Alright, so I have religious friends who are like "I don't have a problem with gay people getting married, but they shouldn't call it marriage" because somewhere in the bible it says something about marriage being a bond between a man and a woman or some shizz like that. Alright, my argument to that is what about nonchristians? Like, say two atheists were to get married. If neither of them believe in the bible then technically shouldn't they call marriage something different too? I feel like in this day and age marriage is no longer only associated with religion and all that. What do you all think? (If I offended anyone then I'm sorry. That is NOT what I was trying to accomplish.)
People have the right and ability to define their own beliefs, and guide their own actions. Not others'. They should realise that, and shut their face.
In the UK we already had civil partnerships which were the same thing but in name, so the argument was entirely about the semantic difference. The whole (well main, imo) point of gay marriage is to equate homo with hetero relationships in society, which you don't achieve by calling them different things. And yes, the word is not owned or copyrighted by religion, many non religious people also choose to get married. Actually, more people in the UK get married in secular registry offices by the secular state than in religious buildings by religious institutions, so the claim that marriage is a strictly religious practice is just false, for the UK at least.
Try plugging in any other minority in to what they said and you'll see how flawed it is. "I don't have a problem with asians getting married, but they shouldn't be allowed to call it marriage". Nobody could say that and get away with it, so why should your homophobic friends.
Marriage predates Christianity and is not the exclusive domain of it. Like so many things that Christianity has plagiarised and bastardised, marriage needs to be wrestled out if the hands of the theists and enjoyed as the universal institution that it is. Happy days
Except that a civil partnership is only recognised in the UK and in part by some other countries who have something similar to our Civil Partnership (such as the French PACS). But the PACS does not give the same rights as our civil partnership. Therefore, in my opinion, a civil partnership is not the same thing in name as marriage. A marriage would be accepted in all other countries who have same sex marriage (including France) which enables full equality to all.
I agree with your friends completely, it shouldn't be called marriage, it should be called goodensmuchful because that word certainly isn't in the bible and wouldn't offend anyone at all…….okay I'm joking. This whole argument is a joke. "And" is in the bible too, do these people want to appropriate that too. :bang: I'm sorry if it offends, but quite honestly I'm fed up with these religious types who have decided that the world belongs to them. I'm also patronised by their attitude . . . they "don't have a problem with gay marriage, providing . . ."! Well I don't have a problem with god fearers, providing they don't try to decide what words I am allowed to use and what I'm not! Yes, I'm in a bad mood and taking no prisoners tonight . . . Heheheh, but I'll be over it by tomorrow :icon_wink
It may say that in the Bible, but the Bible isn't the final word on marriage. The institution of marriage has been re-defined many times over the years. It could be argued that allowing divorcees to re-marry was a bigger 'stretch' than allowing gay couples to marry.
You call all books books even though some are fiction, some nonfiction, etc. You call all cars cars even though they're made by different companies and have different designs and features. Marriage, no matter what the denomination of the people involved, is essentially the same idea. Marriage is a conservative value of course, but I mean whether you're Jewish or Islamic or Zoroastrian or Pagan, the paperwork is still the same.
This is what my fellow Christians sometimes fail to realize, marriage isn't a Christian owned thing. Sure, a Christian marriage is between a man and a woman, both or which would be Christians Jews get married, athiests get married, agnostics get married, so that means Christians don't own marriage. I fully believe everyone has aright to believe wht they want but bit not affect others lives with it
I believed the above OP just a few months ago for the same reasons until I fully came to terms with being bisexual. I supported civil unions but not gay marriage. This is my biggest worry about coming out ironically. Now I am on the other side; will I even get 20 people to show up at my wedding if I marry a man? I fully support gay marriage now for several reasons: 1. I think it will lead to more committed relationships and a decrease in STD's/HIV due to cheating. My uncle's boyfriend died of AIDS. If they were married, maybe he doesn't cheat? We will never know. 2. The right for hospital visitation. Enough said. This is something I believed civil unions covered, but it does not in most cases. 3. Higher likelihood of anti-discrimination laws being passed. 4. The obvious, survivor's rights benefits. It is wrong to levy an estate tax on someone who is an exclusive partner of the deceased. The Case Against 8 cemented my beliefs.
