Family Values

from this article at cnn.com:
Voters in 11 states to get say on gay marriage
Sunday, October 31, 2004 Posted: 10:51 AM EST (1551 GMT)

(AP) -- Each side says the fight was forced upon them by the other, and now the climactic showdown is at hand: Voters in 11 states will decide Tuesday whether to impose constitutional bans on same-sex marriage.

The arguments about same-sex marriage in religious circles are used in so many times and places that it is hard to say anything new - like we are as a country in terms of tomorrow's presidential election, so we all seem set in stone in our totally opposite camps in the Church as well. But I must say, I am so tired of people talking about the Bible's mandate of "one man-one woman" and the family values of the Bible. What Bible are these people talking about? As I mentioned before I attended the Tipple-Vosburgh lectures at Drew Theological School last week, and heard Peter Gomes speak, among others, and this idea of family values in the Bible was one of the recurring themes.
If people believe homosexuality is wrong, I can 'accept' that they have a view that I don't hold - but when the basis of said view is this idea of a Biblical ethic of family values, I have to question: what Biblical family values?
Tamar tricking Jacob into sleeping with her?
Dinah being raped?
David sleeping with Bathsheeba and killing her husband?
Lot's daughters sleeping with him?
Jesus refusing to claim Mary as his mother at one point in the gospels?
Jesus repeatedly urging the disciples (and others) to leave everything to follow him - even family?
Paul urging people to stay unmarried?
Solomon's wives and concubines?

Now, all that said - I think the Bible does give us an ethical basis for making decisions, including decisions about relationship and families. I just get concerned when we lift individual texts to support any claims we have about "what the Bible says".

My rant for the evening.

If you haven't yet: Go vote! Just a couple more hours in many states...