Gay Marriage

[DK]

But a rapping Ferrari? That'd be awesome.

"Yo Yo Yo I'm a prancing horse, of course and I accelerate with brute force. Word to your motha dawg!"

And then it ends up in a violent 2Pac vs. Biggie-style feud with a Porsche and one of them dies in a shower of bullets.

 

[Public'sTwin]

Christian group says gay marriage more dangerous than smoking

Homosexual activity is “more dangerous for individuals who engage in it than is smoking,” and because of this, state lawmakers need to pass a constitutional amendment overturning last year’s Iowa Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage, according to Iowa Family Policy Center President Chuck Hurley.

Hurley was responding to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that said gay men have higher rates of HIV and syphilis than the general population. Because of these figures, if the state allows gay men to get married they are “sanctioning self destructive behavior.”

“Because of their unwillingness to correct the error of last April’s Iowa Supreme Court opinion, the Iowa Legislature is responsible for sanctioning activities that will lead to dramatically higher rates of HIV and syphilis in Iowa.”

May I remind law-makers that black people also have higher rates of sickle-cell anemia than the general population: Should they, too, be disallowed marriage, since that would also be "sanctioning self destructive behaviour"? Or what about Tay-Sachs disease amongst Jews and Cajuns?

Discuss.

 

[buickgnx88]

Wait, so they are saying that allowing gay men to marry means the government is supporting them getting STDs?

 

[Northstar]

I don't get where these people get the idea that people only have sex when they are married.

 

[buickgnx88]

The Bible of course!

 

[Joel]

Sigh... That's all I can do these days is sigh at religious bigots who think the USA should be a theocracy. If you want a Christian theocracy, go to the Vatican.

 

[Public'sTwin]

Sigh... That's all I can do these days is sigh at religious bigots who think the USA should be a theocracy. If you want a Christian theocracy, go to the Vatican.

On that note . . .

After three days of turbulent meetings, the Texas Board of Education on Friday approved a social studies curriculum that will put a conservative stamp on history and economics textbooks, stressing the superiority of American capitalism, questioning the Founding Fathers’ commitment to a purely secular government and presenting Republican political philosophies in a more positive light.

Article Here

He also made sure that textbooks would mention the votes in Congress on civil rights legislation, which Republicans supported.

“Republicans need a little credit for that,” he said. “I think it’s going to surprise some students.”

I think this is a very telling quote of Republicans' awareness of their image among youth today.

 

[Northstar]

Seriously, keep religion and politics out of our schools. Nobody cares who the hell voted to abolish slavery, they only care it was done.

 

[Joel]

Why do so many people still think the USA is a "Christian" nation? It says blatantly in the constitution, "The USA is in no way founded as a Christian nation". End of story.

 

[Public'sTwin]

Seriously, keep religion and politics out of our schools. Nobody cares who the hell voted to abolish slavery, they only care it was done.

Policies like that are what would keep at bay the understanding of classical liberalism ("conservatives"), neoconservativism, ordoliberalism and neoliberalism, classical conservatism etc;

In a nation of farmers, especially farmers whose workers were slaves, little attention was paid to the economic aspects of liberalism. But as America grew, industry became a larger and larger part of American life, and during the term of America's first populist president, Andrew Jackson, economic questions came to the forefront. The economic ideas of the Jacksonian era were almost universally the ideas of classical liberalism. Freedom was maximized when the government took a "hands off" attitude toward industrial development and supported the value of the currency by freely exchanging paper money for gold. The ideas of classical liberalism remained essentially unchallenged until a series of depressions, thought to be impossible according to the tenets of classical economics, led to economic hardship from which the voters demanded relief.

If you choose not to understand the political relevance of your entire life, then, in effect, you choose not to accept your right to vote.

Why do so many people still think the USA is a "Christian" nation? It says blatantly in the constitution, "The USA is in no way founded as a Christian nation". End of story.

Theory and practice are entirely different things.

And if were are to judge by today's standards, America is inextricably Christian - perhaps more so now than ever if we are to look at political platforms.

 

[Joel]

Theory and practice are entirely different things.

And if were are to judge by today's standards, America is inextricably Christian - perhaps more so now than ever if we are to look at political platforms.

I will concede that point, there's obviously tons of Christian influence in the USA (In God We Trust, "one nation under God" etc.) It's very unfortunate, that the opinion of a majority can undermine the rights of a minority, like in this gay marriage issue. There is absolutely no logical reason why gay marriage should be illegal. I say this knowing full well that someone will probably call me out on it, and I'm fully prepared to reply.

 

[Public'sTwin]

I will concede that point, there's obviously tons of Christian influence in the USA (In God We Trust, "one nation under God" etc.) It's very unfortunate, that the opinion of a majority can undermine the rights of a minority, like in this gay marriage issue. There is absolutely no logical reason why gay marriage should be illegal.

It's deeper than that. It very much is founded upon Protestant principles, with the recognition that - as Protestants - the government has no moral authority to rule with religious power.

The public - those not spurned by England's abuses - have little appreciation for this.

 

[DK]

I don't get where these people get the idea that people only have sex when they are married.

I know, it's complete bullcrap. God is not going to give you AIDS if you have sex before marriage. If you want to avoid STDs, use a condom - and common sense.

 

[tyl0r_r]

I know, it's complete bullcrap. God is not going to give you AIDS if you have sex before marriage. If you want to avoid STDs, use a condom - and common sense.

Heh... the health concerns of marital sex as an argument is a loooong stretch to have to make. Unfortunately a lot of the people willing to make that stretch are the same sort who utterly oppose condom use.

 

[Public'sTwin]

Things just get worse for Constance McMillen, lesbian teen whose schoolboard cancelled their prom in response to her intent to attend.

 

[Duke]

Well, that sucks. What shiny happy people they are in that school district.

 

[Joel]

Well, that sucks. What shiny happy people they are in that school district.

<removed for irrelevance>

 

[tyl0r_r]

Things just get worse for Constance McMillen, lesbian teen whose schoolboard cancelled their prom in response to her intent to attend.

A school board being petty and short sighted. I am unsurprised. This is shockingly stupid, though. It is the pettiest and most spiteful admission of defeat the board could possibly have done: we cannot keep her from coming so we just wont have it at all. Amazing.

 

[DK]

It is the pettiest and most spiteful admission of defeat the board could possibly have done: we cannot keep her from coming so we just wont have it at all. Amazing.

Well, think about it. Mississippi (sp?) is a highly conservative area, seeing as it's in the Deep South. Therefore Republicans have a strong foothold there. And we all know how badly they seemingly whinged and moaned about Obama's healthcare reforms passing through Congress and the Senate. So I guess being bad losers is in their blood.

 

[FoolKiller]

And we all know how badly they seemingly whinged and moaned about Obama's healthcare reforms passing through Congress and the Senate. So I guess being bad losers is in their blood.

<Checks thread title> WHAT? I swear, I have no clue what your issue is with American politics but you seem to be stuck on a one-track mindset.

And I am ignoring your ignorant stereotyping of both southerners and Republicans.

 

[Public'sTwin]

<Checks thread title> WHAT? I swear, I have no clue what your issue is with American politics but you seem to be stuck on a one-track mindset.

And I am ignoring your ignorant stereotyping of both southerners and Republicans.

QFT.

Anyway, it does get worse. Apparently after the initial prom cancellation, the schoolboard realised how much of an affront that would be to the rest of the students. A secret one was organised, and Constance was sent to a mock prom&#8212;attended by only 7 other people, 2 of whom that were directed to it disabled students, squarely lumping all of the "other" students together, where they won't contaminate the normies' social pool.

link

 

[tyl0r_r]

Well, think about it. Mississippi (sp?) is a highly conservative area, seeing as it's in the Deep South. Therefore Republicans have a strong foothold there. And we all know how badly they seemingly whinged and moaned about Obama's healthcare reforms passing through Congress and the Senate. So I guess being bad losers is in their blood.

I think this has nothing to do with health care reform.

It clearly has a lot to do with Christian fundamentalism, though. And Christian Fundamentalists are almost exclusively republican voters, so there's certainly a valid connection beyond the accusation from another poster of your ignorance.

But I do think you're taking it a bit far to directly link these issues or to claim that this is revenge for health care defeat. If anything it is revenge for the reality of secular life: they want her to be a nice little Christian girl and to live by the bible. She doesn't want to (as she probably has an IQ with 3 digits), so they've utterly alienated her.

And that makes the idiots responsible for all this much more dangerous.

Edit: What I am a little surprised and very saddened by is that none of the students said "screw our stupid prom" and skipped it in favour of throwing a massive banger of a party somewhere with her invited. Where's the DIY spirit these days? Or are all these kids little jackasses like the schoolboard/their parents. That would be saddest, to imagine this stupid, destructive attitude / behaviour has been successfully passed to the next generation.

 

[DK]

<Checks thread title> WHAT? I swear, I have no clue what your issue is with American politics but you seem to be stuck on a one-track mindset.

And I am ignoring your ignorant stereotyping of both southerners and Republicans.

Well, to be honest it seems to me that all those Tea Party campaigners are making a mountain out of a molehill. Healthcare reforms aren't going to turn put the word "Soviet" in between the words "United" and "States" in the USA's name. I've got to learn more about America right now. My curriculum just tells me about the American Revolution and that's it.

By the way, over here in Ireland the government is about to pass a bill allowing civil partnerships between homosexuals. The bill also covers co-habitation, and it's attempting to put some legal guidelines on what happens legally when a couple that has been co-habiting (sp?) for at least 2 years in cases with children or around 5 years otherwise has broken up.

 

[FoolKiller]

Well, to be honest it seems to me that all those Tea Party campaigners are making a mountain out of a molehill. Healthcare reforms aren't going to turn put the word "Soviet" in between the words "United" and "States" in the USA's name.

OK, what does health care have to do with gay marriage? What tea party people think about gay marriage is not the same among all of them. A Libertarian leaning tea party member would support gay marriage rights.

You seem to have some hang up on Republicans in the US based on the health care situation, and it appears to be overflowing into other discussions, like this one.

I know right now that I can point out multiple Republicans that are opposed to the health care reform but fully support gay marriage. You are trying to label all Republicans as some sort of hateful group, not recognizing that you are using the same prejudice against them that you have accused them of. You are becoming what you claim to dislike.

By the way, over here in Ireland the government is about to pass a bill allowing civil partnerships between homosexuals. The bill also covers co-habitation, and it's attempting to put some legal guidelines on what happens legally when a couple that has been co-habiting (sp?) for at least 2 years in cases with children or around 5 years otherwise has broken up.

My stance on gay marriage has little to do with sexual preference. As far as I am concerned any co-habitating should receive equal benefits as any married couple. Two heterosexual roommates living together purely for the financial benefit should be allowed to file taxes as one household, put each other on their insurance plans, and all other bonuses granted solely to married couples. If they are living together they have a financial symbiotic arrangement and their personal lifestyle has no effect on that whatsoever. It completely removes gay and/or straight from the equation. And of course, no one co-habitating would be required to legally tie themselves to the person they share a roof with, so roommates wont be fighting families for an inheritance unless they were granted some.

I thought about this because I had a roommate for over a year. When he got engaged and moved out I had to move out or find a new roommate due to costs. fortunately, that was planned and I had the opportunity to prepare months in advance. But if he had died in an accident I would get no financial recuperation, like life insurance, and have to figure out what I would do by the time the next rent check was due.


Similarly, on the actual marriage side of the issue, it no longer becomes a legal issue to worry about. Legal marriage is purely to grant the legal benefits of marriage. If those benefits do not exist as a part of marriage then marriage does not have to be a legal issue at all. It can go back to being one of those things performed by anyone in a group leadership role, such as a priest, ship captain, or justice.

 

[DK]

I can see what you're saying, FoolKiller, but I personally like the Swedish system where you can opt-in or out of the scheme, in case you don't want to get dragged through the courts when your girlfriend of 6 years or so dumps you.

 

[FoolKiller]

I can see what you're saying, FoolKiller, but I personally like the Swedish system where you can opt-in or out of the scheme, in case you don't want to get dragged through the courts when your girlfriend of 6 years or so dumps you.

I briefly mentioned it being opt-in.

And of course, no one co-habitating would be required to legally tie themselves to the person they share a roof with, so roommates wont be fighting families for an inheritance unless they were granted some.

Basically it should be something you can do. It makes complete since for a long-term romantic relationship or cases where roommates live together for 10 years or more, but not for a dating couple that move in together after just a year.

Clearly there would need to be clarification that none of these situations can be used to draw financial support after you part ways unless there are human dependents (children) involved. Many US states have been trying to clarify no-fault divorces anyway.

And considering the number of small claims cases where roommates or dating couples part bitterly and fight over who gets what property that was paid for jointly, I can't see the situation getting much worse.

 

[DK]

And considering the number of small claims cases where roommates or dating couples part bitterly and fight over who gets what property that was paid for jointly, I can't see the situation getting much worse.

Is it just me or do those kind of cases make up the majority of cases shown on "Judge Judy"?

 

[Sureboss]

Now introduced in Scotland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-18981287

Scotland is set to become the first part of the UK to introduce gay marriage after the SNP government announced plans to make the change.

Scottish ministers confirmed they would bring forward a bill on the issue.

Political leaders, equality groups welcomed the move, but it has been strongly opposed by the Catholic Church and Church of Scotland.

The announcement was made in the wake of a government consultation which produced a record 77,508 responses.

Same-sex couples in Scotland currently have the option to enter into civil partnerships and the Holyrood government has insisted no part of the religious community would be forced to hold same-sex weddings in churches.

 

[Carlos]

77,500!! That's alot of people. Nice for them 👍 I think my country is one of the most gay-friendly, and I have no problem with it or them. Only thing I don't like is the 'proud to be gay' attitude, Gay parade and that sort of events. Be as gay as you want but don't promote it because young children are also seeing all of that...

 

[FoolKiller]

Only thing I don't like is the 'proud to be gay' attitude, Gay parade and that sort of events.

So, a parade about pride in who/what group you side with is wrong? So no St Patrick's Day parade? Basically just parades welcoming back heroes or celebrating local events?

Be as gay as you want but don't promote it because young children are also seeing all of that...

I fail to see the connection. What part of being gay is harmful for children to see?