Many of the US laws are the way they are because of religious beliefs. Unfortunately, it's a part of the sociological process that many people either accept, or just don't get out of. If you're told it's wrong, most of your life, you're going to vote with that mindset.

You vote based on your beliefs, yes? Yes. You are against banning gay marriage, thus you vote because you believe in gay marriage. It's just how it is.

@Emily: Most people were also told to mind their own business. As in, they have no business voting on issues that won't affect their lives in the slightest bit, nor will it affect their personal religious beliefs. And again, the 14th Amendment backs up my opinion, where as not much else backs the opposite opinion.

@Emily: Er, that came off wrong on my end. I didn't mean to say the people had no business voting, I mean that it shouldn't have gone to a vote in the first place. Apologies.

*facepalm*

If people don't vote by what they believe is right, there would be no voters. Saying they shouldn't vote because it doesn't affect their lives doesn't really work since it's changing the laws of their land. If something you vehemently disagreed with were a law, wouldn't you fight to stop it? Just because you're very pro gay marriage doesn't mean those who don't support it are bad people and shouldn't be allowed to vote. You're kind of getting butt-hurt over other people having opinions that differ from yours.

@Emily: Are you even reading what I'm saying? It's not like you missed my clarification, seeing as that was the post you responded to. Try to comprehend this, okay?: It shouldn't have gone to a vote in the first place. The proposal was unconstitutional.

I really don't get what's so hard to understand about this; it's not rocket science. I honestly couldn't care less that the people voted based on their beliefs. It's fine. It happens. I have nothing against those people. You can be the most anti-gay person in the entire world, and it's really no skin off my back. The fact of the matter is, it shouldn't have gone to a vote simply because the benefits offered to married couples by the state. I don't know what constitution you read, but the state or any government in this country... they don't really get to offer rights and benefits to one group of people and not to others for reasons beyond their control.

Really, be anti-gay. I don't give a shit. But don't sit here and tell me that I'm just getting *~*butthurt*~* because the same morons who bitch and complain about too much government control wants to start telling people how to behave in their private lives and actually DO get *~*butthurt*~* when their idiotic votes are thrown out the window because of it being freaking unconstitutional.

Wow, well that was lovely. Thanks for that.

You're welcome.

i haven't always agreed with things you have said, but this, right here is Brilliant. i was about to get all fussy and pissed off then it all got so much better =]

Let's take marriage out of the government's hands in the first place. Equality for all AND Constitutional? That's something liberals and conservatives can agree on.

I think it's odd that married couples get tax breaks. I'd definitely rush into marriage if there were financial benefits!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/BeginnersGuideToTax/IncomeTax/Taxallowancesandreliefs/DG_078312

That's it. I'm getting me wed! ;D

I think you get more if you have a kid ;)

But that's understandable. Kids cost a lot of money! Do wives? I would take my wife back if she did!

And that's @Jessica! :) I'm not used to this new fangled forum etiquette!

@ Ryan! Im available..lol

oh and that post for the first/start post =] thought it would go under it, guess not lol

Although this is not really relevant to the argument a' brewin', it still perplexes me that (one) of the main arguments against gay marriage is that marriage is a religious practice..yet athiests and agnostics still can get married. -.-

@Kelsey: Well, I guess it would be kind of hard proving whether or not someone is a Christian, even if they did manage to ban non Christians from getting married.

can i ask why gay marriage is an oxymoron? i get why "one month anniversary" is an oxymoron, but i don't get why gay marriage is.

@skull: The dictionary definition of marriage is "the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc."

ah right, i getcha. but don't some words gain additional meanings over time? like, gay, for example? that meant happy at one point, now it also means being a homosexual.

If they change the definition, that's fine, but I'm actually in favor of getting rid of the term marriage as it stands, and creating a new one, as marriage generally has this religious connotation.

i agree. i don't really think marriage works very well for those who aren't religious either. we should just call it a union or something.

I'm so glad prop8 finally got canned. Fuck that judge. I'm not a religious person, AT ALL, i'd like to make that perfectly clear, but i can KIND OF sympathize with CHURCHES refusing to marry gay couples. I mean it's in the fairy tale books that they've lived by for fuckin' ever. But for any state to not allow it, or for it not to be federally protected, is just a bunch of horse shit.

I agree, it should not have been up for discussion in the first place. Some people think that it's so horrible that the judge overturned prop 8 even though the majority voted it in.... have we not heard of the Jim Crow Laws? That ordeal was a load of bull honky! America can't be a true democracy because obviously there are some of us who vote for crappy things like slavery and banning gay marriage and get away with it. Hooray for marriage equality!