It is known that "a man and woman" should be married. Also, that homosexuality is incorrect. It should not matter what the bible says but what should just be accepted by society. If two girls are to be "forced" to make-out with each other because it's "hot" does that mean they're lesbian? If two girls have a threesome with a man... could this show potential affection to each other? It doesn't matter what the bible says and what is traditional that a man and woman should wed. People will live their life how they want to. You should not be able to control another person's life especially government should have no control over that. I am not gay, I am very straight but believe people have to right to marry whom ever they want.

But should the government be in the position to ruin an institution that has been around for thousands of years? What if one day the government decided that someone could marry their pet if they felt it was a good idea. Or that marrying a sibling or parent was what they wanted. Is that really acceptable? I'm not saying conclusively that homosexual marriage is comparable to those practices, but it begs the question of how much "freedom" you let people have, and if it is good for the society as a whole especially given the historic significance of an institution like marriage.

We want gays to have equal freedom. Everyone should have the right to marry a person they are attracted to and love. Heterosexuals have that right; gays do not.

No one is allowed to marry a pet, so no one can claim an equal right violation. Likewise, since the issue from closely related people have a disproportionate chance of suffering birth defects, the government has a legitimate interest in barring incestuous marriages.

Leviticus tells us that homosexuality is an abomination, but so is eating unclean animals. As allowing people to eat pork and lobster doesn't ruin dinner for the rest of us, allowing gay marriage will have no demonstrable adverse effect on marriage as an institution.

__________________
"George W. Bush surrounds himself with smart people the way a hole surrounds itself with a donut." —Dennis Miller

Institutions exist because of their purpose within society. Some may argue that marriage is strictly for those raising kids. I disagree, but that is at least logical. It also means that my fiancee and I are as much an abomination as a gay couple because we do not want children (although I guess it's possible that could change years down the road). Even then, what is wrong with a gay couple raising an orphan. Despite the loopy arguments about traditional families doing a better job at raising kids, a gay couple is closer to a traditional family than an orphanage or the streets.
And personally I don't feel kids are the only reason for marriage. Marriage is a contract of devotion, for better or worse. That means each person promises to take care of the other, even if one becomes heavily debilitated. A person's sexual orientation is not the determining factor of how he or she would make well of this contract.
Vilification of homosexuals is a relic from the days when producing as many children as possible was necessary and gender roles were absolute. Completely obsolete. And like it or not, marriage is offered as a secular ritual. When judges and magistrates quit marrying couples, then maybe there will be a decent argument for gays not to be allowed to marry.
That would also set a good argument for no one getting economic benefits for marriage due to separation of church and state. Until marriage is reduced to only a traditional religious festivity, it should be treated as a secular institution. It should be open to any taxpaying citizen willing to contractually agree to care for another in sickness and in health.

Hey there, havn't posted in ages, but can I just ask why do people compare gay marriage to things like marrying animals or inanamite objects? Gay marriage is about human and civil rights, the rights for gay couples to be together in life and in law....while wanting to marry your dog or your favorite lamp....well it seems like something you should take up with your pharmasist.
Plus while the bible does say that homosexuality is wrong it also says slavery, public execution and punishment by mutilation is just dandy, just pointing out that things considered right and wrong more than 2000 years ago, could possibly be irelevant in today's society...perhaps?

__________________
"The real tragedy of war is that we inevitably steal from our future to pay the debts from our past"

Marriage is a civil institution, thats why government gives out marriage certificates. Governments can make marriage whatever they want. Governments are elected by the people, not elected by the priests, so if theres enough gay people (say several million) to make a noticable impact on public policy, expect civil marriage to include same-sex marriage.

Theres probably a handful of people in the world that want to marry their pet. Seriously, give them the right, no one is going to care, much less attend their wedding. Even if they choose to marry their pet, its still illegal to have sex with it, so whats everyone afraid of.

Considering that marriage is an institution, why would gay people want to be put in an institution?