Gay Marriage?

Question

I'm kind of confused. From a religious perspective the joining of men and women in marriage is done in the eyes of god. It is to gain the "Almighty's approval" (so-to-speak). In government, marriage is a legal contract with peripheral benefits. The marriage can be terminated for any reason in either venue. United States is a country where a separation of church and state is "supposed" to exist. I can believe according to any religious belief I want to is the freedom I enjoy as an American. Also, I can adopt any set of ethical standards that I wish. It is my freedom recognized by the U.S. The government pushes for tolerance of homosexuals (mainly because of their votes). My question: Why is it okay for the government to force their morals on the rest of the populace? Gays are still Americans with the same rights. Secondly: Why do gays need the legal contract. Isn't finding someone who loves you enough. Your different by choice not birth so why do you fight for gay rights.

Additional Details

5 months ago
I just don't get the problem with this. All anyone ever says is "It is a joining between a man and a women." or "Being homosexual is a sin in the eyes of God." One is an antiquated perception of marriage. I mean traditional values is fine you your household, but the world hasn't stopped changing. The second is pushing your own religious ideals on another.

I must step on the homosexuals toes also. Why is it so important that the government acknowledge your mariatal status. The process is really for both of you to acknowledge each others exclusiveness to the other. Like a pinky promise. :) Now--when--in all of history--has a sexual act ever been justified as a grounds for governmental action. Seriously. Its like a beer commercial argument. "Taste great! No, Less Filling!" The one thing that shouldn't be happening is having acts that are meant to be private and personal out in the open. YOU DON'T NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL TO SOLVE YOUR SEXUAL

Answer 1

For many, such as myself, the issue isn't about marriage, per se. It is about legal entitlement to benefits. For instance, because there is no binding union between homosexuals in the majority of the USA, things like Wills, Power of Attorney, mortgages, etc. can end up in probate or in the hands of the person's family after death, not the person's partner. And that partner has no legal ground to stand on.

I personally don't give a wet slap if the church recognizes my nearly 6-year "marriage" to my "husband." I don't even care if the government does, but I do care if the government expects me to continue paying taxes without representing my community.

Unfortunately, due to the way our government is set up, it is the people of the US who have determined not to give homosexual partnerships legal status. Our country is about 80% Christian, and most of Christendom condemns homosexuals.

From an IRS perspective, as well, the government makes more money off of "single" people than married. So they are in no hurry to give homosexuals rights.

Answer 2

To answer the first part of your question, in my opinion it is never ok for the government to push it's set of morals on anyone. The freedom we enjoy should be freedom for all. Thomas Jefferson said the persuit of happiness was for everyone in the United States of America. Our founding fathers, those who actually can from Europe at the start of colonization left Europe because of religious persecution. They wanted the freedom to worship the god of their choice and the freedom to do so in the manner they chose. In that sense, to force morals, meaning to force a religious point of view, is not how this country was started. Doing so brings us backwards about 300 years and makes us no different than the Europe the colonists tried to escape.

The government should do what it is supposed to do, govern. The job of government is to maintain law and order and keep a peaceful society. This means assuring that all people are treated fairly and equally under the law of the land. Not the law of a certain religious group. The United States should remember that rights are guaranteed by the constitution and those rights should be equal for all citizens.

Unfortunately our government has become so corrupted by those who have the money to infuence policies and public opinion. The richest and most influential is the Christian Right Wing. They have the money and the power to put a puppet in the Presidency and make their agenda the agenda of the government. It's not about God and Christ, but about dollars and cents.

To answer your second question, why does the LGBT need to have the government recognize their relationships by giving them a piece of paper. Well equal rights for all and the right to the persuit of happiness currently does not include same sex marriages. In order to live up to what we claim we have: freedom and liberty for all, we need to make it just that: freedom and liberty for all. Anything less makes this democracy a fraud.

No, we don't need or want the approval of everyone, just the same rights afforded the rest of the population. It's not special rights. It's not a slippery slope problem. It doesn't require churches to sanction the marriages. It is not a separate but equal solution we seek. We demand the same rights and benefits given to opposite sex marriages. Plain and simple: to deny this group of citizens a right under the government, not your god or my god, but the government which issues the licenses, would be discrimination.

If you don't agree, you don't have to come to our weddings, your church is not required to perform any marriages only the ones it chooses to recognize. A marriage of 2 men in Massachusetts has not caused the failure of anyone's marriage or society as a whole in that state.

There is no valid reason same sex couples can not be married. It's a sin is not a valid reason for the government to deny them. I don't like it, it's unnatural, it causes problems for children. None are valid reasons. Give it up. Get overself. The marriage as an instution needs something to save it, the opposite sex couples have destroyed the sanctity of marriage years ago. There is nothing Holy about it anymore except in the minds of a few who spew out their judgement on the rest of us. When marriage has 100% success rate with no divorces, then you can talk about the sanctity of the event. Until then, stop being so selfish and share with everyone so we can get on with more important social issues like homelessness, hunger in America, foster children, abusive parenting, education, unemployment, drug addition, alcoholism, health care for all, and other major social problems that have caused major problems to the sanctity of marriage already.

Same sex marriages can do nothing but increase family stability and bring the true meaning of family values out of the radical churches and into the neighborhoods where it belongs.

Answer 3

i have a few qualms with your details provided below your queston. First is your snide remark at the end saying that people choose to be gay. that is false. i didnt choose to be this way. honestly it hasnt been proven either way why i am this way but there is sufficient evidence to support the theory that it has to do with how many boy children a woman has. either way you slice it, how many children or genetics, it is definately not a choice. if i could change i probably would because life would be easier. however i'd know wat im missing out on in gay culture so then again i wouldnt.
anyway, we should have the same rights as straight couples simlpy because we have the same relationships. they even get Government taz benefits and they get all sorts of other benefits about wills, and the right to pull the plug, etc. a straight marriage provides more reciprocal rights than even a civil union does. that is why i push for marriage NOT civil unions. it is discriminatory to do otherwise. even calling it a civil union but giving the exact same rights would be unacceptable because it is just a loophole to make gyas and lesbians feel inferior and that we cant have the same thing as you all. your bible DOES NOT say that we chose this life. IT DOES NOT say that homosexuality is wrong. that is just one interpretation that is widely accepted. it is unclear what is meant by the original hebrew translations. thats why it didnt jkust flat out say in Hebrew that it is wrong for a man to have sex with a man. i personally dont interpret it that way. but then again im not a christian. sorry but a "Pinky promise" wont cut it for me.

Answer 4

Frankly the religious perspective is not my concern. My Deity approves and from that aspect the argument is over.

The "importance" of the governmental "approval" has everything to do with the 1049 rights, obligations and protections afforded by marriage. Nothing more, nothing less. Our "sexual actions" are not open to debate if the ruling in Lawrence VS Texas is to have any meaning. That ruling stated that what occurs in the bedroom between 2 consenting adults is considered a private matter and not subject to things such as sodomy laws(and with that ruling the requirement of a consummation of a marriage also becomes null and void).

Answer 5

Marriage between two people is a sign of commitment to the highest form all forms of religion agree on this. Most people in the world hold a faith in something which God or higher spirit it is, doesn't matter. The Gay community should be allowed to express this commitment through marriage just like the rest of the us can. The government does not want to allow a tax break for the 20-25% of America that is homosexual because they are not giving it to them now. The bottom line is money... because on our money "In God We Trust."

Answer 6

Pro

Answer 7

There are legal issues that (heterosexual) married couples can enjoy which gay men and women cannot unless they are legally "united" as well. For example, if I were ill, my husband couldn't visit me; if I were in a coma, he couldn't (legally) pull the plug. The checking account or safety deposit box couldn't be opened if we weren't legally married. Also, married couples pay more in taxes (from what I've heard) than single people. I know that there's a web site which lists 100 or so benefits that marriage affords people from which gay men and women cannot benefit.

Answer 8

You ARE very confused. Gay marriage is legal in Canada and the moral fabric of the universe hasn't started to unravel. Lighten up.

Answer 9

Confusion is pretty much the rule of the day ,isn't it. Men continually struggle to do what is right. What is right? Is it right for me to cheat on my wife? How about I get special rights because I happen to prefer more than one woman.
It is a slippery slope. I think that is what all the stink is about. It started with the divorce becoming acceptable, then sex before marriage was legitimised, then coming out of the closet happened. It is all a logical progression if there is no moral high ground, or absolute truth.
The next step of course is the significance of marriage once again taking a hit. God speaks alot about marriage. I listened to a lecture once about why marriage is so important to God. Basically what was said was that God intends marriage to communicate His love an character to us. The husband and wife are to love each other till death, have children to also love and so communicate His love to them and that would in turn make them know that there is a heavenly father who cares for them just as much and more than their earthly parents do. Unfortunately, as you may well know, we as a society are failing at this miserably. We divorce, we cheat , we abuse and abandon, plus we pervert and rape. This is why Christians are so vocal about it. We believe there is a standard which we have failed at and are trying to make up lost time and ground. The love of God is no longer being communicated. What God has put together is categorically being dismantled.

Answer 10

Well speaking as a gay man myself -it's about CIVIL RIGHTS & that every-and I mean EVERY AMERICAN has the right to get married what's soo wrong with it-It's not like it's going to intrude on your marriage -who cares it's just love and that's all it should be.Equality has been found in other countries like South Africa-England-and Canada and it didn't tear the country apart-Equality is Equal to everyone ...Peace