Really? I guess you know nothing of the history of marriage.

1. Marriage as a custom is old, perhaps as old as Neanderthal.
2. Gay marriage has a history just as long.
3. Marriage as a legal contract began as a modification of adoption rules in Roman times. At that time, homosexuality was not only accepted, it was seen as virtuous by many. Adoption and marriage were the means of bestowing rights of inheritance, property rights, and so on.
4. Marriage only benefits society in making rights of ascension and inheritance clear. Everything else is BS made up by the Religious Reich.
5. If the thought of same sex marriage makes you uncomfortable, say so. I think it’s very Religious-Reich-like to put forth such a non sequitur argument.

As the article by Johann Hari shows, there’s even plenty of evidence now that gay couples raise children who are just as happy and well-adjusted (and as likely to be heterosexual) as heterosexual couples.

Yet, there are still idiots who think they can trot out drivel like ‘marriage is the union of a man and a woman’ without even attempting to provide a reason or logic, and that’s enough to justify discrimination against 10% of the human race.

(I couldn’t get the ‘edit’ to work)

What does it hurt any heterosexual that gay people would like to show their friends and their society that they’ve made a pledge? Grow up!

As for a religious group promoting development and self-reliance we have http://www.kiva.org/team/fsm They have loaned a total of $122,800 to several microprojects based on TRUE economy.

Generally, this seems relevant also: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/welcome-to-the-gayby-boom_b_230933.html

Maybe I need to read Mo’s book.

Whatever religion is, it is not the government. And it should be kept completely out of it.

I want a system of govt that protects people from religion

Fuck “separation of church and state” – the government should stand alone as the only authority and ultimate authority to make laws and protect & punish people.

Religion has no business in governing.
The concept of separation of Church & State came out of a time when the Church was the State!

Why am I ranting about this today? Dunno, but this is the only place I could think of venting my anger after reading this:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/nyregion/14abuse.html?em

And every religion has evil lurking in the open harming its people with the full complicity of the government.

Some gay couples have kids, others don’t – same as straight couples.

Gays and Lesbians pay the same taxes, obey the same laws and participate in society through work, volunteering, charitable donations and being part of the same communities

If human rights are going to mean anything, then they need to be the same for everyone.

The courts of many countries have found that there is no legal or moral basis to deny marriage to Gays and Lesbians.

And while marriage was a church function, the state does in fact have an interest in marriage since it impacts taxes, immigration and is essentially a function of contract law.

There are no rights granted by being married in a church, people who are married in civil ceremonies are as married, straight atheists are married.

If churches don’t want to perform gay marriages, then fine, let them not do it – but some churches do want to offer their services.

But a church not wanting to perform my wedding to my spouse should not prevent me from being able to be married.

I am a married lesbian in Canada and my marriage is not lesser than anyone else’s nor do I contribute less to society than others.

This separation of the legal/civil and religious/spiritual aspects of marriage is an aid to clear thinking.

TRiG.