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Marriage, for civil purposes, is the lawful union of two persons to the exclusion of all others.
How does that differ from your beliefs?

Well, my beliefs are that marriage is between a man and a woman only, so in that way.

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In a country like the US, where the state is not supposed to interfere with religion, we value our beliefs and rightly consider it our right not to have the state define our doctrines.
I agree completely. No-one is trying to change your doctrine.
Small word difference here, but I didn't say the state would "change" my beliefs, but "define" them. If I believe marriage is between a man and a woman only, and the state defines marriage as "any two persons", then the state has defined something differently that what I believe. In fact, if I believed marriage were between any two persons and the state defined it as between a man and a woman (the current situation for homosexuals), then the state would also be defining a belief different from my own. No, the state isn't changing my belief, but for the state to have a standard on an matter that really should be up to personal decision is, in my opinion, in violation of the spirit of freedom upon which the US was founded.

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Suppose you were Canadian -- can you point out in this bill how the state has defined your doctrine?
I have a dotrine of marriage that says one thing, and the state has a different definition. I realize that the state hasn't forced me to believe something, but when the state defines something like this where people have different, very strong beliefs, it violates the spirit of freedom of belief.

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and while we are all free to behave as we wish with regards to marriage,
You keep saying this, but it's still patently false. We are not all free to behave as we wish with regards to marriage. If we were, then gay people would be free to get married.
Aren't they? It isn't against the law for gay people to get married is it? No one is fined; no one goes to jail. The question is whether the state recognizes the marriage, and whether the gay couple can receive the social benifits of a married couple, right? Which are important issues, I agree, and the reason that whole quote is "and while we are all free to behave as we wish with regards to marriage, those who have differening beliefs than those recognized by the state are going to feel that their fundamental right to define their own beliefs is being trampled". Certainly many gay people feel that their right to define their own belief about marriage is being trampled under the current laws, even if they were allowed the social benifits of being married without the title.

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those who have differening beliefs than those recognized by the state are going to feel that their fundamental right to define their own beliefs is being trampled.
I keep waiting to hear how your rights and beliefs are being trampled. So far, I have heard none. Not a single shred of evidence that the state is trying to force you, or any church, to hold gay weddings against your desires, or beliefs.
I'm really not trying to be nitpicky here, but the important word here is "feel", and I meant it on either side of the issue. People are going to "feel" that their right to define their own belief about marriage is being trampled whenever it differs from what the state establishes. You are right that in truth, no one would have to agree with the state definied definition of marriage in practice (which is what I said in the first part of the quote, and the reason I said it), but once again, in a country where freedom of belief is not only recognized but held up is one of its greatest strengths, for the state to so blatently condratict a persons deeply felt belief is going to violate the spirit that important freedom. From what I understand, some homosexuals would be fine with having civil unions so they can have the social rights, but many also feel that this would create a second class, not equal to the married folks. Understandable, because we ALL should have the right to define marriage and what that means according to our own beleifs without interference from the state. What the state says or doesn't say about marriage is hugly important, and when it contradicts people then it disenfranchises them.

Which is why I come back to the only solution being silence on the part of the state. To not define marriage as only this or including that, but to have legal ways to establish relationships to handle issues like adoption, inheritence, insurance, etc.
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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.