Sam Fletcher

It’s 3:19 p.m. and I’m sitting in a coffee shop. I was going to do some light reading, but the book I brought, Sam Harris’s "Free Will", is on the table, unopened. I’m clicking “refresh” over and over on a Web browser on several different news websites, hoping that one of them is going to post, “UPDATE 3:20 PM: Meaning Behind Tragedy Uncovered, It All Makes Sense Now.”

Can religion and violence be separated, even in a theoretical sense? Let me first say that I’m afraid I can’t add anything to the discussion that will comfort those whose lives have been tragically affected by violence perpetrated in the name of faith. This is an extremely difficult and painful question: for individuals, for ethnic groups, for nations and for our world.

Conservatives claim any new gun control regulations are a serious impediment to their ability to defend themselves and their families. Liberals claim guns are destructive to the fabric of society by way of equipping murders with the most efficient tools to kill. Both sides have valid points to make, and the Constitution, for better or worse, guarantees that Americans have certain rights regarding the bearing of arms.

Like it, love it, or hate it, Referendum 74 is now the official law of Washington State. Adults may marry whom they please, be they heterosexual or homosexual. Ministers will still be allowed to follow their conscience, and have the right to refuse marriage. Dire predictions have been made, but my prediction is: Just like other areas where gay marriage is allowed, life will be pretty normal from now on.

I appreciated Zainab Abdualjaleel’s article, “This attitude is not part of Islam….just like the movie should not represent Christianity”, about protests in the Islamic world arising from an internet video lambasting Muhammad and Islam. Her article, and comments, are well worth reading.

This year, voters in Washington state have the chance for vote on Referendum 74, which if passed would affirm the legality of gay marriage in our state. I’m a Christian. I’m also voting YES on this ballot measure, and I’d like to tell you why.