“But, it is the ideal way for TWO people of the opposite sex to cohabitate. It is, for me, much more than a contractual obligation. It is what I believe that God wants for humanity.”

This is a perfect example of what is wrong with injecting God into politics. It does not matter a whit in a free society what you or I think God wants. We the people decide what is right for our nation. There are so many competing versions of what God wants, they all simply cannot be correct. I may think my version is the “correct” version, but in point of fact my opinion of God’s will is just that. An opinion. And so is yours.

As soon as politics moves to “that’s the way God wants it” then there is no room for discussion or compromise, the hallmarks of a democratic society. Then it is a short coast to punishing people for not doing things “God’s way.” We are all free to be influenced by our relationship with deity, and free to vote with that influence as the predominant influence. But “doing God’s will” as social policy is antidemocratic and just plain wrong in a pluralistic society.

I happen to disagree with you that same sex marriage should be left up to the states, but your points on that subject are valid *enough* that I have little to add to that debate.

As an aside, if the Left and gay community want to place blame where it squarely belongs, that would be with the California Supreme Court’s ham-handed ruling. Just as the USSC’s asinine Roe decision made abortion an even more unsettled issue years later, the California high court prompted blacks, Hispanic Catholics, Muslims, Mormons, reactionaires, and people who simply dislike judicial activism to condemn the ruling via the ballot box. Hearts and minds are not won by judicial fiat. Just ask those of us who support choice but hate Roe. We told you so, way back when. My guess is gay marriage is about to become the Third Rail of American politics because the courts chose not to wait on the good senses of the voters.

Civil marriage confers rights, privileges, and responsibilities, and in a just society, all citizens should have the same right to marriage. The “states rights” argument doesn’t cut it when basic freedoms are at stake.

For example, the last anti-miscegenation laws were struck down in 1967 by the Supreme Court ruling in Loving v. Virginia. Should the court have held that interracial marriage is up to each state? If you are intellectually honest, I suppose you would say “yes” to this one, and maybe you will.

A ruling ending laws against same-sex marriage may not come soon, but the Courts are the final defenders of the Constitution and that includes the equal protection clause. Give it time. If we start giving and taking rights at the ballot box, God help us all.

You don’t get it. As soon as homosexual fascists get marriage legalized, they want to stop religious speech. Furthermore, the entire left wing movement has been invigorated to overthrow all civil liberties in the marching forward of leftist political correctness outweighing all your rights and liberties that your founding fathers gave you.

You don’t get it. This IS a key battle in determining whether fascism or the bill of rights rules in the USA. They won’t stop with legalized marriage. They will demand the right that your children be taught that it is moral and right… and if you speak out against it - you’re going to jail. That’s where this is headed. This is extreme fascism.

It’s the same as Islamo-fascism. It isn’t a situation of 2 different views… it’s homo-fascism that will insist on it’s own version of pro-homo Sharia law.

I think, Rick, if you and others saw the homo-fascism as coming to rule you by homo sharia law… you’d see why I want the whole thing recriminalized and all rights stripped from this behavior.

It breeds fascism - and will bring the utter destruction of our nation as people who believe in the Constitution, Bill of Rights, DOI and the principles thereof.

You might as well be telling me that I shouldn’t oppose the Islamicists imposing Sharia law and battling to make Sharia law the law of my nation - let it go… focus on the economy. No. Once Islam gets a foothold in Sharia law - there is no more freedom.

The only comment to add to this fine post is that the day of federal intervention is coming sooner rather than later. As more and more state pass civil union laws or grant gays full marriage rights, more conflicts will come into play between other states and federal employee rules that don’t grant or recognize gay marriages. With both sides itching for a fight, we can expect the courts to hand down a decision that will become as famous as Loving v. Virginia.