jasonwill2
Well-Known Member
When they introduced chocolate ice cream, vanilla didn't disappear as an available flavor.
And as well, Vanilla is still the most popular and isn't going anywhere, nor is it threatened. Did you know all the exotic flavors are what bring customers in, and that everyone after trying them, usually go with Vanilla anyways? There's some metaphor in there but I'm too tired to try and explain it.
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.
I've tried telling people that before, that it only makes sense to ban gay marriage of you believe in theocracy, but I've only recently realized that as a solid argument and haven't gotten to try it out too much yet.
Typically, the response I've been given is that America has been founded on Christian values, that we've always legislated morality, and that the people need to protect these values that made this country so great.
These kinds of things make me angry, as it's not even true to the history, we were not a "Christian" nation unless you really want to dilute it. The typical American traits and values today are not consistent with Christianity in many, many areas.