There was a thread on gay marriage that I followed from the Malcontent, after spending way too much time I put together a post of my thoughts on it tying in with the debate.
The Blog http://minx.cc/?post=260309
"217 You know there are lots of laws that aren't based on morality but on property rights. There are also tax laws, property, theft, embezzlement etc. The belief that these are all based on moral codes is false. They are based on our (english based) system of property rights.
Kudos to the many that made this a excellent forum to read and thanks. Though gay I was initially negative to the concept of gay marriage but grew to desire it for reasons similar to Robbie. Gays aren't going anywhere we have been around in all cultures, all continents, and in all times. Our levels of social acceptance have waxed and waned mostly contingent on the religious mores of the culture we are born into. To give gays marriage rights would actually bring them in firmly under the thumb of society and keep them inline with the communities by outlining their rights and responsibilities in their relationships. It also gives us a sense of belonging, a feeling many of us loose after hostile responses from friends and families, without belonging many turn to drugs, unhealthy relationships or suicide trying to fill the hole that was left. Having rules to cling to I believe would save many from this fate.
Many have argued in this thread that marriage is an ancient institution and has always been between a man and a woman, forgetting of course that it was between a man and MANY women, even biblically speaking all the forefathers excepting Noah and Adam had relations with multiple women (Joseph, Abraham, Lot, David, Solomon, Saul etc) Only in the new testament was the practice abolished but only for commoners. Royal families often turned to concubines if the wife was infertile or only producing females. Marriage in the middle ages and modern times (outside of the US) was always arranged and was typically done for family benefits or property exchange. Multiple wife marriages are also practiced in native tribes in South America, New Guinea, Africa, and China. These are not just ancient practices these are modern and current.
Marriage for the sake of love is a western and mainly american invention brought about by the industrial revolution and the freedoms it produced. What gays want is just that, marriage for the sake of love, under the guidelines of their parent culture. Can straights argue against that when you take advantage of this new type of marriage contrary even to most religious doctrines? Marriage for love allows divorce, childless marriages, and even remarriage (a trait that is VERY new for women) can you argue that it does not encompass same sex love? Love that is willing to commit to the same sacrifices and tribulations that straights face?
I find this very hard to understand since the marriage of the bible has long been outdated but i think the american resistance to the whole thing has more to do with our culture than our religions. Most americans do not consider themselves married unless it is done in a church, and therefore see state confirmation of same sex marriages as a secular attack on their individual churches, that suddenly they would have gay parishioners demanding weddings and that they would have to watch. But these are secular weddings we are demanding NOT religious ones. I'm not trying to change religion, i'm trying to gain access to a secular institution that as a citizen would help protect my loved ones and secure my property rights for my loved ones.
Being attracted to your own sex is not a choice, being out and defined as gay is, we have to choose between living in the closet, lying to those who we are suppose to love and living in fear that one wrong world could bring our world to an end. This is why we cannot stay in the closet no matter how it makes others feel. It warps us and twists us until we break, and until you have lived with this fear you cannot understand how heavy a load you wish to pile on our shoulders.
Do you really want to preach to your children that to keep your love they must lie and hide their feelings from you? Is that what you tell your sons and daughters when they come to you with questions?
Well thanks for contributing everyone i had a great read and I hope this has given you some perspective on why gays want marriage despite the way straights talk about it. "
