Prop. 8 has flooded the political forum with a number of gay marriage topics. Being LiveWire, that more specifically means that Prop. 8 has flooded with forum with a number of shitty gay marriage topics containing shitty arguments about gay marriage.

By now, many of you know the correct answer to the gay marriage debate. The majority, however, remains in the dark and supports incorrect positions on gay marriage. I put a great deal of emphasis on "incorrect"; normally I'm somewhat accepting of differing viewpoints, but I really cannot fathom how someone would disagree with the views that I am about to outline and not automatically be an idiot or cunt. Maybe LW will prove me wrong, but I seriously doubt it.

Let me start out by establishing the axioms that I am working off of for this:

• There are, and traditionally have been, many different kinds of marriage. Throughout history there has never been a single conception of marriage (take a look at how far back polygamy goes), and today there are a number of religious and secular groups with different definitions of marriage.
  
• Freedom of religion is a good thing. People should be able to honor their religious traditions. To the Roman Catholic Church, marriage is between one man and one woman. To a Unitarian Universalist, marriage is between two consenting adults. Neither should be forced to change their beliefs to match the other.
  
• Legal equality is a good thing. Same-sex couples should have access to the same legal benefits (tax status, power of attorney, ect.) as inter-sex couples.

Now, where is the problem? It's not a matter of re-defining marriage; many definitions of marriage have existed simultaneously at pretty much every time in documented history. The problem is that for the government to legally define one form of marriage, they are legally mandating a religious ceremony. It is comparable to legally defining God as the father of Christ or banning the ordination of women. The problem is that our government has taken a religious term that religions historically haven't and currently don't agree upon a set definition for and made it into a legal institution that they then are being forced to definitively define.

The solution should be obvious. The government has no place in marriage. None. The government should only issue federally-standardized, gender-blind civil unions that carry all of the legal benefits associated with marriage. Marriage would then return to its rightful place in the private sector as a personal ceremony with no legal weight. So:

Example 1) A Roman Catholic man and woman decide to get married. They go to their church and do all the Catholic stuff that it takes to get married. Then they get married. Yay! In the eyes of their religion/ creator they are eternally wed together and all that bullshit. In the eyes of the law, nothing is new until they go downtown and get a civil union.

Example 2) Two LaVeyan Satanist butt-buddies decide to get hitched. If they tried to go to a Catholic Church they would be denied, but since their religion openly embraces gay marriage they can get in touch with their local grotto and organize a ceremony. Like the Roman Catholics, they need to get a civil union to make it legal and obtain power of attorney rights and the like, though.

Example 3) A postmodern theorist decides to marry a box turtle. He gets a drunken hobo to perform a ceremony, and considers himself married. Neither the Catholics nor the LaVeyan Satanists (nor pretty much anyone else) consider him married, he can't get a civil union, and if he tries to get frisky with his wife (husband?) he'll be facing legal charges, but he's free to make his social statement by proclaiming himself married.

Post edited at 12:46 pm on Nov. 6, 2008 by Wilder

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"Hey, that's not very nice, Mayor--
just because a person's gay doesn't mean he's a fag!"
-Stan

but I think I agree? cause I dont think Im an idiot

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The spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly.

Give civil unions all the current rights marriages have and call all legal unions that. Let churches do whatever they want with the religious aspect.

Post edited at 12:11 pm on Nov. 6, 2008 by Seanee

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Oh, yeahh.

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Frankly the solution is for the government to get the fuck out of the marriage business altogether.

Give civil unions all the current rights marriages have and call all legal unions that. Let churches do whatever they want with the religious aspect.

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Yeah, that's what I'm advocating. I just took the time to break down why that's the only logical conclusion, because somehow most people aren't able to determine that for themselves.

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"Hey, that's not very nice, Mayor--
just because a person's gay doesn't mean he's a fag!"
-Stan

And yeah the government should get the fuck out and stay the fuck out of it. I mean they've had trouble with the religious people too regarding polygamy and you can't help falling in love with more than one person anymore than you can help falling in love with the same sex. Religion/government should not be allowed to establish marriage laws.

Post edited at 12:16 pm on Nov. 6, 2008 by Chava

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Enrique's (21 months) and Chase's (2 months) mommy www.myspace.com/Chaya77

FP

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I think we are in rats' alley
Where the dead men lost their bones.

Post edited at 12:16 pm on Nov. 6, 2008 by catoman

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Live and Learn