How do you make the case for same sex marriage?

[TaraJo]

Please stop calling people who follow their beliefs bigots.

I know. It's just the beginning of how I can shred the argument to pieces.

Even though it has little to do with same sex marriage, she objects to the term 'homophobe' because she isn't afraid of homosexuals. Reality is, the prefix 'phobe' means an aversion to. Generally we think of it as a fear thing because modern psychology uses it so much, but if you'e studied simple biological chemistry, you'll understand what a hydrophobic molecule is, and it isn't a molecule that's afraid of water.

She does admit that religion is pretty much the only reason same sex marriage is wrong and I applaud her for that. However, a little basic research on the first amendment and freedom of religion and subsequent separation of church and state should take that out.

She relies a lot on stereotypical gender roles, which are about as bullshit as you can get. There are plenty of guys who like to cook and clean and there are girls who love to work on cars.

She also said "I also don't believe in the religious marriage between a man and a woman if they don't love each other (Gold digger weddings, bribery, marriage for status, etc...)" which leads me to believe she hasn't really read what the Bible says about marriage. Marriage wasn't about love; lust, maybe for the guy, but love was never an issue for marriage up until the past few hundred years. Perhaps the best way to come at this one is to provide some Bible verses that show what is a Biblical marriage that we wouldn't even consider today (multiple wives, incest, rape victims marrying the attacker, brides having to prove her virginity on the wedding night or be killed, POW's being taken as brides, ect.).

She thinks that the government is going to force churches to perform gay marriages. The reality is, she should know better than that; even straight couples can't get married in a Mormon temple unless they have a temple recommend. Yes, churches can currently choose who they will and won't marry and that won't change. In fact, legalizing same sex marriage will give more freedom to churches on that front because while they couldn't legally marry same sex couples before, they will be able to do that afterwards.

I think if I address some of those questions and then state some of the reasons I think it should be legal, I can make a speech out of it.