Homosexuality / Marriage (moral, beliefs, choice, church, experience)

[Seeker of Solomon]

Ok, I'm working on a research paper for a class in school concerning gay marriage. I want to know people's opinions on Homosexuality, gay marriage, and the goverments role in defining marriage. I would really appriciate it if you would take some time to explain your opinions in detail, and perhaps post your religious affiliation so I can better understand your beliefs and why you believe that way. Thanks.

[Engyo]

Hmmmm.

I am Buddhist. I believe that it is not the government's business to tell people how to live. As far as marriage goes, there are several components. I believe that the civil contract between two people should be just that - a civil contract between two people. This should be totally separate from whatever religious ceremony one wishes to have regarding whatever union one wishes to enter into. To me, this removes all controversy and settles all the issues, except for all the folks who feel it is their right to tell others how to live.

[Sunstone]

Whenever I ask someone why gays should be prohibited from marrying, the best they seem to come up with is that gay marriage would destroy the sanctity of marriage and family values. Oddly enough, however, they almost never can explain just how gay marriage would destroy the sanctity of marriage and family values. In fact, I have yet to hear an explanation how that's possible, let alone a demonstration that it actually happens. So, I have concluded that that argument against gay marriage is mindless nonsense.

[Draka]

Ironically I am just finishing my Psychology project on homosexual parents being depicted in children's media. I wish you well on your school project.

I agree wholeheartedly with Sunstone on this. The government has no right to tell people how they should live, love, and lead their home lives. If two women or two men that love each other want to spend their lives together and get married to legally protect their rights as a couple then they should be able to. Plain and clear.

[Melody]

Originally Posted by Seeker of Solomon

Ok, I'm working on a research paper for a class in school concerning gay marriage. I want to know people's opinions on Homosexuality, gay marriage, and the goverments role in defining marriage. I would really appriciate it if you would take some time to explain your opinions in detail, and perhaps post your religious affiliation so I can better understand your beliefs and why you believe that way. Thanks.

I am a Christian. At this point I'm torn on the issue of the right and wrong of homosexuality. Maybe I'm taking the coward's way out but I'm not not "thinking" about it at all since it doesn't seem to concern me or my family.

After much thought though, I do not believe marriage should be defined by a particular religion's beliefs. Otherwise, we run the risk of making a whole slew of laws based on nothing but religious morality and which religion's morality will we use? While I am a Christian, the far right's morality is a bit hard to swallow and, no offense to the muslims on the board, but I would hate to live under Islamic law as well.

So, once we remove the religious bias, where is the objection to same sex people getting married? I also agree with Sunstone. I do not see how gay marriage will destabilize the family unit.

[Green Gaia]

Originally Posted by Seeker of Solomon

Ok, I'm working on a research paper for a class in school concerning gay marriage.

I wish you luck. What is your opinion of these issues?

I want to know people's opinions on Homosexuality, gay marriage, and the goverments role in defining marriage

.
Homosexuality: It is normal and natural for a segment of the human population. It is not chosen. Changing sexual orientation is not possible in most people (that includes straights). Neither heterosexuality or homosexuality are inherently sinful.
Gay Marriage: Should be legal and completely equal to heterosexual marriage in every way.
Govt's. role: If it give benefits to heterosexual unions, the exact same should be given to same-sex unions. To not do so is making second-class citizens of BGLT people. If ones religion wants to put extra barriers on marriage, that is up to them, but a secular government should treat everyone equally.

I would really appriciate it if you would take some time to explain your opinions in detail, and perhaps post your religious affiliation so I can better understand your beliefs and why you believe that way.

I'm a Unitarian Universalist. We are open to all without regard to race, color, sex, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, age, or national origin and without requiring adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed. The Unitarian Universalist Association has a long-standing and deeply held commitment to support full equality for BGLT people, going back 35 years to 1970, including full and equal same-sex marriage benefits. However my beliefs on homosexuality and gay marriage came not from my religion or church but through my own experiences and truth-searching. I am gay, btw.

Thanks

You're welcome.

[Jaymes]

Originally Posted by Seeker of Solomon

I want to know people's opinions on Homosexuality, gay marriage, and the goverments role in defining marriage.

Homosexuality - Perfectly natural. As long as it's done between two consenting adults, it's nobody's concern. I'm not sure if homosexuality is an inborn trait or a choice, though I'm leaning toward the belief that it's an inborn trait.

Gay marriage - I would like to marry my girlfriend at some point, so I'm very much for gay marriage. When gay marriage was first legal, I remember watching couples getting married, and I was happy to the point of tears. This is a good thing.

Government's role in defining marriage - Beyond defining it between two consenting adults who are in a right state of mind, it should have none.

I would really appriciate it if you would take some time to explain your opinions in detail, and perhaps post your religious affiliation so I can better understand your beliefs and why you believe that way. Thanks.

I'm not sure what religion I'd fall under, though right now I lean toward Taoism.

[Seeker of Solomon]

I sat down for several hours and made a list of possible pro's and con's of gay marriage. When I had concluded, I could not really find any acceptable arguments to not allow them to marry. What I ended up with was a long list of why it was wrong to prohibit same sex marriages. One of the things that helped me make up my mind was the fact that not allowing same sex marriage seemed to be saying that someone with different sexual preferences from anyone else was not as human as everyone else and didn't deserve the same values. I found that this was highly comparable to the issue of slavery, and hatred based on the fact that someone was different. Though not gay, I am a firm believer in the rights of people to live as they choose, and I don't like the idea of my goverment basing laws on religious merit after they have made so many rulings aganst religious things, like having the ten commandments on the side of a supreme court building.

hrm, I think that explains my ideas a little, but I'm not sure :P I'm pretty sick at the moment, and my mind isn't working very coherently.

[Jaiket]

Originally Posted by Maize

Homosexuality: It is normal and natural for a segment of the human population. It is not chosen. Changing sexual orientation is not possible in most people (that includes straights). Neither heterosexuality or homosexuality are inherently sinful.
Gay Marriage: Should be legal and completely equal to heterosexual marriage in every way.
Govt's. role: If it give benefits to heterosexual unions, the exact same should be given to same-sex unions. To not do so is making second-class citizens of BGLT people. If ones religion wants to put extra barriers on marriage, that is up to them, but a secular government should treat everyone equally.

I thoroughly agree with Maize and her articulate summation of these issues.