controversial opinion survey…stolen from mel
1) Is Abortion Wrong?
"I, personally, could not have an abortion…Abortion should be available (legal), but morally, it should be between a woman and God. I think that every woman who is pregnant and considering abortion should have to hear the hearbeat at least once and go through counseling before being allowed. Also, I think that if one has had more than 2 abortions and does not stay on birth control, they should be sterilized. Irresponsibility should be punished."
I agree with Mel. Is it wrong? I don’t know. I’m not about to act like I know either. I don’t know where life begins.
Here is what I do know: it is impossible for most people to know what goes through the mind of a woman if she becomes pregnant after being raped. Remember most rapes are perpetrated by an acquaintance. There are way too many cases of child molest and incest (what am I saying? 1 case is too many). There are also way too many cases of extremely strict and often violent parents. Consider you are a woman in a marriage with a very conservative man. You’ve already had several children, and you don’t want anymore but your husband might. He doesn’t believe in abortion at all. Then your birth control fails. What do you do? Consider you are a 15 year old girl who gets pregnant (either by rape or not), and your parents are extremely strict and often violent, and you know they will disown you or try and control the entire pregnancy, or get you to give up the baby or let them raise it, or might even beat you if they find out. They would not understand. Would you not consider abortion?
Abortions will happen whether legal or not, so shouldn’t we at least make it safe for the woman? Shouldn’t we at least require counseling, and limits. And should we demand that young girls notify their parents or married women notify their husbands? I’m against the mandatory notification/consent. I think this is the decision of the woman, because it effects every aspect of her being. I think counseling should be required, regardless of the situation, before and after any procedure is completed. And it should remain legal. South Dakota’s governor has signed a bill making abortion illegal in his state, except for cases in which the mother’s life is in danger. I doubt the bill takes into consideration pregnant women in abusive situations (in which the life of the woman IS in very real danger). The bill makes no exceptions for cases of rape or incest! If this bill stands and the trend continues through other states or is adopted on a federal level, the social implications will be staggering!
2) Is Birth Control Wrong?
No way! Every woman (and man for that matter- condoms are birth control) has the right to have sex at a consenting age, and to be safe about it. I have the right to use whatever means necessary to keep myself from becoming pregnant until I am ready. I have other plans for my life besides popping out babies (although I may like to at some point). In the meantime, I will continue to have safe sex as much and as often as I like. Thank you very much!
Birth control is also used to treat women with health issues as well.
Every woman should be aware however, that on occassion, birth control can abort fertilized eggs without the woman being aware of it. This can and does occur naturally without birth control as well, as a natural process. A woman may have several "miscarriages" in her life without her knowledge.
3) Do Animals Have Rights?
"Absolutely. But I’m still gonna eat me a nice hunk of steak because, damnit, if the lion can eat the gazelle, I’m gonna eat a cow. I just hope the cows and other animals we eat are killed swiftly. (I will NOT eat veal because of the way it is made)"
I don’t know how veal is made, but I agree with Mel 100%
4) Is Drinking Alcohol Wrong?
"No, as long as it is in moderation and it doesn’t keep you from God or your responsibilities. (I would say the same for pot.)"
Again, I agree with Mel 100%
5) Is Having a Tattoo Wrong?
It has been said that the human body is a temple, but I don’t think tattoos are wrong necessarily. It’s kind of like decorating the temple. However, they do tend to be ugly, in my opinion, especially when the person gets older. A person who gets tattoos in places not covered by clothing will have to live with any social implications, of course.
If I were ever to get a tattoo, it would be something to represent family or God. Relationships with certain people have the possibility of ending, but the love of family and God is forever.
I have recently heard of couples getting tattoos on their left ring fingers when the get married. These tattoos either take the place of an actual ring or are covered by the ring. This is a pretty neat idea that I think God would like. I don’t know if I would have the guts to do it, but it would sure save money on rings or liability if another man/woman doesn’t know your spouse is married! 🙂
6) Is Having a Body Piercing Wrong?
No, for the same reasons as above. I have my ears pierced, and that seems to be a widely accepted practice. It hurt, but I think it looks pretty.
That may be vain, but then again I don’t think that vanity is wrong, in moderation either.
7) Is Celebrating Somebody’s Birthday Wrong?
"???? Ummm why would it be wrong?"
Same as Mel….
8) Is Homosexuality/Bisexuality Wrong?
"I don’t think so, as long as it is a loving and committed relationship. Promiscuity is wrong. Adultery is wrong. Sex without love is wrong. I think homosexuality is God’s way of a natural birth control. He does the same thing with animals that are overpopulated, why wouldn’t we be the same?"
Again, I agree with Mel 100%, but if I were to expand fully on my reasoning here, it would go on for pages and pages. I don’t feel like typing that much.
9) Is the Death Penalty Wrong?
I believe it is wrong. A) it costs more money to put someone to death than it does to keep them in prison for life. This is partially due to the appeal process that IS NECESSARY to help ensure justice. During a life sentence, a prisoner can do a lot of things to benefit society. I am all for work camps, too, as long as they are humane and the inmates are treated fairly and not made to work over say, 60 hours a week? If you are in prison, why can’t you do a job to pay for the money the government is spending to keep you locked up? Why can’t they learn work ethic in prison? B) what if the individual being put to death is in
nocent? Illinois retracted their death penalty statutes after learning that DNA evidence later proved 15 inmates they had put to death were innocent. aren’t those deaths on the government’s hands? what about the person that gives the injection or flips the switch. aren’t they, then, guilty of murder? They were just doing as they were told. But, if I was told in my job, to punch a kid in the face as a punishment for punching a staff member in the face, uh, I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it. That is obviously wrong, right? C) There is no doubt in my mind that some people have commited such horrible crimes, that they might deserve to be put to death. Currently, we only give the death penalty to murderers. That doesn’t make a great lot of sense to me, because I think some offenses are worse than murder- molestation, rape, beating someone within an inch of their life, torture. Why not interview and really study these criminals to find out as much as we can about what I consider to be a dangerous mindset and perhaps even an illness. Why not continue to try and find out if there are ways of treating these criminal, whether we let them out of prison or not?
Furthermore, on a brief stray from the death penalty, I believe we should be separating criminals in prison more effectively. I believe that we need to keep the nonviolent criminals together- the thieves and drug dealers, etc., and put the violent criminals together. It is easier to teach and control groups when the individuals in that group have the same problems. This idea has only been highlighted by my current job. The organization has accepted residents with many different backgrounds, and as things change, and residents are exposed to other residents with different problems, more problems develop. It is also much harder for staff members to ensure safety and look for problem behaviors. Example: Two residents come back from a visit off campus, and need to be searched, one has a history of drug use, the other has a history of violence. It only makes sense that staff members would be looking for sharp objects or possible weapons when dealing with a resident who has violent tendencies, and would be extremely careful when confronting them in case they were to become violent. That staff might request another staff to be close on hand if a confrontation is necessary. On the other hand, the resident who has a history of drug use, may be searched for baggies or small, hollow containers that could hold powder, liquid, or pills. They may be asked to take a drug test or have a strip search or bathroom monitoring for 24 hours in case they have, say, swallowed a balloon of something.
10) Is it Ever Okay to Tell a Lie?
I don’t necessarily think lying is okay. Sometimes it is the best option for handling a situation. On occassion it is necessary to avoid a potentially violent situation.
11) Is Corporal Punishment for Criminals Wrong?
"? Corporal Punishment has been clinically shown not to work in most situations."
Yes, it is wrong. Punishment should fit the crime, not mirror it.
12) Is Spanking Children Wrong?
it can be. I think some people use spanking way too much. I was very skeptical of time-outs for a long time, but they work. I have only given two spankings in my life, and they were for my niece, who refused to do what I asked repeatedly, was disrespectful, and all other attempts to manage her behavior had failed. Both times she was spanked on her butt, not very hard at all, and she was compliant immediately after and for the rest of the day. Now when I watch her, if it gets to the point that a spanking would be the next step, all I have to do is look at her and ask her if she needs one, and she’s immediately compliant again.
I have seen cases in which people use spanking as an automatic consequence, and from what I’ve seen, the child becomes numb to it quickly, so harsher spankings are needed to get the same effect. This kind of situation can quickly escalate to child abuse, and by the time it does, the child will already have major behavioral problems.
13) Should Corporal Punishment be Allowed in Schools?
NO! I think if it gets even near that point, there are bigger, underlying problems with the child that need to be dealt with. Parents should be called, and other actions should be taken, including counseling. Children will respond to other punishments, like restriction from recess or extra homework or taking away of certain privileges.
14) Is it Wrong to Skip Church Occasionally if You Dont Feel Like Going?
"Jesus sees the heart. He understands. He’d prefer if you went, but as long as you work on your spiritual life the rest of the week and develop a relationship with God continuously, church is more of a suggestion. At my church, it’s like a big ass party for God, so I rarely don’t feel like going. But if I wasn’t feeling well or was just really damn tired, I think God would see my heart and understand."
I agree with Mel. I don’t think that church is a requirement for good spiritual health. If you enjoy church, go. If you don’t, it’s your choice. But, I’d rather worship with people who really want to be there.
15) Should Christians Teach Their Children About Santa Claus?
Now this is an interesting question. My answer is, why not? There was a lot of emphasis on Santa Claus in my family, but there was a whole heck of a lot more emphasis on Jesus. When the story of Santa Claus is done well, the product is a lesson in giving and belief without seeing. My family was really into the Santa Claus thing, but we spent most of the Christmas season contemplating ways to give to others, and interacting with family and friends, and going to church. When we were kids, we had our own advent wreath at home, and I loved that evening tradition more than reading books or watching movies about Santa. My favorite holiday decorations were never images of Santa Claus, but rather, the nativity scene that Mom let me set up and the Angel on the top of the Christmas tree. I loved the nativity scene because I would set every figure so that the were facing the manger, and so that the manger was the very center of the display. I guess, in my experience, believing in Santa Claus wasn’t harmful at all. I don’t remember it ever taking away from the spirit and focus of the season.
16) Should People Read/Study The Bible Regularly?
Christians should, yes. I am definitely guilty of slacking on that one lately.
17) Is Female Church Leadership Always Wrong?
Why would it ever be wrong? In my experience, the women in my church and the spiritual women I have met have been extremely inspirational, and they know their stuff. Some of the best sermons I have ever heard were given by women. Mary Magdalene was Jesus’ disciple, and she was not only a follower of Jesus, but a leader in faith. If my church kept me from being a leader just because of my gender, you be
tter bet that I would throw a fit. We are all equal in God’s eyes, and God wants to hear my voice in faith as much as anyone.
18) Should Non-Traditional Music Be Allowed in Church?
"As long as you worship, all music offered up to God with a spirit of praise delights Him. I’d be more concerned about the "traditional" music that has no spirit behind it and people are just singing with out the spirit in their hearts. But that’s not the music’s fault, that’s the peoples."
Make a joyful noise, people! If your heart is in it and its for the glory of God, sing it, play it, hear it, and lift it. I’m a traditional girl myself. No music gets my heart feeling as much as those old hymns. But, I like a lot of contemporary christian stuff…ever heard of Third Day? Amy Grant? Michael W. Smith? You can’t tell me they don’t have the faith or that they don’t help stir faith in others. Who says just because it’s traditional (or in this case, just older), it’s better? C’mon!
19) Is The Theory of Evolution Wrong?
It is a theory. Look up the word theory in a dictionary. I don’t know if it’s wrong. Does anybody? Science has been wrong millions of times. You can’t look for science to explain everything. It can’t.
20) Should The Theory of Evolution be Taught in Schools?
Sure, I think it should be taught as a THEORY. As long as it is not presented as fact, I don’t have a problem with it. Discussion never really hurt anybody either. Ask the kids what they think. Better yet, let the kids think what they think about the theory.
21) Is Sex Before Marriage Wrong?
I don’t know. I hope not. Sex without love is wrong.
22) Is Un-chaperoned Dating Wrong?
"Meh… let the kids have make out time. If you’ve raised them right they’ll know their limits and be safe. If not, then God will guide them."
I agree with Mel. After a certain age, and within reason, let them do what they’re gonna do by themselves. Love needs space and time to grow.
23) Is Divorce For Reasons Other Than Adultery Wrong?
"No. I can think of a lot of reasons people should get divorced. It should be harder for people to get married. They should have to live together for at least 2 years. If they can stay together and not break up once, then give em the hitchin.
P.S. I think Adultery should be punished with jail time."
Right on, girl. I agree. But I would say more that they have to date for at least a year and live together at least six months after that. If they can go that long without a break-up, and they can go through counseling sessions together before the wedding, then have at it. There are a lot of reasons why people should get divorced, but most of them should be punished with jail time- like domestic violence and adultery. Others should be punished by probation- like getting married in a huge hurry without thinking and then wanting out immediately, or extensive verbal abuse and controlling behaviors.
24) Should Divorced People be Allowed to Remarry?
"Not until they have gone through counseling to understand the underlying reasons why they got Divorced in the first place."
Agreed.
25) Should Women Always Wear Traditionally Feminine Clothes?
"Nah. Put your jeans on girl. "
Definitely agreed! Why should a woman have to wear any certain type of clothing. Wear what you want! Hookers wear traditionally feminine clothing. If anything should be outlawed, it should be wearing clothing that is extremely revealing. Yuck! I don’t want to see your thong hanging out of your pants.
I only got to this point….I haven’t finished yet….I’ll come back to edit later.
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26) Should Women be Submissive in Marriage?
Ha! Hell no! At least, not any more submissive than men. Now, what roles you wanna play in the bedroom now and then is your business, but the decisions should be 50/50, and if you can’t come to an agreement, then you need to compromise. If you can’t compromise, then play rock, paper, scissors. But, in no case will my husband (should I ever have one) hold more weight in decisions than me.
27) Is it Wrong For Mothers to Work Outside of Home? Absolutely not. Every woman should have that experience, and often it is necessary or more economical for the woman to work.
28) Should Women Primarily be Homemakers? Women should primarily be themselves. Some women are just not homemakers and that is okay. Should men primarily be homemakers? Individuals should choose their own paths.
29) Can Watching Television be Damaging to children? I think watching too much television can be damaging. I also think that watching dumb programming or programming that is far from age appropriate could be damaging.
30) Is Euthanasia Wrong? I’m not sure.
31) Is Suicide Wrong?
I think suicide (when not caused in large part by severe mental illness or medication) is selfish, and I would go as far as to say it is wrong. I don’t believe that people go to hell if they commit suicide
32) Is Gambling Always Wrong?
Not always. If you have excess money to gamble with and it is done in moderation, probably not. But I would suggest that no one should gamble if they aren’t first tithing and giving and saving.
33) Is Halloween Wrong?
No, let your kids dress up and get candy. Besides, its fun to tell scary stories and stuff. As long as you aren’t doing reckless, dangerous, and mean things, you’re fine.
34) Is Gossiping Always Wrong? Most of the time, yes.
35) Is it The Husbands Job to Provide For His Household? It is the adult’s job to provide for the household. Every individual provides something for a household.
36) Is Nakedness Always Wrong?
Nah, just as long as your in the appropriate situation
37) Is Pornography Always Wrong? I don’t think so. It can inspire creativity and add a spark. However, a lot of pornography is degrades women and perpetuates ideas of lust and infidelity.
38) Is Society Getting More Immoral?
Yeah, and it will just keep getting worse until Jesus comes.