This is a paraphrase of something I posted as a reply on Facebook. It was about the CEO of Chick-Fil-A. I realize that most of these people who are against gay marriage aren't really thinking their belief thoroughly or completely through. I really don't believe that most of those are thinking "I am against gay marriage because I hate gays". They are saying "I want to keep marriage traditional". And by not thinking it through, they don't realize that they are not separating what they want from the rights of other people.
They don't realize about legal issues of people together for a lifetime and not being able to make decisions about their significant other- not being able to see the person if they person is incapacitated, not being able to make any decisions regarding a funeral if their S. O. has died, and all that.
If we all just think these things through, then maybe we can stop all this insanity and all these battles.
Any other thoughts?
I wish that all those who are against gay marriage would really think it through. Try to separate what you want from what people are truly asking for. Start thinking about others.
It's not just their fault though. There's an elaborate game played by both sides in the media and outside of it that largely distracts from the actual question of gay marriage. The religious person will usually oppose gay marriage saying something along the lines of "Marriage is between a man and a woman" or "I am against gay marriage because the Bible is against homosexuality."
In almost all situations where I have had the fortunate pleasure of seeing an argument/debate between the two sides, the pro-gay marriage side almost always responds to that claim with an argument against religion or the Bible.
Not saying it happens in all cases, but the usual response I have seen to anti-gay marriage rhetoric is a debate about the religion behind why those people
aren't thinking it through (just look at the threads on this forum about it--this thread even).
The
fact is that it has nothing to do with religion. When a religious person says "Marriage is between a man and a woman" or "I am against gay marriage because of the Bible" the
appropriate response is not to attack the Bible or Christianity (thereby losing any chance of winning the debate), but to simply respond with "What does that have to do with
legal equality?"
Most people think of marriage in terms of religion, and the pro-gay marriage side has played into the silly game of it being a religious debate. The truth is that it isn't a debate. It's as simple as some people have special rights and others are denied those same rights based on nothing more than who they've chosen to obtain those rights with.
I've never met a religious person who was opposed to legal equality when they thought of the issue as one of legal equality and not one of religion. Those of us who are for gay marriage have to bring the argument to that place, where its about the legal issues, and not fall into the my-religion-says-this-well-your-religion-is-false game.
It's why arguments like the one quoted below don't work. Because then it becomes an attack on religion in the eyes of the religionist. Whether or not that's an accurate perception, it is usually how something like that is seen.
True, they are not thinking it through because they do not understand what marriage really is. Those who are against gay marriage usually come from a position of religion, and in their belief that marriage is based on religion. As we know, it is not. It is a civil contract, requiring a civil license to enter into, and requiring a civil court to dissolve.
No clergyperson can legally sanction any marriage without the license. Clergy are authorized by the state to sign the marriage license only as a nod to tradition. The marriage could have been legally valid for 10 years; there would be no need for any clergy to sign any license. When asked about preserving traditional marriage wrt to atheists or people who never have a religious ceremony, there is deafening silence.