I voted other. And my opinion may be unpopular, but not for the reasons you might think.
I believe that all adult humans are entitled to the same rights, regardless of orientation, color, gender, sex, or just about any category you can think of.
However. I feel that the institution of marriage is fundamentally broken, and in need of an overhaul. Marriage is both a legal, and sometimes a religious institution. From a religious perspective, each religion can choose to do whatever they like
From a LEGAL perspective, marriage as its currently defined seems not to work. Anything with a 50% (or more, depending on which study you read) failure rate, is NOT working. I like the idea of signing some kind of co-habitation contract, that requires periodic renewal. Perhaps a couple signs a child rearing contract for 20 years. Perhaps a couple signs a "marriage" contract with review each year, with the help of a mediator. Each of the persons in the relationship would have to review and re-sign if they want to continue. I wonder if such a thing would make infidelity less frequent. Cheating is an epidemic. One that I can't comprehend myself, feeling that one should be honest and leave one relationship before starting another. Would a renewable contract help people stick to their promises?
Anyway. I hope that explains my "other" vote. From a legal perspective, in terms of medical and child rearing rights, legal financial rights, and so on, revamp the whole system. And make it available to any consenting adults.
You make good points. I think that from a religious standpoint, churches should be able to refuse marriage (as they can for heterosexual couples now.) From a legal standpoint, I think that religion is not a factor, and it should be opened to any two consenting adults.
There is a huge problem with marriage. There is a lot of divorce, but my belief is that it has to do with a lot of factors. It was once socially acceptable (maybe as recently as 50 years ago) to have a mistress, and a wife. It was a "boys will be boys" attitude, and tolerated, whereas, it is no longer accepted.
There is also a romantic version of marriage, especially on the part of women. I once knew a girl in college that sang a wedding song that she had written for a guy she hadn't even met yet. People often refer to the wedding day as "the bride's day", when it is about the couple. The bride gets caught up in the paegentry, and is pulling her hair out because the peach napkins don't match the piping on the wedding cake.
But then again, girls are cultured differently. Before a girl can walk, someone is sticking a doll in her hands to learn how to be nurturing, and a boy is mocked for having a doll, not learning it. Girls fantasize about being married, boys are cultured not to, are cultured to prove their manhood by having sex with as many women as possible, etc.
Then, the two come together, and the romantic idea meets the reality - that people don't always live happily ever after, that men can be abusive, etc.
I believe that is why more young people choose to live together first - to see if the relationship would work, before getting tied up in legality. Many people look at it as "living in sin," while not condemning people who live separately but have sexual relationships. To me, living together at least shows more commitment, and is more honest.
We also live with a false idea that God made one special person for you, and if you can find that one special person, you will be whole. Unfortunately, that means that you want someone to make you feel complete, you want to take, when you should be wanting to give, and you can't give unless you can be happy alone, and be complete alone. You have to also realize that there is no One True Love, but endless possibilities.
Then there is the suggestion that you should get married, and finding themselves not married at 25, or 30, many people simply rush into it, grabbing onto the first person that says yes.
Unfortunately, marriage is hard, and takes understanding, patience, communication, honesty, etc., and all too often, rather than focus on why heterosexual marriages continue to fail, people look to a scapegoat, and gays often are chosen.
