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Originally posted by tWiStEdD
Firstly, eviltama, thank you for your well aimed, emotional critisism. I will not respond to you however, because I find you purely emotional about the topic rather than at least partially objective.
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Is there something wrong with being passionate about an issue? If you are not passionate about an issue then i think your opinions and ideas are meaningless. Mental dribble based on a few spare thoughts you had on the topic. If you do not embrace the issue then you do not embrace the cause you are fighting for or against and can be called hypocritical or be seen as having a transperant arguement because your heart isnt in it. And if the issue is not of importance to you.. why bother wasting your time on it? I have never been and will never be 'purely emotional' about anything. I've always found pride in the fact that i while quick to speak up i am also quick to listen and take heed of others opinions. And i don't fault any reasonable, logical and well thought out opinion. But to accuse me of being purely emotional is like accusing me of being completely detached from the subject all together.
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Besides, your arguement is flawed and hinged on remaining political correct at all costs, and I will have no time for that.
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Remaining politically correct at all costs? An example please, for i find this hard to understand. I try to maintain the use of the correct terminology... perhaps this is what you mean? And if you have no time for someone who can respect the difference between gay, gays, homosexuals, lesbians and other terminology then you have no time for the subject at hand and very little understanding of it indeed.
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I think you are far too vicious for this thread, take a breather and come back when you're willing to listen to opinions.
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As i said above, i'll listen to anyones opinion, and if you are lucky enough to have a well structured educated opinion i'll even consider it. But i only expect of others what i expect of myself... if i can manage to back up my opinions and ideas i expect you to be able to as well. I don't dish out to anyone shit that has no backing either in real life experiences or thru education/research. It demeans the forum and the topic/s at hand to deliver to anyone that sort of shit. As for being vicious, deal with it. This is me trying to be reasonable (and at times failing) with a group/s of people who don't listen, can't understand plain english and find simple concepts hard to grasp. Why some of them even enter this part of the forum is beyond me because they have little or no interest in discussion or debate on the topics at hand.
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There are many people who still believe in marriage and what it stands for. Marriage has always been property of the Church, and so it should remain (albeit regulated and protected by Government). I will not accept that Government controls marriage, but I will conceed that the Church (including any religious sects) does not control marriage anymore either.
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Marriage is seen by some as sacred and consecrate ground. And i agree it should be... but not entirely in a religious sense.. if you're religious then sure see it that way. I'm not.. so i don't. Which is why i like knowing that there is a choice of being married in a religious way (church, minister etc) AND also being married in a non religious way (J.O.P/celebrant, in a garden with your own vows etc no religious innuendo at all). I don't think the religious part should be removed entirely (as an option) but i also don't like the idea of marriage being an institution derived from the church. *Shrugs*
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Cartoons had weddings on them often, I used to speak to my parents about theirs, I went to my Aunt's wedding and I have seen the results of marriage and the happiness they bring about (Children, compassion, happiness support etc) and it is for these reasons that marriage should remain.
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Of course, you have to take the good with the bad... but why should this experience, be it good or bad be only limited to heterosexuals?
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I ALSO welcome the recognition of homosexual couples, as per the Property (Relationships) Amendment Act, but we cannot push legal recognition too far.
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Agreed, everything will come in it own time. Be that when it may.
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Now, to the heart of this debate. Should homosexuals marry?
Ms Katie Tully had a point, although she failed to articulate it very well, nor offer alternatives. She is right in that marriage has always been for heterosexual relationships. While I understand the need for legal change on the basis of changing social values, the whole concept of marriage is destroyed if homosexuals can marry as well. The point of marriage has almost always been, with some exceptions, to procreate with an individual of the opposite sex within a mutual relationship of committment and love.
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The whole concept of marriage has changed... the whole concept of 'a relationship' has changed. To anyone who isn't religious (or wasn't brought up with that behind them) a wedding is just a piece of paper, 2 rings and a good party and a marriage is what happens afterwards... a continuation of the relationship as if nothing had really changed. To me.. the point in marriage is commitment to a person for life (love, honesty etc etc). Thats it. Kids, a house with a white picket fence and all that inbetween is just the products of a relationship.. of any relationship. And i think that regardless of sexual preference we should all be able to show that commitment to our partner.
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- Perhaps one of the most important points in this is the issue of procreation. Homosexuals CANT procreate. Perhaps if they were to be able to, it would be accepted.. but they cant and they will never be able to.
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Homosexuals cannot procreate within their relationship without outside help yes... but the same goes for some heterosexuals. I don't see this as an issue. 13yr old kids 'procreate', single mothers do it, widowers, divorcees, prostitutes... test tube babies.... procreation isn't just limited to heterosexuals, raising a family isn't just limited to them either. (As cute as kids are.. i don't think i'd ever want any... hence no issue here for me anyway.. it also helps that i'd have to be near dead or the like before i'd let someone 'procreate' with me)
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- Perhaps they think they 'love' one another, but I say that a majority of their friends were girls and they grew up surrounded by girls and thus identified themselves with females, ergo they almost believe themselves to be girls, but they're not.
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Since i assume your talking about male homosexuals here... unless you were referring solely to the 'bottom' or 'submissive' of a gay pair you would be on the wrong track. I have gay (male) friends who grew up in all male households, and some went to all male schools.... did guy things (fast cars, nerdy guys, macho men etc) and i don't think they would ever have identified with being female... or even having effeminite attributes to their personality. What you sound like you are referring to are the transgendered, not the homosexual. And if ur theory held water, most tomboys would be lesbians... which i don't think is true in the slightest.
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So, for those reasons I believe homosexuals should not marry, as it is the basis of everything marriage stands for.
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the basis for you.. which shouldn't really be much of a problem unless you were gay and considering marrying your partner. (No thats not an attack on you of any sort... )