This is very well said.

Not every Christian agrees with our unnamed Christian equivalent of ijtihad (*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ijtihad), the extension of scriptural principles or agape spirit viewpoints to areas outside what was directly addressed in the Bible. I suppose a bellwether is whether or not we are willing to tolerate choice in abortion, which in scriptural terms is going out on a limb. I do happen to be on that limb myself, though. For example, my cousin had an abortion at a time when she briefly became a cokehead and dipped into selling herself for the money and got pregnant. In the queasy balance of considerations, I think she may have done the most loving thing.

Another limb that I am looking at but haven't climbed out on is the notion that the concept of sigheh or fixed-term marriage (*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikah_mut%E2%80%98ah) might be borrowed, despite all that has been said against it lately, as a solution for the loves of teens and BLs. Teens, I believe, have the inalienable right to re-invent their lives completely without penalty, while BLs may or may not find their attraction to a partner goes on indefinitely. Maybe something like a renewable two-year marriage would be ideal for everyone in the framework of a strong but suitable commitment. Yes, I know this idea calls for wearing a bullet-proof vest, but c'est la vie.

As many people have pointed out, the Bible has nothing good to say about dogs, and it generally makes them sound despicable, and yet many people now have them as central family members, as much loved as anyone else. The creation continues to unfold. There is a reason for ijtihad.