MD Vote on Question 6 - Gay Marriage

[TheDude]

So,

Maryland will have a vote to legalize gay marriage when the polls open for the election this year. The law would legalize gay marriage as a civil contract (changing the requirements from "man and woman" to basically "any 2 taxpaying people of legal age"). The law would also explicitly protect any church or religious organization from being forced to perform a marriage on any group they don't wish to perform a marriage on. The majority of the writing of Question 6 actually goes towards protecting the rights of Religious Groups. Only in the first sentence of the law does it actually legalize gay marriage.

I will be voting "yes" (i wish they had a "Hell Yes!" option) on this. To me, it is in-arguably a matter of civil rights, just like back in 1967 when we FINALLY legalized marriage between blacks (or persons of color) and whites. Aside from this, the law specifically prevents any organization from infringing on the rights of any religious organization concerning who they choose to marry. If we don't allow gays to marry, we deny them human rights, but also, they simply are not protected under the same kinds of laws that people who ARE married are protected under. For instance, a gay couple could have and raise a child but only 1 person in that couple is legally the parent of that child. So when that parent dies, the kid isn't protected under the law like he/she would be as a child of a legally married couple. That, to me, is absolute bullshit. Hopefully, Maryland would be the first state to legalize gay marriage in the USA.


I was wondering how you all feel about this, and how you would vote on such a law.

 

[NickHouston]

I'd vote yes. It's not up to us who can and cannot marry. If two people are happy together, let them be happy. Don't try to shove your personal lifestyle in their face.

 

[WaLLy]

I'd vote yes. It's not up to us who can and cannot marry. If two people are happy together, let them be happy. Don't try to shove your personal lifestyle in their face.

+1. Well said.

 

[Freeze]

I would say it's about damn time.

 

[PaigeBoo]

I'm pretty sure you can guess my stance on this. Also, New York was the first to legalize gay marriage.

Being gay myself, I have never understood why someone would want to take away my rights from me. What makes me a second class citizen?

 

[TheDude]

Yea, a lesbian couple of over 30 years (obviously 30 years ago they must have been pariahs, it's better now, but just imagine)....... one partner dies..... the other has to actually get multiple petitions signed so that she can claim the belongings as hers that were shared between her and her partner before the government comes and claims them, only because they were not legally married.

I wanna see Newt, Ryan, Murdock, and the Bush family's faces if/when this gets passed.

If this bill doesn't get passed, it will be a sad day for America, and will, in my eyes, prove that our democracy is broken and failing.

 

[Ethan]

I don't think it matters. Gay people will be gay no matter wait, so might as well let them marry.

Some of that pride shit goes too far, however. The vote should simply be about people's rights, nothing more.

 

[TheDude]

Yea, I think the pride shit goes a little too far. If straight people pulled that shit in the streets there would be an uproar from the local community. It's hard to really talk about it and criticize it because the gay community has been treated like shit for so long that anyone who says a gay person is doing something wrong is immediately ostracized and labelled as a bigot. I mean, there are plenty of stupid, extremist idiots in the gay community as well. People is people.

However, I think if you read the bill you'll find that it is only about equal rights. Like I said, most of the bill goes toward protecting the rights of religious organizations.

 

[animal66]

Dear Society,
Don't like gay marriage? Don't get one.
Don't like abortions? Don't get one.
Don't like drugs? Don't do them.
Don't like sex? Don't have it.
Don't like your rights taken away? Don't take away anyone else's


It's Hell yes from me

 

[The Moment]

Alright guys, hear me out.

I'm a Christian, so that affects my view of this. I am not opposed to gays, trust me. They are an intricate part of society and are necessary. Some of my best friends are gay. They're great. I know that being a Christian, I am immediately classified as a "gay-hater". I am not. However, gay "marriage" is my only problem.

I don't think that gays shouldn't be together. Homosexual couples are awesome, but one thing bugs me. As a Christian, I see marriage as between a man and a woman, not between the same sex. This all just comes down to the name of it. Marriage as a title, I believe, should only apply to a heterosexual couple. Call it a Civil Union or whatever, but please leave "marriage" as God intended it.

(I know I'm gonna get flack for this. It's just my opinion, I'm not going to flip if you disagree.)

 

[TheDude]

The problem is that more than 20 bills in different states that do EXACTLY what you just said, Moment, (changing the title to civil union, and making it apply to everyone, so that the only churches do marriages, and then protecting the churches the same way this bill does) have been proposed and shut down. We had one in Maryland. They didn't pass it. Might have been proposed multiple times.

But I also don't see how legally calling it marriage takes away from marriage between a man and a woman. Basically, that is saying that gays aren't good enough to have that marriage. Still boils down to civil rights. If you can explain how our government calling a civil union between 2 men a "civil marriage" (it is called CIVIL marriage in our laws, not just "marriage") would in any way make your marriage with your wife less sacred, mb I would reconsider my vote.

And just so ya know, the word "marriage" didn't exist when they wrote the bible. They didn't even speak English. And also, marriage has been around for much longer than Christianity. Look at ancient china..... they certainly have a word that means exactly what our word "marriage" does, just without the religious connotations.

Also, that is an excellent way to say it, animal. +1, i'm out of likes.

 

[WaLLy]

I'm not too religious but can probably say whatever your preference is doesn't matter one bit to me because I'm not the one in the relationship.

Why can only a man & a woman be happy?

 

[DamageINC]

I think calling Marriage a word that "god intended it to be" is utterly ridiculous. Did god write it down somewhere? DId he whisper it into peoples ears? To me, it's nothing more than something the church deemed as right and proper etc.

 

[517Houston]

I fell gay people should have the right to be just as miserable as straight people.. Let em get married

 

[TheDude]

Houston.

 

[The Moment]

I think calling Marriage a word that "god intended it to be" is utterly ridiculous. Did god write it down somewhere? DId he whisper it into peoples ears? To me, it's nothing more than something the church deemed as right and proper etc.

Here's your problem: you discount the Bible as a credible source. I don't. In the Bible, marriage is defined by the union of a man and a woman. That's all.

The Moment is done with this conversation. Input had.

 

[DamageINC]

I don't discredit it, i just don't think its the word of god or has anything to do with god's "law" The bible was written by man. Why do the men who have written, revised etc etc the bible have the right to dictate how people live? I think it's the greatest con man ever pulled on man.

 

[Jack]

i think its funny that this is a conversation around people having equal rights, but you feel the need to dump on The Moments beliefs, he wasnt having a go at gay people, i dont know if youve been hurt by religion or a religious person, but if its wrong to dump on homosexuality then why is ok to dump on christianity?

OT While modern marriage is infact based upon the marriage that is depicted in the bible (which is why gay marriage isnt allowed.) i think that by now people should realise that marriage isnt something that the church solely governs anymore, people can get married outside of religion so i think that if people dont have to get married by a priest why should the rules they follow effect marriage outside the church.

 

[NickHouston]

We live in a FREE country... I still don't see why gay people can't get married. This is why we need more liberals in government. They are for the most part open to change whereas conservatives just want to keep it the same (ex. liberals are mostly for gay marriage, and conservatives try to push their personal religion on you and are against gay marriage because their religion deems it as not right.) If we were such a free country, everyone would have the right to marry whoever they want, despite gender, race or religion.

Also, if I learned anything of the bible from catholic school, the church uses the term "Holy Matrimony" which is the Christian version of marriage. Christians do not own the right become married. That's like saying people that do not believe in Christianity shouldn't be married. Also, if God loved all people, would he really care if a man marries a man and a woman marries a woman? No. He would want them to be happy no matter what.

 

[DamageINC]

Huh?

Where did i "dump" on anyone? All i did was present my opinion based on what was said. I don't see how i made a statement against anyone or anything that had to do with equal rights. Not sure what you're on about. I didn't trash anyone here, i didn't tell anyone anything was wrong, hence the words "i think" , meaning IN MY OPINION. Seems someone can't have an opinion anymore without people thinking it's some kind of personal attack or w/e . Would have been nice to have a thread here where people can present differing opinions without people getting offended or taking it personally.

I think you should re-read the last line in Moments post. All i did was disagree and give my opinion. I didn't attack anything or anyone.