Had a great conversation with a friend today, he is conservative, christian, and very morally bound to his religious convictions, explained to him that in the eyes of the church, marriage can stay between a man and a woman, but legally in the eyes of the STATE marriage should recognize same sex unions, In this way no ones moral or religious convictions are bashed or belittled, the church has its moral standard, and the state which recognizes the rights of all citizens no matter their religion (or even if they are Atheist) can serve its people to the best of its ability... And he thought this was the best idea ever, Marriage in the eyes of the state, and I told him if he wants to call it something different (he brought up the name civil union) I told him that maybe it should be marriage across the board, but, if your married in a church, you can say you and yours entered into HOLY Matrimony, as that is the original religious name I believe...he really seemed to understand it well, and I told him he can still be an example of his beliefs, as a straight christian male, he has the right to excersize his beliefs, by marrying a woman, but it doesnt mean he has to go and dictate someone elses beliefs, he agreed with this as well.
I also explained to him that Gay marriage although love is the root of the marriage, to look at it as a legal partnership, that two people enter into, in which both have equal control of the assets of the partnership such as: property, decisions about the children, health care for the other person if they cannot make that decision themselves, access to health benefits, etc. The gay marriage debate comes down to rights, because it is rooted in the need to be able to make effective legal decisions relating to the partnership the couple has entered into.
I also thought about the fact that the bible has a lot of crazy rules in it, rules that in civilized society we do not abide by because they are just not how we live today, Some of them are below because I thought they were so interesting/crazy...
DEUTERONOMY 22:13-21
If it is discovered that a bride is not a virgin, the Bible demands that she be executed by stoning immediately.
DEUTERONOMY 22:22
If a married person has sex with someone else's husband or wife, the Bible commands that both adulterers be stoned to death.
MARK 10:1-12
Divorce is strictly forbidden in both Testaments, as is remarriage of anyone who has been divorced.
LEVITICUS 18:19
The Bible forbids a married couple from having sexual intercourse during a woman's period. If they disobey, both shall be executed
MARK 12:18-27
If a man dies childless, his widow is ordered by biblical law to have intercourse with each of his brothers in turn until she bears her deceased husband a male heir.
DEUTERONOMY 25:11-12
If a man gets into a fight with another man and his wife seeks to rescue her husband by grabbing the enemy's genitals, her hand shall be cut off and no pity shall be shown her.
The bottom line is that people need to have their rights as well as their beliefs protected on both sides of the argument, the problem is that a lot of people do not seem to realize this is possible due to the wonderful concept of separation of church and state. 100% of New Yorkers should have the same rights, privileges, and abilities as every one else in NY, and those with moral and religious convictions can live their lives by applying those morals and convictions to their own personal lives.
