Gay marriage? A question about it.?

Question

Okay, I have an honest question here, because this is not connecting in my mind at all. Please leave out your Bible answers, because I can't reason with a book that's being shoved in my face.

How is your marriage, Joe-Bob Redneck's marriage, or anyone else's marriage even marginally affected by the gay couple down the street getting married? And even if it is, how does that become their problem?

If you really want to strengthen marriage, why aren't you lobbying to get rid of divorce? Not make it harder, get rid of it entirely? That might make marriage more sacred. I seriously think that Britney Spears being married for 55 hours weakens marriage a lot more than me wanting to marry my girlfriend.

Could someone explain this to me?

Someone below said something about a gay agenda...my agenda is to be allowed to live equally with my fellows humans and Americans. That's really my only agenda. Honestly. This gay agenda is talked about like every gay person in the world gets together once a month and decides how we're going to try and overthrow THE BREEDERS this time. What are you people imagining? A bunch of guys in croptops in the corner, giving jazz hands demonstrations? Lesbians having belching contests?

Answer 1

The unfortunate thing about your question is that you seem to come from a position that conceptualizes marriage to be something very different than a person of faith does. You probably consider it a legal arrangement, but it is not -- it is a religious arrangement. The legalities of marriage have evolved over time because of the religious roots.

That is why the controversy exists. Those who consider marriage a legal arrangement find little controversy, but the majority of the country considers it a religious arrangement. That's why weddings are largely held in churches--even for couples who do not consider themselves to be religious.

But to answer your question, approaching from a legal standpoint.... If we allow same-sex marriage on the basis that marriage doesn't have to be between one man and one woman, then how do you tell the polygamist that he cannot have many wives...or why can't a woman marry her sister? If marriage is a right (as so many are wrongly proclaiming it), then don't other forms of marriage deserve consideration?

Too many gay-marriage proponents are myopic concerning these questions, dismissing them -- which is the best reason to postpone any changes to the current standards for marriage: as a country we have to think this through, the benefits AND the consequences.

Answer 2

It is, indeed, puzzling.

The best answer I've ever seen was on the satirical news site, The Onion.

They asked about gay marriage in one of their What Do You Think columns. One guy said "I oppose anything that weakens marriage. God knows, my wife and I can barely stand each other as it is."

I know, not at all an explanation, but I found it funny.

Then there's Stephen Colbert's take on it (or maybe it was one of the correspondants on the Daily Show). He made it sound as though, if gays were allowed to marry, that the guy he was interviewing would be tempted to leave his wife for a guy.

It was friggin' hilarious -- the gay-basher he was interviewing was really offended, once he realized what the interviewer was saying.

Then, of course, there's the old "then a guy could marry a duck" argument. WTF? Uh, marriage could be defined as being between TWO PEOPLE. Problem solved! (Like there's millions who want to marry a duck anyway.)

I'm afraid that there's no reasoning with some people. It's just a matter of time. When enough older people die off, the younger generation will do the right thing.

Sorry, but that's just how I see it. Most of the opposition comes from the older generation (not that all of us oppose allowing people to marry who they want).

All you can do in the meantime is take advantage of the "all BUT married" laws.

I turn 50 tomorrow, and it's hard to believe the revolution in thought about gays. In the 60s, when I was a child, acceptance of openly gay people was unthinkable.

That issue has been won, as have the rest of discriminitory policies. That's a lot of gain in a few decades. The last step will just have to wait.

Answer 3

Pro

Answer 4

Unless you are a reasoning person or gay yourself you could care less about what Gods view is. So if you are asking about marriage "in general" people that marry only because they are "in love" or feel obligated to do so will more than likely divorce. But If you respect marriage the way God does you are fortunate.

Answer 5

I don't know why this is even a debate it's nobodies business what is it that during elections shi t like race and gay issues always pop up in droves? As far as I'm concerned if two people love each other it's better than two married people that slap each other around and hate each other. And I am Christian and it was brought up at church one day I had to jump up and ask them what they thought about the war-killing people and shoved in God will be the judge and I didn't get kicked out surprisingly but I did get looks and dropped jaws but whats right is right I'm sick of the whole hatred thing people need to change soon!

Answer 6

I agree with your first concept - that a gay marriage doesn't affect someone else's marriage. To me, it's just someone forcing their phobias and beliefs on others in the guise of "natural law".

But I don't agree that divorce should be made illegal. People make mistakes, even in marriage. They shouldn't be burdened with a marriage to the wrong person for the rest of their life just because they made a bad choice when they were young. Would you want to be stuck in a loveless or an abusive marriage for the rest of your life?

One other thing - you say "don't use the bible as an answer", but then want to make marriage more sacred by banning divorce. You don't explicitly mention religion, but the word "sacred" comes pretty close to it. It sounds like a double standard from where I sit.

Answer 7

So, you are really asking people who are against gay marriage just how it impacts them personally? Because the rest of us - the majority - who aren't against gay and lesbian marriage can tell you only that it doesn't weaken our marriages at all. Nor does it impact the divorce rate which is tied to other social issues that need work. Good luck getting a non-biblical answer from an anti-gay-or-lesbian marriage proponent - what other answer can they actually give you?

Answer 8

I completely agree with you and am sorry that this is even an issue. I really like your idea of trying to abolish divorce!! I've never thought of that, and think its an interesting idea! MUCH better than restricting marriage to heterosexual couples. However, this, too, could cause its own problems. It is completely wrong and unfair that people believe they have a right to tell people who they can and can not love, and marry, for that matter. Peace and good luck to you. ♥

Answer 9

Sure, briefly, its a load of bullpuckey.
I'm married 29 years and I don't feel in the least threatened if Adam and Steve get married. I won't affect me at all.
Look at Rudy and Newt, three marriages each, even Rudy's wife has been married three times. Does that do anything at all for the state of heterosexual marriage?
But if you get rid of divorce they would all be married to the wife they married out of college, and not their current trophy wives, and that wouldn't suit their image.
As I said, its all just bullpucky.

Answer 10

You won't get "honest answers" out of homophobes. They try to force their "values" on others by braying the loudest and proclaiming that "rules" written by dead men several thousand years ago are selectively applicable to life today.

I hope in my lifetime to see all 50 states allowing gay couples to marry. It will happen. As each new generation grows up, they increasingly see nothing wrong with gay marriage. Even a majority of teenagers who self-identify as Christian evangelicals today support gay marriage.

We just need to wait for the dinosaurs to die, unfortunately.