Marriage: Love-pact or contract?

Hi :peek: I'm liking the diversity of opinion I've seen around here, and wondered what everyone thinks about this issue.

When I first heard about people opposing gay marriage eight years ago, my gut reaction was, "Why do they care? How does someone else's love-life affect you in any way?" That still sums up my position, though I also see it as a basic civil rights issue. As the Lutheran minister said after WWII, "When they came for the Jews I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew... When they came for me, there was no one left to speak up."

For anyone out of the loop on this: the U.S. Senate votes today on a Constitutional Amendment banning legal recognition of gay marriage.

The debate seems fueled by a nominally Xtian political movement calling "dibs" on marriage, which kind of diminishes the love aspect and cheapens the institution, from my perspective. I've always thought of marriage as, ideally, a sacred love-pact between two individuals, regardless of what sort of meat they keep in their trousers.

I'd like to see some other viewpoints, pro and con. Thanks to anyone who read this far.

I don't know why they are wasting their time on Constitutional Ammendments! Remember the one about burning the flag? Why don't they spend everyones tax money debating something useful like healthcare reform, or placing caps on punitive damages.

Two people love each other and make a committment to each other, the government has no right to interfere in the private life of an individual.

The government is a cold, sterile, heartless institution focused on making everyone think exactly alike, just to help rebuild their crumbling castle...Arguments which come from the heart are real. Arguments which come from tradition are....just fucking stupid.

Besides the fact that Im gay myself, all the marriage is a sacred thing for malexfemale only and no malexmale or femalexfemale, thats just a buncha crap anyways. Love is love, love is beautiful.(usually)

I think one of the problems some people have is if you allow it you have to start allowing other things as well. Things like polygamy. I think there are even more people against that than their are againt gay marriage.

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Originally posted by Lucius
Besides the fact that Im gay myself, all the marriage is a sacred thing for malexfemale only and no malexmale or femalexfemale, thats just a buncha crap anyways. Love is love, love is beautiful.(usually)

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Mutual love is beautiful. Period.

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Originally posted by Alric
I think one of the problems some people have is if you allow it you have to start allowing other things as well. Things like polygamy. I think there are even more people against that than their are againt gay marriage.

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You must cross lines to realize truth. Why are today's laws the supposed end-of-the-road? People thought homosexuality was immoral within the last century. People were killed hundreds of years ago for saying the Earth is round...And they were also burned at stakes, being accused of witchcraft and all. I don't believe for a second we've reached the end in terms of social change. There are still a lot of misunderstood people out there... :(

So your for polygamy and polyamory? In the other forum people are saying porn is bad because it makes sex no longer sacred. Well when your allowed to have a marriage between two men and 3 woman, its not very sacred either.

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Originally posted by Alric
So your for polygamy and polyamory? In the other forum people are saying porn is bad because it makes sex no longer sacred. Well when your allowed to have a marriage between two men and 3 woman, its not very sacred either.

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I'm not *for* anything based on a definition. But at the same time, I'm not *against* anything which doesn't cause physical or emotional harm to people. If all parties in a given situation are happy, fuck off mr. government :-P People should not have to conform to a moralistic ideal because of some negative, misunderstood opinions. Honestly I think it's the intervention which causes more problems than anything else. What difference does it make to everyone else's lives if some people want to marry multiple partners? Claiming that sex is only sacred when it's between two people is like saying only brunettes are good looking, or that a Porsche only looks good in black. It's all about personal choice. If people involved in polygamy didn't feel content with doing it, they wouldn't do it, right? Why would anyone want to take that away? To make themselves feel better? :|

Nature makes a lot of 'strange' laws...It's our job to live with those laws. We can't change them...