Gay Marriage Good For America?

I see the logic but I disagree. I think the institution of "marriage" should be sacred and held to a higher standard than two gay people forming a union. I have no issue with two gay people forming a union, I think they should enjoy all the legal rights and protections of a normal hetro married couple. However, I do not think two gay people forming a union should be called marriage, for nothing is marriage unless it is a man and a woman under God. Its pretty simple. I feel the same way about people that go to vegas and get married in a quick legal ceremony. That isn't marriage, its a legal process. Marriage is a religious covenant between 3 parties; man, woman and God.

The father, or the mother?

The fact that two same-sex individuals sleep together is one thing; putting that relationship on a par with marriage is altogether different, because you change the basic family unit. That would be disastrous.

The prevailing resistance to gay "marriage" leads me to question my position. I am a true conservative, i.e., I don't like change for change's sake and I respect the role of traditions in strengthening society. Therefore, I defer. I stand convinced that use of the term "marriage" would be tantamount to sinking a ship because a few people are drowning. I still am not averse to gay "union."

Rogue,

I have taken the liberty of re-posting my comments here ..

Those who are interested in reading the original post that led to these comments, may click on:

http://voice.townhall.com/g/331f0d34-b56e-4a2e-9c29-64ca7eaaa12a&comments=true#comments

--excerpt from my response to your post--
I have found myself in disagreement with fellow-conservatives on this issue. Since I do not make or accept religious arguments in my political discourse, a consistent application of the concepts of freedom and equality leads me to my position on this issue.

Note: the above statement does not mean that I don't value religious opinions. I fully understand that religious faith plays a major role in the lives of many good people. However, my quest for ideological consistency requires that those opinions be relegated to the arena of personal values.

Like you, I can't accept the fact that a person's sexual orientation should affect their treatment by the state.

For the purpose of this discussion, it really doesn't even matter whether homosexuality is a choice or a genetic predisposition. While that may be a great topic for academic dissertation, it shouldn't be relevant to deciding whether gay couples should be treated differently.

As a conservative, I don't think that the tax code should be used to further the social agenda of either side. For this reason, I believe that a solution can be found by leaving 'traditional marriage' in the religious/traditional arena - and creating a construct around 'Civil Union'.

IMO, a Civil Union creates a unique taxable entity - sort of like the creation of a corporation with its own Tax ID. The rights, restrictions and obligations of this entity should be debated separately, and be worked out through the legislative process. In this area, I am concerned about the unintended consequences (for example, to children, whether adopted or biological). Clearly, these concepts must be carefully thought through.

For those who think that this may lead to abuse -including the most bizarre examples of incestuous unions - those will continue to be governed by existing laws.

If some churches or other religious institutions decide to sanction Gay Marriage, that is their prerogative. However, that is left to the discretion of religious leaders - and should have no bearing on the status of couples wrt the state.