Do you really think Christians are blocking gay marriage?

Question

Yes, they are very loud about it and everything...but don't you think they are just being used as puppets by the government? Let's think about this...what harm would gay marriage do to Christianity? Nothing. But, what harm would gay marriage do to the government? Well, nothing directly...but it would surely piss off the insurance companies...who just so happen to have tons of money and are huge lobbiest.

But isn't it a nice set up that when the topic of gay marriage comes up, everyone for it is talking about how religion is holding it back and religion keeps saying how immoral it is and harmful to society it would be. All the while, the insurance companies are smiling because all they have to do is say..."Well we would like to give benefits...but the law says we can't :("


So, do you think we are just all being fooled? Do you think it has been set up to have a win-win for governement and insurance companies?

And please don't say that Christians have that much pull when it comes to making laws. If they did, abortion would be illegal tomorrow...and we know that isn't going to happen. Why? Because abortion puts money into peoples pocket...just like not allowing gay marriage is keeping money in peoples pocket. It is a really nice set up on how they put the two groups against each other though.

As long as liberals can be convinced that "religion" is holding them back and conservatives can be convinced that "secular society" is threatening them...we can all be controlled nicely.

Canadian Atheists: I think you missed my point.

smcwhtdtmc: Most people in America get their insurance through work...most places of employment allow the coverage of a spouse as well. If they change the law to consider them "married"...not just "civil union" then they would be required to offer it to gay marriages as well...or else they would be descriminating. Like saying, white spouses are okay...but black spouses are not.

piemaker: by "plural" marriage I am assuming you are meaning polygamy. The reason I give above is the exact same reason why polygamy will never be legal. They will say because it is "immoral"...but really it is about money. Everything in America is about money...if you haven't caught on to that by now...then you should look past the surface of all our major issues and see what is driving them.

Answer 1

I agree with you to an extent. I think the main force behind the desire to make gay-marriage illegal might be insurance companies (and other corporations who might stand to lose money). However, I think it's important to note that they have publicized the issue and gained public support by casting gay marriage as "immoral."

The result of that is that much of the population has taken the issue as a moral issue and is willing to assist the corporations by voting against gay marriage in referendums (referenda?).

Answer 2

Insurance companies wouldn't be required to give benefits to homosexual couples (married or not). When insurance is sold, a contract is written detailing exactly what the obligations of the insurer are. If they didn't want to cover a homosexual spouse, they would just write that into the contract.

Next time you try to convince people that Christians are not the main opposition to gay marriage, you should at least do a minute or two of research beforehand.

Answer 3

You've got a point.

But the fact remains that when it's put in a referendum, the idea of gay marriage or civil unions is routinely voted down. That means the majority of voters are against it.

What I don't believe is that they are really against it for religious reasons. That may be their excuse, but then how many of these same people violate their stated religion's teachings on sexual morality themselves? Were they all virgins until they got married? No adultery, ever?

No, it's just pure bigotry, not Christianity, that is blocking gay marriage.

Answer 4

I think ultimately, it is the politicians who are gaining from it. If you are a republican candidate, one of the easiest ways to get religious votes is to claim you are against abortion and gay marriage. Yet when the republicans controlled the house, senate, white house, and the supreme court, they didn't do any work towards this.

This is because if they actually outlawed abortion and gay marriage, they wouldn't have that issue to help them get votes. So they stir up those issues to get the religious votes, then keep those issues from advancing so they will be able to get the same votes the next time.

Answer 5

Many insurance companies DO offer benifits to gay partners. I know Blockbuster does. So your arguement is only partly valid.

Christian ARE pushing for abortion to be made illegal. Your Supreme Court justices have more to do with that then any politician. Let people like Bush "pack the court" and you can bet your *** that Abortion will be illegal.

Answer 6

Marriage is a legal institution, not a religious one.
For them to block a legal contract between two consenting adults is amazingly ignorant.
Thankfully, here in Canada we tuned out the religious wackos and stepped into the 21st century and awarded same-sex couples the right they've been denied for far too long.
Guess what? No upheavals, no cities burning, no mass satanic masses in public places. Nothing happened that the conservative right wing nut-bars said would happen.
Now, why can't out neighbors to the south understand that?

Edit, no I did'nt miss yours but you seem to have missed mine.
Here in Canada, insurance companies MUST treat same-sex couples the same as any other legally joined couple. And there has been ZERO impact on thier earnings. In fact, their shares have gone up.

Answer 7

i believe that gay marriage will someday be legal, but not as "marriage." by definition, marriage is between a man and woman with the goal to procreate.

no - i am NOT against gay marriage - actually, i believe that as long as the people getting married are of legal age and that they are willing to make the committment to become a family, gay marriage AND plural marriage should be legal.

the key is that everyone has to be RESPONSIBLE. marriage should never be entered into with the thought that if it doesn't work out, it can just end in divorce. marriage is a committment of one life to another.

btw: i am pagan and in a plural marriage relationship.

Answer 8

I see your point and it may be partly valid (I'm not sure).

If the issue is one of merely covering a few more individuals, don't you think the insurance companies could just raise their rates a little?

After all, were are probably talking about 5% of the population at best.

Answer 9

when people run for public office, certain questions are asked about where they stand on certain moral issues. if these politicians are interested in gaining voter support they're likely to say they're against something that the majority of people are against, i.e. gay marriage. since the majority of this country is christian and the majority of those christians are against gay marriage, it's likely that if i a politician not only wants to get elected into office but remain in office he will not do anything to upset his voter base.

Answer 10

I do not think the majority of voters are all diehard Christians who despise gay marriage to vote against it. In reality the gay rights movement is a relatively small one, but when one turns on the TV it seems it is huge and widely accepted since many things are in favor of gay lifestyle.

But in reality it is a very small single digit percentage that are in favor of gay rights.