Homosexual Marriage defeated by WIDE Margins

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country.

CoastalRat wrote:

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country. What they want is to change the law to give them additional rights.

Like McG, I think more support will be given to gay unions if provisions are made to differentiate between marriages (a religious rite) and civil unions (a secular rite).

I have been married 5 times....twice in a church...twice by a JP...once by a magistrate......all the marriages save one ended in divorce....like 50% of every marriage...I am not unusual.....where does the sacred religious rite part come in?

No, the sanctity of marriage is a fraud to some people. To others it is very real and very important. Why should we make their beliefs less important than anyone elses?

Bi-Polar Bear wrote:

CoastalRat wrote:

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country. What they want is to change the law to give them additional rights.

Like McG, I think more support will be given to gay unions if provisions are made to differentiate between marriages (a religious rite) and civil unions (a secular rite).

I have been married 5 times....twice in a church...twice by a JP...once by a magistrate......all the marriages save one ended in divorce....like 50% of every marriage...I am not unusual.....where does the sacred religious rite part come in?

BPB, let me better explain my thinking. Forget about the sad state of most marriages today. Too many people, IMO, get married for the wrong reasons and with very little thought (thanks in part to no fault divorces, but that is another issue).

Currently, civic and religious marriages are recognized by all parties as legal unions, both by the church and by governments for legal reasons. My thought is to differentiate the ceremonies so that churches, for religious reasons, have no legal compulsion to recognize civil unions if said unions violate church doctrine (as gay unions would).

I think much of the fear of gay unions by christians is that the government, wielding tax exempt status as a weapon, will force churches to recognize gay unions as legit. To me, this appears to be a reasonable fear. Creating gay unions as a seperate entity outside of marriage to recognize the rights of the two partners in regard to the others property et al would be more palatable to many more christians than what is being attempted now.

No it isn't.

CoastalRat wrote:

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country.

You are under a totally wrong impression. It is legal in most places to discriminate in hiring, housing, etc against gays, lesbians, bisexual and trans persons.

Rat, how do two women in San Fransisco getting married have any effect on you?

Harper wrote:

CoastalRat wrote:

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country.

You are under a totally wrong impression. It is legal in most places to discriminate in hiring, housing, etc against gays, lesbians, bisexual and trans persons.

Please name the places

Harper wrote:

Rat, how do two women in San Fransisco getting married have any effect on you?

Never said it did Harper. The only effect at this time is that it is against the law. They want the law changed. Not me. They need to prove why this country should change its laws to accomodate them. Most of what they want to accomplish can be done thru legal contracts (property right issues, power of attorney, etc). About the only thing they truly gain that they have no access to now by legalizing marriage is related to tax issues, and this can be done by creating a civil union that need not be recognized by churches.
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About the only thing they truly gain that they have no access to now by legalizing marriage is related to tax issues, and this can be done by creating a civil union that need not be recognized by churches.

My bet is that the number of churches willing to give up tax exempt status would be microscopic.....
and that whoever was president if it happened would not be reelected

Harper wrote:

Rat, how do two women in San Fransisco getting married have any effect on you?

Never said it did Harper. The only effect at this time is that it is against the law. They want the law changed. Not me. They need to prove why this country should change its laws to accomodate them. Most of what they want to accomplish can be done thru legal contracts (property right issues, power of attorney, etc). About the only thing they truly gain that they have no access to now by legalizing marriage is related to tax issues, and this can be done by creating a civil union that need not be recognized by churches.

BPB, I used the tax exempt status as one example. And you know what, I would be a lot of churches would give up their tax exempt status over this, and many won't because they have moved away from biblical authority already and won't care.

Other issues that I think (again, this is just my own opinion here) are a problem is the possibility of gays suing churches for membership, for leadership positions and so on. Again, I am maybe placing my opinion here in the mouth of the churches, so I could be wrong. Just looking at it as I think churches are looking at it.

The gay agenda is doing all they can to insist that everyone recognize their lifestyle as normal and acceptable. Christians do not believe the lifestyle is normal or acceptable, yet you would have churches forced to recognize a union of two men or two women just as they would a man and wife union. Where here is the seperation of church and state that you and others are so fond of pushing?

The gay agenda is doing all they can to insist that everyone recognize their lifestyle as normal and acceptable.

cannistershot wrote:

Harper wrote:

CoastalRat wrote:

I must be missing something here. I am under the impression that gays have the exact same rights as everyone else in this country.

You are under a totally wrong impression. It is legal in most places to discriminate in hiring, housing, etc against gays, lesbians, bisexual and trans persons.

Please name the places

Everywhere without a local ordinance banning discrimination against GLBT persons and everywhere where same-sex marriage is banned. Can you people possibly be this misinformed?