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Originally Posted by Flamboyante
I don't think i read anything coming from the OP that was hateful. I believe he's just stating his opinion based on his beliefs.
Just because someone doesn't approve of gay marriage doesn't doesn't make them hateful.
I believe that this thread would have been closed a long time ago if the OP's purpose was to "make hateful" comments towards gay. He is simply stating his position.
Now, If it is you guys' view, that anyone who doesn't approve of gay Marriage is a bigot or is hateful then, you guys are also entitled to your own opinions.
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Finally, another functioning brain inhabiting a live human's skull. So refreshing. I do wonder why there aren't more of those.
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Originally Posted by Jaymax
Equating the relationships of loving committed same-sex couples to sexually abusing children and having sex with animals goes WAY further than just 'disagreement' or 'simply stating a position'.
How the heck is that NOT a hateful disgusting comment?
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Because those of us WITH functioning brains recognize that I did not equate such things. They all fall into the set of conditions that conservatives generally consider "wrong", though few would consider all of them "equally wrong". My question was at what point would gay marriage supporters draw the line, and why.
In case you've been able to filter the responses so that you look only at answers to my questions, you will find that they vary widely from "all four of those should be acceptable" to "none of them should be acceptable unless certain conditions are met beforehand". This illustrates the main problem that I've talked about for years. As long as there is no place where a stop sign is firmly planted, there will be minority groups trying to wedge their agendas into the spotlight. Homosexuals represent approximately 2% of the American population (as of the last time I checked) but yet they've managed to ram their agenda down everyone's throats whether we like it or not. The reason for that is because "everyone else" had no clear agreement on what is, and is not, wrong.
Only time will tell if the "gay marriage experiment" really works. But let's say, for a while, that everything will turn out fine. After all, I've known some homosexuals of many different age categories and I wouldn't call any of them dangerous. A line must be drawn in the sand in order to prevent the other things I mentioned from taking hold, if y'all don't want that stuff to happen. There must be a defined "right" and "wrong", or else people will wedge their agenda between the cracks and like rust on a car, once it happens, there's no stopping it short of a complete overhaul.
For example, do you think I'm the only person out there who would argue that the "age of consent" idea is bunk and it should be replaced by a test or examination of some sort? Haven't most of us asserted, from time to time while we're on the road, that driver's licenses should be renewable only upon the periodic passing of a driver's competency test? There are many professions that require tests in order to become able to practice that profession or renew your ability to practice that profession, because it matters not how old you are - what really matters is your competency. This rampant disagreement will provide openings for everyone to inject their agenda into the fabric of America and it will cause utter chaos eventually. I just hope I'm dead before that happens because it won't be pretty.
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Originally Posted by MyronHarpoons
How is a 34 year old man and a 15 year old girl wanting to marry any different from two gays wanting to do the same?
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Thank you. Especially if the 15-year-old girl is as mature as the average 16-year-old girl (or 18-year-old girl if she lives in one of those states). I've known plenty of 15-year-olds who could run with the 18-year-olds in terms of maturity.
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Originally Posted by boiseguy
Incest produces offspring with genetic issues that are proven by science...so no its not the same...
Marrying multiple partners is fine I guess..as long as everyone is consenting adults.
Kids and animals...well they cant consent...so that takes care of that...
Btw..marriage isnt just about love...its about commitment and social stability as well as security...its important to a relationship far beyond just love...love is simply the foundation...marriage is a good thing...for straights and gays...
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I agree with you on this point. But the divorce statistics attest to marriage not doing what it's supposed to do, to stabilize society. It is fairly easy to get a divorce in America and for the most part, one is not shunned in any way for having gotten a divorce.
Having been through a divorce myself, and having seen many other failed marriages, I can state for the record that the main cause of divorce is substantial heterogeneity amongst people in terms of their belief systems and worldviews. Were we more homogeneous in what we believe, there would be far fewer instances of "irreconcilable differences" and the myriad ills which arise therefrom. The divorce rate has accelerated in lock step with the liberalization of society (and this holds for most, if not all, "Western" countries- not just America) and, not surprisingly, it really took off in the 1970's. Why is it that people would suddenly be more incompatible, and more likely to repel their spouses, these days compared to "back in the good old days"?
I agree that marriage promotes social stability. But a shocking number of people who would say the same thing also support the "right" of people to divorce under conditions as tame as "irreconcilable differences" or "just because we don't love each other anymore". That undermines social stability in the same way. I hope y'all are not hypocritical in this regard.
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Originally Posted by bUU
Nonsense. Religion is dying out because that's what people in our society want. It stems from it being revealed that religion doesn't have the answers it claims to have. That, in turn, is a reflect of the fact that most religion has insisted on a path of reactionaryism. It's like trying to sell cassette tapes in an MP3 world. The wisdom of the ages does have some utility today, but presented as if we're still in the year 1013, in an attempt by some religions to maintain power that religion has no right to hold in the first place, defiles the wise message.
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People in our society want it because we have been conditioned by the propaganda machine to want it.
This stems from those in power realizing that religion encroaches upon their ability to control people and/or earn vast quantities of money. That's why they gear the propaganda machine to take people away from religion.
If you don't believe this, all you have to do is look at any common ordinary advertisement for cosmetics. How do cosmetics companies convince you to purchase their appearance-altering products (which is what all of them are)? By nefariously convincing you, subconsciously if not consciously, that you are not sufficiently attractive without those products. Were the propaganda machine geared toward convincing us that we're fine just as we are, a multi-billion-dollar industry would collapse very quickly. Those getting rich off of that industry can't have that. So they continue the propaganda. (Most major religions I know state for the record that we are all created exactly as we were meant to have been created, by the Creator... that includes our appearances. Were we to internalize that and think "I was given this appearance by my Creator, so it stands to reason that I'm beautiful / handsome exactly the way I am", nobody would purchase appearance-altering products. Again, the people getting rich off of this stuff can't have that. This is just one example, but it's a perfect example. Follow the money.
Don't underestimate the power of brainwashing and propaganda. If you study it, you might be shocked at how brainwashed we all become and how difficult it is to shake off that brainwashing in favor of independent thinking. (And for those of you who would say that I'm brainwashed because I'm a Christian, you should know that I wasn't always a Christian. I grew up very lukewarm in religion, became agnostic for a few of my teenage years, and came to Christianity of my own research and volition while in college.)