State High Court rejected the archaic law as unconstitutional in respect to sex between consenting adults. On December 11, 2013, the Supreme Court of India overturned the Delhi High court ruling in a sexually graphic document.  However, the matter is left to the legislators (Members of Parliament) to repeal, uphold or modify. 

The Legislators simply cannot wipe out India’s heritage found in Kama sutra depictions of Gay and Lesbian acts on the friezes of Temples in Khajuraho and elsewhere. Its part of Indian history and part of the culture. 

Continued at OpEd News: http://www.opednews.com/articles/Same-Sex-marriage-criminal-by-Mike-Ghouse-Court-Challenge_Decision-making_GLBT_GLBT-131227-613.html

Will be published on Christmas day at OpedNews
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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LGBT - Same Sex marriage declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court of India - Unwise decision.

INDIA'S SUPREME COURT'S DECISION TO BAN SAME SEX MARRIAGE  IS NOT WISE
URL - http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2013/12/lgbt-same-sex-marriage-declared.html

The Supreme Court's decision is not wise and needs to be challenged.  We need to find out how much Hindu, Muslim and Christian leaders’ belligerence influenced the Judges and how much the constitutional values of freedom of individuals played in to their hands.  This is not good for India or any society in the long term. Injustice to one is injustice to all; prejudice to one will end up in prejudice to all eventually. 

Civil society has the responsibility to protect the society at large from crimes that materially affected by robbing, stealing, lying, rape, incest, child abuse, abuse of women, murders, or breaking contracts of marriage or business and not fulfilling the social and legal contracts, so there is a punishment prescribed for all such violations.
 
Full article will appear in a newspaper shortly. 

 

Thank you
mike
Mike Ghouse
(214) 325-1916 text/talk
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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and a book with the same title is coming up. Mike has a strong presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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Texas Faith - Same-sex marriages and changing attitudes

Clearly societal attitudes change in some key areas. And religious organizations, like many other institutions, are forced to respond. Eleven Texas Faith panelists at Dallas Morning News write their take on the issue.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism, Dallas

No one has ever remained unaffected by the change. So are religious organizations and individuals. The conservatives of today would have been considered liberals by conservatives of the fifties. In turn, they would have been liberals to the conservatives from around the First World War.

Who has contributed most towards favoring same-sex marriage? Of course, it is the conservatives! When the only voices that oppose change accept the new reality, it seems the whole world has moved.

The Times survey jump from 27% to 47% in 15 years was obviously not by liberals alone. One after the other, conservative bastions of religions have seen the need for change. The latest one is the Presbyterian Church, which has opened its doors this year. Now, evangelicals are choosing their words carefully to keep that door open.

President Obama has indeed become a catalyst for this change. Right after he announced his personal take on the issue, a host of organizations are starting to come around to his view. The momentum will build.

The pattern was similar with racial integration and civil rights. It takes one to take the bold stand and others will follow. It was a big risk for Obama politically, but it was the right thing to stand up for individual liberties, rights and freedom of expression. Those, ironically, are true conservative values.

Most religious organizations are moderate by nature, but take on a conservative posture to appease those who bankroll them. A few will always remain ultra-conservative and opt to have their way rather than change.

There is room for everyone to seek their own umbrella, but change is inescapable. If not, we would have remained in the caves, ridden camels, tilled the land, worn loin cloth and hunted animals.

America is about freedom of the spirit. There is nothing like it in the world. The mere presence on this land impregnates one with frontier can-do attitudes.

The regressive approach of Santorum and Bachman did not pan out. The society at large did not give them a lift. Indeed, we have looked past Catholic Kennedy and African- American Obama/ And when it comes to the Republican nomination, Mormon Romney will get the mantle. It is not the color of the skin, or religion. It is what you can do for America that matters to Americans.

Except the anomaly in 2010 elections, we have punished the narrow attitudes in the past. With the fall of the conservative candidates, we are witnessing embarrassing back- peddling by self-proclaimed conservatives. It was not conservatism. Rather, politics at its worse failed them.

I am proud of my America, where merit and progressiveness is supported over jingoistic claims. We are setting new standards in the world, where others can look up to us and model us in creating societies where every human is valued rather than their sexual orientation or race. Each one of the 312 million of us is a beneficiary of this spirit.

Muslims are evolving in their take on same-sex marriage, just as Baha'is, Hindus, Sikhs and others while Native Americans, Jews and Christians have a take on the issue. Muslim institutions will remain silent, but individuals will be driving change to knock off the resistance.

I have been deliberating the statement of Dr. Aslam Abdullah, editor of the mainstream Muslim Observer, He said: "However, Islam does recognize the rights of people to reject this world view and acknowledges the freedom of people to adopt an alternative perspective, with the admonition that people are responsible for the consequences of their actions in the eyes of God."

My own perspective is, as long as anyone -- gay, lesbian, Muslim, Hindu, Jew, Christian or Baha'i -- is not stealing your food, gas, clothing, money and car, he or she can live his life the way he or she chooses. Society's responsibility is limited to punishing the individual for the acts that affect public safety and those acts that an overwhelming majority agrees to abide by.

Ani Zonneveld, editor of the progressive Muslim Values, caps my take very well, saying: "Regardless of whether any individual agrees or disagrees with the religious acceptance of homosexuality, America is about justice for all. If you consider yourself a proud American, then same-sex marriage is a no brainer.

To see all the opinions, please visit Dallas Morning News, Texas Faith column at:
http://religionblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2012/05/texas-faith-same-sex-marriages.html

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MikeGhouse is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day. He is a professional speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, civic affairs, Islam, India, Israel, peace and justice. Mike is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News and regularly at Huffington post, and several other periodicals across the world. The blog www.TheGhousediary.com is updated daily.

Are you Oppressive or Conservative?

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/08/are-you-oppressive-or-conservative.html

When the Republican candidates thump their chest and say it aloud, I am a conservative, what do they mean? Are they confused between the words “oppressive” and “conservative” particularly when it is applied to LGBT issues?

Do they feel any sense of remorse when they reject the marriage between the consenting free willed adults?  What does liberty mean to them? 

Do they rejoice what Uganda is doing to its LGBT population? By the way Michelle Bachmann you may not be aware of the situation there, and if you are, I want to assure you it is not a “Moslem” country?

I can claim to be conservative if it means I mind my own business, respect the others as I want to be respected, believe in liberty and personal freedom of individuals, believe that government should not butt in people’s personal lives, that people should have the freedom to eat, sleep, wear and believe what they want, as long as those beliefs are not dangerous to the security of America or their personal life.

On the other hand if I were to believe in interfering in other people’s life, and want to regulate who can marry whom, I would consider that to be an oppressive value.  This is something all religious people need to think about. Do they want to Play God or mind their own faith? It is time for the Republicans to re-examine the words Justice, liberty, conservative and oppressive. Who will take the lead paves his or her own way to true leadership to bring Americans together.

Mike Ghouse is a moderate Republican committed to a cohesive America and a frequent guest on Hannity show and other nationally syndicated radio shows. He is a speaker, thinker and a writer on Pluralism in politics and religion, Islam, interfaith, peace and cohesive societies. His work is indexed at www.mikeghouse.net and daily blog is at www.TheGhousediary.com

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