RE: "Jesus would rather kill, not marry, gay people" - Franklin Graham
July 25, 2018 at 6:37 pm
(July 25, 2018 at 12:15 pm)SteveII Wrote:(July 25, 2018 at 11:49 am)The Gentleman Bastard Wrote: Except for equal treatment under the law. Marriage is a legal institution, Steve. Denying gays marriage is to deny them equal treatment. Keep telling yourself that you're not a bigot. It won't change the facts, but I'm sure it will make you sleep better at night.
Wrong again. Marriage is not a legal institution--in any way. It is easy to see that out of the 10,000 years of existence, the government has imposed a few rules for like the last 5 minutes.
Just wow.
Yes, in fact, it *is* a legal institution. There have been rules and regulations surrounding marriage for as long as we have records. That is hardly just the last 5 minutes.
For that matter, I'd like to see your evidence concerning the nature of marriage, say, 7000 years ago. Any evidence at all?
And, in a *secular* society, the *legal* aspect is the *primary* aspect of marriage *as conducted by the government*. This is why there are tax benefits, survivor benefits, ability to make decisions, etc.
Anything *other* than the *legal* aspect is fluff and I really don't care about it. What I care about is equal treatment under the law: that means that *every* couple who wishes to marry can legally do so with *exactly* the same rules and responsibilities.
