atmmachine816

First, I do not want to offend anyone with this and Mike has ok'd this, everybody on here is good about things like this. For school I have to do a debate whether same-sex marriage should be legal in all US states. Again I do not want to offend anyone, I just want to know whether you think it should be legal or not and why. Please include why as I'm looking for as many reasons why it should be legal as it should not. If your not in the US please tell me your view any way. Please no arguing, I just want to know your view. Any debating/arguing about it will be deleted. Please let me know

Thanks

Austin

Jim

OK, I guess I'll start... I'm just old fashioned, and I am opposed to legalizing it. I have no problem with civil unions, but my personal opinion is marrage is sacred. I have no other real reason; this is just my personal opinion.

atmmachine816

thanks Jim

gmann21193

I think it should be allowed because love is love no matter the gender combination. If someone loves someone that much, they should be able to marry.

sirdarksol

I think that a wedding (the religious ceremony) and the state of marriage (the legal bond between two people) should be two entirely separate things. This is the way that other countries that have a true separation of church and state (unlike the lip-service that we pay to it) do things. In this way, each church has the right to say whether or not they will perform a wedding for a same-sex couple. However, marriage (the legal bond), is only held by the government, and is available to any couple that is old enough.
I believe this because the only reason I have ever heard to ban same-sex marriage is "Because God doesn't want same-sex marriage" or some variation of it. Since this is based on religion, this is not an acceptable reason to ban same-sex marriage.

Muffymouse

I do not think it should be legal. My basis comes from religious beliefs. And while this is a free country, not one based on religious ideals of one faith, it is up to us as citizens to vote and decide. I have the view of "I don't agree with you, but I will not mock or harass you about your beliefs"

Tom

To be honest with you all but, I don't care what same-sex couples do, as long as it is in the privicy of their own home. An example, two guys walking down the street holding hands(that's fine), but they switch from hands to rearends(not fine). That is just my opinion.
Tom

griffin

i agree with sirdarksol

vin

Who am I to judge? What effect does it have on me? And lastly - what ever happened to separation of church and state? In short - I have no problem with it.

Bonochick

I think it should be legal.* Sharing a gender should not prevent two people from being able to marry.* *I see marriage as a loving commitment between two people, and I don't feel that there is any reason for that commitment to have to involve two people of the opposite gender.* A very close friend I used to have is gay, and he had such a wonderful relationship with his boyfriend...yet, they couldn't get married.* Meanwhile, I was engaged to be married (we broke up before that happened though).* Since I was a girl with a guy, I had the option to get married...but since he was a guy with a guy, they didn't have the option.* * I hear of heterosexual couples jumping into marriage after only knowing each other for a month...or even less than that!* But you could have a homosexual couple who have been together for years and years, and they can't get married?* It just seems sillly.

atmmachine816

Thanks guys, keep them coming.

Tom

I remember in grade 9, I did a debate about same-sex marriages, but for the life of me, I can't remember where I saved it. I will see if it is at school tomorrow for you. I know I got >90% on it so you don't have to worry(about 75% was for the actual writing and about 25% was for the actual talking).
Tom

atmmachine816

Thanks, that would be nice. My partner and I have the key points we have to argue but were trying to figure out what the other team might argue and I'd like to get a good grade on this and try and get an A in the class for the semester, it would really help my g.p.a. We are debating against same-sex marriage.

Tom

I'll try my best to find it.
Tom

chickadee

I will probably be put in the old fogey section, but I must align myself with the ones who say that it should not be legalized. While I believe in the rights of individuals to have the right to share in the economic and tax advantages of their relationship this is not marriage. This should also apply to anyone who shares in a household, such as a couple simply living together. The bills are the same as a married couple and it is wrong in my opinion to differentiate and make it only legal to recognize this in a married couple for tax purposes.

But when it comes to the religious state spoken of as marriage, I truly believe that it is a state that is meant to be a bond between a man and a woman. It is meant to be a prelude to the beginning of a family and while there are some same-sex couples trying to adopt children to set up a family situation, I do not now, nor do I ever think I can see this as what my Creator meant to be the way families were to be formed.

I too am not trying to offend anyone and will say that I have good friends who are living in a same-sex relationship and I would not give them up in my life for anything. I respect them tremendously and believe they are doing what they think is best for them. They understand my position and we have agreed to disagree. This does not mean we cannot live in the same world and that we cannot love the same things and even share an evening with friends. It just means that there is an area in their lives that I have made a conscious choice to be no part of and they respect my decision without it ending our friendship.

Sincerely

Rose

tan.b

first of all i dont mean offence to anyone, and i'm not 100% sure on the legalites. just my interpretation and opinions:
i'm in the uk (as the flag shows anyway) so things arre a little dif over here i think. heterosexuals get the choice of marriage in church/religious building or in a hotel (licensed for marriage) or a registry office. it all has the same legal meaning. the tax is not affected anymore by marriage as it used to be. you pay same tax whether married or not. homosexuals can have a civil ceremony. this is usually done in licenced hotels and as far as i'm aware has the same legal benefits as any other wedding. i see marriage as a way of showing your love not only to each other but also to everyone else that this is a permanent arrangement. being girlf/boyf always seems more temporary. also i feel that it makes children feel more secure (i dont know why, my parent got divorced, so that should show me marriage is not always a permanent thing) anyway, it keeps thing simple when you're married for form filling and rights over the children etc etc. anyway, as for homosexual civil ceramonies/marriage i again think this is fine. as someone said earlier, hetero's rush into marriage, get divorced and give us a high divorce rate and tarnish the whole marriage thing when it should be a good thing. homo's can be just as devoted and loyal and stay together for life and should get the same treatment, thus be given right to marry. i think marriage is more about how commited you are than WHO you are. so long as 2 people go into the marriage for life rather than 2 people marrying for the wrong reasons and divorcing the sex of these people is irrelevant. i also agree that homo's should be able to adopt. there are kids in dreadful situations suffering abuse and torment which would be much happier in a gay household than where they are. they are just as capable at raising kids as anyone else. people who adopt should be vetted on how good they are with kids, not what sexual orientation they have. so long as they are brought up in a secure and loving home thats gotta be the aim. hope my ramble makes sense! its late and i'm tired :P. basically......i think everyone should have the same rights, and should be judged on their abilty to maintain life long commitment. so yes i think gays should marry if they're commited enough to each other like anyone else. i think everyone should think long and hard before marrying thus having less divorce and broken homes.
tan

Tom

I don't know what it is called elsewhere but here if someone is living with someone here for 6 months, you are considered commonwealth marriage. Which is lamins terms is really just saying you don't have enough money to get married but you will still have the same benefits. This might be called something else in other parts.

Oh and atm, I couldn't get access to the library today since early dismissal and no one is allowed in the library then.
Tom

Bonochick

Most of the common law marriage stuff I've read specifies that it must be between a man and a woman.