Amendment One is Passed in North Carolina

[Jrecee]

Pastors, preachers, rabbis, whatevers, don't have to mary two dudes if they don't want. It's their church. It's religion. If their religion doesn't accept gays, blacks, mexicans, short people, well fine. I don't give a shit.

But when the government decides they want to be in the marriage business, they DO have to promote equality.

The simple answer to all this is, the government should not be in the marriage business. It should not promote a certain way of life as some of the gay marriage detractors believe it should (the same people who are for smaller government of course).

If the government wants to offer tax breaks for people who file jointly, they need to do it for any two consenting adults. If they want to give breaks to parents so they can better afford to raise a child, then fine.

If they want to promote a man and a woman living together to raise a child, then they need to gtfo.

[BoringSupreez]

@ dshienem: although the old ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were fulfilled by Jesus's death, homosexuality is still said to be wrong in the New Testament.

Romans 1:26-27

New International Version (NIV)

26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Pastors, preachers, rabbis, whatevers, don't have to mary two dudes if they don't want. It's their church. It's religion. If their religion doesn't accept gays, blacks, mexicans, short people, well fine. I don't give a shit.

But when the government decides they want to be in the marriage business, they DO have to promote equality.

The simple answer to all this is, the government should not be in the marriage business. It should not promote a certain way of life as some of the gay marriage detractors believe it should (the same people who are for smaller government of course).

If the government wants to offer tax breaks for people who file jointly, they need to do it for any two consenting adults. If they want to give breaks to parents so they can better afford to raise a child, then fine.

If they want to promote a man and a woman living together to raise a child, then they need to gtfo.

I agree with what you're saying here, in that the government shouldn't be in the marriage business or promoting anything in it. Also, I am for smaller government, FWIW.

Ugh, I'm getting sick of politics.

[Hobie-wan]

You are exactly right. I'm fine with gay marriage being legal, I just don't want anyone to be forced to go against their beliefs because of it.

I don't see why this is a problem. There are many avenues to getting married. If someone is bigoted against you for some reason, why would you use their services? You probably wouldn't want them to perform the service for you any more than they wanted to do it.

[markeconrad]

@dsheinem: great thanks. She's Jewish though...

[BoringSupreez]

You are exactly right. I'm fine with gay marriage being legal, I just don't want anyone to be forced to go against their beliefs because of it.

I don't see why this is a problem. There are many avenues to getting married. If someone is bigoted against you for some reason, why would you use their services. You probably wouldn't want them to perform the service for you any more than they wanted to do it.

It's bound to crop up eventually somewhere. I think I remember something similar happening in a New England state a couple of years ago.

[ElkinFencer10]

I'm "against it" in that I think it's wrong. I don't support forcing people to stop it or anything. And I don't hate gays either, I just don't like what they're doing.

I just don't understand your viewpoint. I'm having trouble seeing what's wrong with homosexuality. Not trying to call you out or anything, I'm just intrigued is all.

I'm Christian, the Bible says it's wrong, and the idea of it just seems wrong to me.

Since you're worried about what the Bible says is and isn't okay, here's a guide of the Bible's complete list of acceptable marriages.

http://youtu.be/OFkeKKszXTw

[markeconrad]

I don't think these sarcastic responses to someone's religious beliefs are very helpful. Besides, the issue here is marriage, not whether one finds homosexuality to be "abominable" or not.

[ElkinFencer10]

I don't think these sarcastic responses to someone's religious beliefs are very helpful. Besides, the issue here is marriage, not whether one finds homosexuality to be "abominable" or not.

I'm a Christian, too. It just makes my blood boil when that's used as an excuse to deny equal rights or to excuse apathy to the denial of those rights.

[Ack]

Having already pointed out that accusations based around sexuality should be off limits, I would also like to take a moment and say that insulting religious beliefs also has no place in this conversation. It is not for you to say the beliefs of another is right or wrong, just as it is not their place to criticize you. Gentlemen, please keep this topic on homosexual marriage and do not let it devolve into a flamewar concerning homosexuality, religion, or any other such nonsense.

[Luke]

Besides, the issue here is marriage, not whether one finds homosexuality to be "abominable" or not.

Yup.
This affects both heterosexuals and homosexuals. It's a civil rights issue, not a gay issue.

Ack- It's NOT about homosexual marriage. Again (I talk, no one listens) this is about civil rights as an American Citizen.