Atheists, what is your stand on same sex marriages?

Question

For the record, do you think that same sex marriages are "good" for our society?

Answer 1

There is no authentic impediment to same sex marriages apart from rather spurious quasi-theological arguments about marriage being a heterosexual institution.

Same sex marriages pose no more threat to the institution of marriage than divorce and, like divorce, you will find that many of the doomsayers with regard to same sex marriages will be shown to be wrong yet again.

For the record, same sex marriages flourished throughout mediaeval Europe and the Byzantine empire - many blessed by formal rituals sanctioned by the Church such as Tale 67 of the ''Gesta Romanorum'', the Office of Same-Gender Union (Vaticanus Graecus 1174 AD), the Istanbul Holy Sepulcher 615 Office of Same-Sex Union (1522 AD) and the Belgrade Order of Celebrating the Union of Two Men (1885 National Library of Belgrade, Ms 10).

By the way, we have same sex marriages (not civil unions) in the UK and apart from a substantial increase in the number of marriages in the UK, the sky is a long way from falling in!

Answer 2

I believe people of the same sex should be allowed to marry. I think the problem stems from the original law using the term marriage, which refers to a religious union, instead of creating a new term for the legal union. Now we have many religious people who are trying to apply their beliefs about marriage based on their religion to the law and that is what is creating the problems. The confusing is understandable considering they are using the same term to refer to 2 very different things. I understand that certain religions do not recognize a union between two people of the same sex, but legally, I believe they should be allowed have a union so they are allowed to visit each other in the hospital when sick, collect each other's pension, etc.

Answer 3

GEE Miles that WASN'T sarcastic sounding AT ALL.

As an agnostic, I think it depends on the couple, same as straight marriages.

There are plenty of straight marriages made in hell. I worked as a direct care professional and had to help the abused and neglected feral children who were the products of some of these horrible marriages navigate adulthood...

I think there are better ways to tell whether someone is "good" for society. Like whether they are using drugs, or marching in the KKK midnight parade and passing out meth to lonely kids, or they are incestuous "purity" freaks who end up making children with all kinds of genetic defects and letting the kids deal with it. What about the nice Christian couple around the corner from me in Ohio who put their special needs foster kids in cages.

There is A LOT more to worry about in our society than whether Adam and Steve are in love. Not all gay people are perverts. Granted, a lot of perverts are somewhat gay but that is besides the point! Homosexuality has nothing to do with pedophilia. If they are not hurting anybody who cares?

Answer 4

Let them be as they want.
And let the Natural Selection process decide the outcome. IF being gay is unnatural then those with the 'wrong' genes will choose the same sex and of course as a result, most (if not all) couples will not reproduce, hence removing the 'wrong' gene stock from the human gene pool. Over a long period of time the gay gene will automatically disappear, solving the problem (if it is a problem).
On the other hand, by forcing the people with gay tendencies to marry the opposite sex as has happened over the human history, the authorities inadvertendly helped perpetuate the gay gene.

Caution: This hypothesis has NOT been tested scientifically as it requires to be tested over many generations.

Answer 5

Either marriage is secular or it's a religious institution. That is usually the direction of the debate. Speaking from the US legal system...

If it's secular congress is able to make laws to to restrict marriage but it would be unconstitutional for them to do so.

If it's a religious institution then congress can not make laws restricting a religious institution because it's unconstitutional.

So regardless of whether it's secular or religious it's going to happen eventually. Judging by so many other things that were once thought to be bad for society that are now common I suspect this too will become ho hum.

Answer 6

I'm straight but I think that its 100% fine to have a same sex marrige!
My friends parents are gay!
*NOTE! You should move to a gay-friendly place with your partner, (San Francisco, New York City, Miami, Las Angeles)
Or maybe down South Carolina, hope I helped!

Answer 7

Personally, I think anyone's harmless, benign, happiness is good for society.

I'm not going to marry a man, so what am I worried about? Gays stealing my R&S wives?

Churches have every legal right to refuse such a marriage ceremony, but under the same first constitution, the government has no right to make laws restricting pursuit of happiness, so bring on the civil marriages and if the couple can find a church, great.

Answer 8

It is not for me to judge what is "good" for our society. I think discrimination and hatred is bad for society though.

As for the "gay marriage" issue, here are the real facts. Marriage, in the eyes of the government, is a CONTRACT that entitles you to certain legal rights. Not allowing 2 adults to enter into a government sanctioned contract is discrimination. Period.

No one is saying that your church has to perform ceremonies. No one is saying that you have to attend. But basing DISCRIMINATION on the reason that is says so in the bible is the same exact arguement that Christians made to keep women "in their place" and treat minorities as second class citizens and ban interracial marriage.

And I don't see the difference AT ALL.

You teach your children what you want to teach them, and I will teach my children to love and tolerate all people who treat them well and live their own lives.

Peace to you.

Answer 9

I feel that if identical-intercourse couples wish to marry, they are able to marry. They will also accomplish that in a church IF the priest is inclined to do it. If now not, then the priest should not be compelled to or seemed down upon for refusing. Similar to the priest who is getting all this grief for now not marrying an interracial couple. It's his possess individual perception. He's now not pronouncing they cannot get married, handiest that he may not be the only to do it. While it is handy to be indignant with him for refusing to, he is not preventing them from getting married. It's the identical factor as a clergyman now not marrying a identical-intercourse couple. He's now not denying them the proper to get married, handiest refusing to be the only to marry them. Definitely regardless that, the federal government will have to now not be allowed to step in. As lengthy because the couple has the proper to get married somewhere else (which I consider they will have to in all states), then whether or not or now not it is in a church will have to be as much as the couple and the priest who is requested to participate in the wedding.

Answer 10

Not exactly atheist but I fully support same sex marriage and think that it won't make any difference to our society.
Why should people in love with someone of the same gender not be allowed to marry?
Opposite sex couples can get married if they want to.
We are all human beings and should be treated equally.
(Although just for the record, I'm not homosexual so don't think that I have a biased opinion or anything.)