Quote:
If you don't believe in gay marriage, don't have one; just don't abridge others' rights in the name of some abstract, self-defined higher morality.
First off, the reason I personally don't want legal gay marriage is because I don't want the government defining marriage in a way that is not consistent with my beliefs. I don't believe that the government should be defining it at all, but if it does I'm not in favor of a definition different from mine. Those in favor of legal gay marriage are saying the same thing, only from the other side. They don't want marriage defined legally in a way that is different from their view, either. I am for civil unions, however, because I don't think that homosexuals should not have the same legal benefits I have as a heterosexual. Yes, Bitt is right about the “separate buy equal” argument, but I think it’s the best imperfect solution available, requiring concessions on all sides.

Now ultimately I believe that homosexual marriages are detrimental to our national well-being, but I recognize that I cannot force people to be moral through the law. Moral living (in the sense that I believe there really is absolute morality, even if there’s no way to represent it in our laws) is a choice people have to make of their own volition, and only when immorality reaches a point of extremely ill-affecting others should the law step in.

So I am not against gay marriage in order to force people to live out my moral values, but because I don't like the government defining marriage in a way that does not hold to my beliefs.

As far as "abstract, self-defined higher morality", everyone’s sense of morality comes from someplace. Why is abridging someone's rights wrong? I don't disagree with the statement, but where does your sense of right and wrong come from? I admit mine comes from faith, but is that ay more "abstract" than someone who comes to a belief by reasoning apart from faith? Ultimately all of our morality comes back to something we just accept is true, whether that be from internal, self examination or adherence to an external code. Who can objectively say which is more valid?
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-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.