Will Missouri pass House bill 208, that adds sexual orientation and gender identity?

@KNOWITALL Hard for us to say, since you are the resident expert on the Show-Me State. Sitting here in my liberal bastion, I would be pleasantly surprised if it passes.

Is Missouri ready to pass any law that admits that sexual orientation and gender identity are even issues? Somehow I doubt it.

I know that in Georgia, it wouldn’t stand a chance. Too many rural republicans that think that gay people should be lynched.

I’ve been arguing with religious zealots today, who call gender identity ‘sin’.

I’m just really frustrated as there is not even a religious stance on that in the bible that I’m aware of.

If I respond back with “Jesus said, let the one without sin cast the first stone”, they ignore it.

The person who is proposing the bill is a gay man, which could have an impact as well.

It’s very frustrating for those of us who believe we can choose to love in God’s name and interpret the bible in a loving way.

Here’s one guys response to me: don’t think you can support your position by authority of scripture. Might wanna rethink declarations of opinion not compelled by scripture. But that’s up to you.

Me: I just don’t think people who represent God and Christianity should be intentionally cruel to others. Pretty sure the KKK proclaimed to be Christian at one point, too, strong Protestants to be exact. And we blame the diminishing congregations on everything except our own behavior, so sad.

Him: sympathy while a charitable motivation is rarely a strong motivator of change.
Scripture Grant’s humans exactly 0 authority to compromise ANY law or precept of God. That’s pretty well the beginning and end of it.

Me: Aren’t we all sinners saved by the grace of God, Geezer? Jesus specifically said, let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

I don’t understand why gender identity issues affect religious people, at all. Nor do I understand those who say that the way someone identifies their gender, is a sin. It seems to me that if God didn’t want such people, he would have never created them to begin with… It would stand to reason that a person, is a person.

This just seems like more of the ” fighting change” that motivates Christian voters, well Trumpers. They don’t want to see a gender fluid bathroom, anymore than they want to see a person of color living amongst them.

Fear of (inevitable) cultural change, combined with blind ignorance…

Will it be passed? I would think that it could create a path to normalization of gender fluid people, if it did. That would scare many conservatives. Maybe their ultimate fear, is to one day have offspring that have gender identity issues…

This whole thing is reason number trillion, that there should be a separation of church and state. There are ZERO decisions that should be made based on a religious belief. ZERO. Zilch, nada, none.

@KNOWITALL . It is a noble cause, to help fight ignorance. I wish you luck.

@MrGrimm The difference between me and some here, is that I wasnt raised to hate anyone or with prejudices. With many military family members, it was all about learning different cultures and lifestyles. I watched several great documentaries on gender issues, which lead to understanding and empathy. Tbh its difficult to educate here because they were raised with ideas that dont change. God is good, govt is bad, men work, women stay home with kids…its never changed quickly.

Even historically, the communities in our area were rather resistant to change, running out the Mormons, running liquor, playing both sides of the civil war.

How gender issues was a sin, the man never answered. But he said those people were ‘veiled creatures’ etc…so I ended the conversation. weirdo.

^As you said, people raised with certain ideas don’t change. In regards to America today, what Trumpers have taught me is that they are unwilling to change. So. They, and their prized cultures, will simply die out. Much like any other animal that cannot coexist with it’s changing environment.

Clinging to such outdated beliefs only isolates them further. Their slow deaths will be lonely ones, as the rest of the world moves on without them…

@MrGrimm888 I’m not using the Trumpers part, but some people (of all kinds), refuse to change and perhaps that will be their downfall. You should see what this wack job posted today, nuts.

^Ah. But the world loves “wack jobs.”