I love it...I am about equality. In order for us to truly not have religion in government, we cannot withhold civil unions from people who wish to be together. I have several friends who I would love to see them married because they are just so perfect for each other. I can understand if specific religions do not wish to perform ceremonies, but the Government wouldn't have a right to tell them how to practice. There are plenty of open-minded churches out there.

It's a great day for love.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

This is great news! I hope that by the time my kids are grown it will be legal in all states!

I am so glad to see this today. I started my morning reading this article by rolling stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/one-towns-war-on-gay-teens-20120202

Not a happy way to start the day.

We should not be creating new segregation laws. Against any group. Period.

Amen. I am so glad that it's (almost) gone.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

You know what, I'm happy that we as a country have gotten to the place where we are truly separating church and state since we are making that proclamation and such. However, I don't necessarily agree, and this is totally because of my own personal view toward marriage, that homosexuals should marry. I think that we should all have the right to marry of course, I just don't think that homosexuals should do so. I think that it is a union that should be reserved for a man and a woman who falls in love. Men that want to spend the rest of their lives with other men should do so, and women who want to spend the rest of their lives with other women should do so. I just don't think that they should go so far as to get married to do so.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

You know what, I'm happy that we as a country have gotten to the place where we are truly separating church and state since we are making that proclamation and such. However, I don't necessarily agree, and this is totally because of my own personal view toward marriage, that homosexuals should marry. I think that we should all have the right to marry of course, I just don't think that homosexuals should do so. I think that it is a union that should be reserved for a man and a woman who falls in love. Men that want to spend the rest of their lives with other men should do so, and women who want to spend the rest of their lives with other women should do so. I just don't think that they should go so far as to get married to do so.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

While I understand your point of view, I believe that God loves all his children and wants them to be happy. That being said, a civil union is much different than holy matrimony. I do feel that this ruling is a step in the right direction for keeping equality a non-religious issue.

You know what, I'm happy that we as a country have gotten to the place where we are truly separating church and state since we are making that proclamation and such. However, I don't necessarily agree, and this is totally because of my own personal view toward marriage, that homosexuals should marry. I think that we should all have the right to marry of course, I just don't think that homosexuals should do so. I think that it is a union that should be reserved for a man and a woman who falls in love. Men that want to spend the rest of their lives with other men should do so, and women who want to spend the rest of their lives with other women should do so. I just don't think that they should go so far as to get married to do so.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

So homosexuals can spend the rest of their lives together and it can be for love BUT, if they want to get married then love has nothing to do with it? Is that what you're saying here? Or do you believe that it is not possible for a man to fall in love with another man or a woman with another woman? In either case, let me please clear this up for you. Homosexuals can and DO fall in love. If they choose to get married it is not to piss someone off. It is for the same reasons that heterosexuals get married, whether that reason is taxes, insurance, convenience, or yes, even love. I commend you for beliveing that it is great that we are slowly becoming a nation of equality. But please do not think for one moment that the homosexual community only wants to get married to anger religous groups instead of the true reason of simply wanting the same rights as those of us who are heterosexual. There is a huge number of people who don't get married in churches or in front of a minister/pastor/religous leader and whose vows did not include the word God (myself included, I went to the JOP). Just because someone puts a religous spin on something does not mean that the fundamental issue is about religion, as is the case with the homosexual population wanting the equal, CONSTITUTIONAL right to be able to marry the person they are in love with.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups.

I don't even know how to respond to this, without basically calling you an ignorant ****.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

*I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.*

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

Why else do others get married if not for financial, insurance, legal, and tax purposes? How are they antagonizing religious groups when marriage is sanctioned by the state government NOT by religion?

I must disagree. I think that the sanction of marriage is actually rooted in biblical/religious foundations. While there are several legal advantages to marriage, I think that the basis of marriage was founded in religion. Think about it. Before there were tax breaks or anything else we were getting married to one another.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

*I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.*

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

Why else do others get married if not for financial, insurance, legal, and tax purposes? How are they antagonizing religious groups when marriage is sanctioned by the state government NOT by religion?

I must disagree. I think that the sanction of marriage is actually rooted in biblical/religious foundations. While there are several legal advantages to marriage, I think that the basis of marriage was founded in religion. Think about it. Before there were tax breaks or anything else we were getting married to one another.

So because I didn't get married in a church or by a religous leader then I shouldn't be allowed to be married? I'm agnostic. My husband and I got married in the courhouse by a JOP. There was no religous element to our vows. And what about all the people who are married and don't follow the Bible? What about other cultures? What about people who are aethiest or agnostic? This just further proves my earlier point that not everything is religous based no matter what kind of religous spin is put on it. Let's make a bet. Let's poll the entire country. I've got $100 that says there are going to be religous people (I don't care which religion) who say that they got married for some reason other than love or religous beliefs.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

You know what, I'm happy that we as a country have gotten to the place where we are truly separating church and state since we are making that proclamation and such. However, I don't necessarily agree, and this is totally because of my own personal view toward marriage, that homosexuals should marry. I think that we should all have the right to marry of course, I just don't think that homosexuals should do so. I think that it is a union that should be reserved for a man and a woman who falls in love. Men that want to spend the rest of their lives with other men should do so, and women who want to spend the rest of their lives with other women should do so. I just don't think that they should go so far as to get married to do so.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

While I understand your point of view, I believe that God loves all his children and wants them to be happy. That being said, a civil union is much different than holy matrimony. I do feel that this ruling is a step in the right direction for keeping equality a non-religious issue.

Well, I would suppose in the most technical of ways there are differences between civil unions and holy matrimony but honestly, lets just be straight about it. We are going for a separate but equal action here. I'm not saying that we should ban gay marriage. I don't think that we have the right to tell someone that they don't deserve to get married. We all should have the legal right to do, I'm just saying that we shouldn't get married. Again, this is just my own personal opinion.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

By that logic, anyone who's atheist is also just trying to antagonize religious groups by getting married; realistically those same religious groups should also have a problem with atheist marriage if the argument against same-sex marriage is one of sanctity. I think a fundamental flaw with your line of thinking is the assumption that the opinions of outside religious groups, either pro or opposed to same-sex marriage, matter by necessity. They don't. At all.

I'm having a dumb moment right now. I can't even understand exactly what you mean by what you just wrote.

Just read this:

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/07/calif-same-sex-marriage-ban-violates-constitution-appeals-court-finds/

California's controversial ban on same-sex marriage has been declared unconstituional, though it has a high likelihood of making it to the Supreme Court for a final showdown. This is a big victory for equal-rights folks out there.

Discuss.

You know what, I'm happy that we as a country have gotten to the place where we are truly separating church and state since we are making that proclamation and such. However, I don't necessarily agree, and this is totally because of my own personal view toward marriage, that homosexuals should marry. I think that we should all have the right to marry of course, I just don't think that homosexuals should do so. I think that it is a union that should be reserved for a man and a woman who falls in love. Men that want to spend the rest of their lives with other men should do so, and women who want to spend the rest of their lives with other women should do so. I just don't think that they should go so far as to get married to do so.

I mean really, if you are homosexual then the only reason you want to get married is so that you can antagonize the religious groups. If you would proclaim your affection, love, and dedication to someone else I don't think that anyone would have anything to say. However, going so far as to get married. I think that those individuals are simply looking for a fight. Unless of course those individuals are going in for financial and tax purposes.

I don't think that is the debate right now though. For arguments sake. I think that we are really coming a great far as a country and we are making strides toward equality and indifference.

While I understand your point of view, I believe that God loves all his children and wants them to be happy. That being said, a civil union is much different than holy matrimony. I do feel that this ruling is a step in the right direction for keeping equality a non-religious issue.

Well, I would suppose in the most technical of ways there are differences between civil unions and holy matrimony but honestly, lets just be straight about it. We are going for a separate but equal action here. I'm not saying that we should ban gay marriage. I don't think that we have the right to tell someone that they don't deserve to get married. We all should have the legal right to do, I'm just saying that we shouldn't get married. Again, this is just my own personal opinion.

You are completely contradicting yourself. I find your opinion of gay people incredibly offensive. What reasons would YOU want to get married? Gay people want to get married for those exact same reasons. We're not aliens. We're human. As a woman who is married to another woman, I honestly find opinions like yours kind of hurtful. I don't care about religion. In fact, I'm atheist, but that doesn't mean I don't want to, or shouldn't, get married. Or have the right to, just like you do. Marriage isn't black and white and has nothing to do with church for some of us.