If You Liked the FEMA Trailers, You’ll Really Like Domestic Partnerships

The following article by Pastor Joe Fuiten of Cedar Park Church in Bothell, Washington gives an interesting slant on the subject of Domestic Partnerships or Homosexual Marriage. If you are not convinced by 5000 years of history, religion, or logic that marriage should not be changed, then maybe this stunningly simple yet elegant argument may help you. It reminds me of the wise words of President Ronald Reagan: “Government is not the answer to our problems; government is the problem.”

May these words speak to your heart and help you understand why you must vote to REJECT Washington State Senate bill 5688 on November 3. RB

By Joe Fuiten

I was on vacation recently in God’s great creation in the deserts and mountains of Oregon and Washington. I had time to reflect on what God had made as opposed to what the government makes. I wrote this little parable about what I might hear from people around the state. I imagined these conversations to reflect what people must be thinking about this proposed domestic partnership law that they are calling “everything but marriage.”

Parables of Government “Fixes”

Rancher’s Wisdom …

My first stop is at a ranch in Ellensberg. I ask the rancher if he understands the legislature’s attempt to fix marriage. He says, “When a rancher fixes a bull we call the outcome a steer. When government fixes marriage we call the outcome domestic partnership. I’m voting “Reject.”

Sensible Realtor …

I asked a real estate broker from Richland is she understood the issue of domestic partnerships and how she intended to vote. She said, “People can’t get a loan to buy a new house and even if they could, there is nobody there to buy their old house. When the government fixed the economy we started choking on a $1.8 trillion deficit for just this year. With the government trying to “fix” marriage we will choke on domestic partnerships.” She will be voting “Reject” on domestic partnerships.

Fisherman’s Woes …

I was camping on Nason Creek near Lake Wenatchee so I wandered nearby to find out where my camping neighbor was on this. As I came up I could see that he had one of those shiny new “green” cars. When I commented on it he said he had traded in his old gas-guzzling pickup during the cash for clunkers program. He only had a small tent because that was all he could get in his new car. He stood there a little unhappily with his red polo shirt neatly tucked into his pressed jeans unfolding his telescoping fishing pole. He said “We do this God’s way or the Government’s way. Consider the difference. In God’s way, I am looking at this beautiful pristine brook lined with magnificent trees. I look up the creek and see the tree covered mountains in the distance. God is so extravagant that he left the river running all night and it lulled me to sleep.

In the Government’s way I have here my $24 freshwater fishing permit. Hanging from the mirror of my “green” car is my authorization paper to have a vehicle out here. For the last two hours I have been reading my 144 page rule book put out by fish and wildlife department. My fishing line is topped off with a barbless hook. After two hours I finally discovered the Government closed God’s beautiful creek here year round. It’s the same with your question. God’s way is marriage. The government’s way is domestic partnership. That’s why I will be voting “Reject” on domestic partnerships.”

Simply Redneck …

After going upstream I found a redneck walking around in his wife-beater t-shirt. I asked where he stood. I think he said “The government is full of domestic partnership,” or something like that.

My little reflections are probably not a scientific sample but it does appear that people understand they need to vote “Reject” if they don’t want domestic partnerships.

Religious conservatives make up somewhere between 35-42% of Washington’s electorate by my estimate. By ourselves, we don’t win anything. However, we could win based on the way people are thinking about government. We could have a whole section of people willing to vote along with religious conservatives.

If you like FEMA Trailers …

The government effort toward domestic partnerships feels a lot like FEMA. Domestic partnerships are government manufactured homes. You can live in a FEMA trailer if you want, but it falls far short of what God has in mind and it should not be the ideal toward which we strive.

On a spending spree …

A lot of people don’t think the government has done very well in fixing the economy. The budget deficit and wild spending spree are evidence of that.

The Fanny and Freddie Mess …

They don’t think the government has done very well in fixing the mortgage mess. Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac are evidence for that.

Given the multiple disasters of government they really don’t trust the government to fix marriage, which is why they will vote “Reject” on domestic partnerships.

If you combine the religious conservatives with those who are distrusting government there may be a majority who will vote to reject domestic partnerships. It comes down to a choice between God’s way or the Government’s way. If you prefer God’s way you will vote “REJECT.”