To answer the theme question: I do NOT agree with gay marriage, and not primarily for the economical implications discussed here.
And, yeah, yeah, yeah, I've had gay friends and even met an ex-gay guy (really). I truly love and like the individual, but hate the practice, yes, it's possible and I abhor any type of hate-related crimes. (Good, glad we got passed that, now maybe some people on here won't label me as an ignorant homophobic homosexual hater) The practice of homosexuality is wrong (and anyone has the right to call that my worthless opinion if they want, that's your right). I will never ACCEPT the practice of homosexuality including gay marriage-- I don't care what is popular or becoming more acceptable. My feelings will never change about that. There are just some things that are absolute in life. Some things we cannot sit back and just tolerate any and all. Even when the majority (or minority) puts forth pressure, I cannot reason away, yield to, and make excuses in favor of what is wrong. Sorry, that's not the way I live my life. Seems like everyone's trying to be everyone else's best bud. Remember, just in case you've forgotten (and you can believe this or not, your choice) it is not the people I dislike, it is the practice.
Ooooh, look at the 2, a man and a woman. Look at the sexual organs, one goes into the other. Long story short, fertilization takes place, an offspring is born. Not hard to figure out, guys, whatever you believe about God (religion) or the lack thereof.
Now look at the animals.
Now look at the flowers.
They know the answers. They aren't confused about the issue. But humans the highest lifeforms are still so blind, so driven by lust.... so rebellious....
Professing to be wise, they become foolish.
Also, it is very sad to see the argument being used regarding something such as the progression of equal rights for religion, race, and sex, then applying it to the current issue, gay marriage. For every good thing, there is a counterfeit.
I'm not really here to try and convince anyone why the practice of homosexuality is wrong. That would require more than a dissertation (which I am not prepared nor eager to write here) in which certain truths would just probably be systematically ridiculed and reasoned away. What it really comes down to is what one believes about truth whether it is absolute or whether it is relative and how serious and willing one is to find out what truth is and where to find it (whether you are a pluralist, atheist, relativist, privatist, secularist or what have you).
BTW, not trying at all to put anyone down here (I hope you know I respect all of you, regardless of your opinions), but to say that it doesn't affect you is to be indifferent and plainly ignorant (the word's denotation, not connotation, is intended). Tons of ignorant people, when asked about the war in Iraq, drug wars, toxic chemical dumps, pesticides used on U.S. farms, mad cow disease in England (yeah, England....
), government corruption, U.S. security policy, etc, etc, say, "I don't care, it doesn't affect me." Well, hey,
it affects me personally. It affects me because it will affect my kids. It affects me because it affects my friends and family. It affects me because it affects this nation and the way it's operated and the laws which govern it. It affects me b/c it affects others and I care about the well being of others.
...and it's funny how people will bring up the AIDS issue when talking about gays, yet at the same time run around having flagrant premarital sex and never bring it up when it comes to heterosexuals...
Yeah......the gays aren't the only ones skewing the sanctity of sex and marriage.
But I can surely tell you one thing, though. I don't want any laying a FINGER on the constitution concerning this issue. If (when) they do, that will only be a beginning of the ruin of this nation (if it hasn't already begun).
.....put an atheist, a buddhist, a new ager, a politician, a teacher, a chimpanzee, and a pastor around a table in front of a public university audience and ask them what they think about gay marriage and the b4 anyone ever utters a word, the pastor is labeled as a biased religious fanatic.