RE: "Jesus would rather kill, not marry, gay people" - Franklin Graham
July 16, 2018 at 1:40 pm
(July 15, 2018 at 7:48 am)SteveII Wrote:(July 14, 2018 at 11:09 pm)KevinM1 Wrote: So, sodomy laws were never a thing then. Cool, cool.
Also, you do realize that Christians don't have the monopoly on marriage, correct? That when people are arguing for gay marriage, it's not to force churches to conduct ceremonies or otherwise acknowledge these unions (although, I'm sure there are some extremists who want that), but rather that they want the same kind of marriage that the state itself recognizes with traditional couples? Put simply, that it's not a religious recognition, but rather a governmental one?
I mean, I don't see Christians protesting people of other religions getting married or, even worse, atheists getting married. I don't see any Christians fuming that people who choose not to procreate get married. It's only when non-standard gender relationships are involved that it's suddenly an issue of the institution being eroded and redefined. Curious, that.
All valid points and are part of a civil discussion. Here's the question, who has the right to redefine an institution that predates history itself? 5 people?
In the United States, marriage is a legal construct, not a religious one. So, yes SCOTUS has the authority to determine whether or not gay marriage can be legal, and recognized by both state governments and the Federal government.
That this legal construct is termed marriage is immaterial to the issue at hand, namely that LGBTQ couples are seeking the same legal standing as traditional couples, with all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities associated with it. That's what LGBTQ people and their allies are fighting for. It has nothing to do with whether or not a church recognizes such unions.
"I was thirsty for everything, but blood wasn't my style" - Live, "Voodoo Lady"