Kerry Backs Ban on Homosexual marriage in MA

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Genesys

Originally posted by: conjur
I think Kerry is trying to curry more conservative votes. It's a mistake.

I just don't understand this hangup people have on the word marriage. Mind-boggling.

the reason people [Me] have this hangup on the word marriage is that it
(A) already has a definition
(B) has a long standing tradition in this country and other countries as to what marriage is

we do not need to be meddling with the definition of words just to satisfy a bunch of activists. what i dont understand is why the hangup on the opposite end to call it by some other word? most of us are perfectly willing to give gays the same protections under the law as marriage, but we just want it called by some other term.

Because that long standing tradition is based on religion and that has no place in government.
Calling it something different implies that it is somehow less important and less deserving of legal rights.
Saying that two people who want to share their lives cannot marry, but can only form a civil union instead, is discrimination based on religious beliefs and our government should not be discriminating based on religious definitions.

Why do you care what it is called?
Marriage in relation to this issue is a legal definition, NOT a religious one.

Nobody is arguing that churches should be forced to marry gay couples if that conflicts with their beliefs. Only that the government should give the same marriage privileges to gay couples as they do to hetero couples.

I would agree that the best solution is to simply get rid of the word marriage as a legal term. If you want to call it civil unions, then call it a civil union for both gay and hetero couples.

 

[ElFenix]

Because that long standing tradition is based on religion and that has no place in government.

then what business does gov't have with religious rites?

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Because that long standing tradition is based on religion and that has no place in government.

then what business does gov't have with religious rites?

The traditional definition of marriage is based on religion.
But marriage as a government sponsored institution should not be defined by those traditional religious views.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Because that long standing tradition is based on religion and that has no place in government.

then what business does gov't have with religious rites?

I thought the license was issued by the state.