I am so tired of these poor brainwashed so called christians preaching hate . They are everywhere on tv and they are begining to look like what they truly are . My Jesus would wrap his arms around any human with love in his heart .These preachers have veered so far from the real Jesus . These religeous leaders will answer to god one day . Godly people want truth and that has them running out of these so called churches in droves . Educate yourself , For instance :Marriage" and "family" are not very traditional at all. For instance, Abraham and Sarah were half-siblings, sharing a father. Jewish law once required childless husbands to marry a second time, with or without divorcing the first wife. Only the upper one-third of empire Romans had the legal right to marry; everyone else lived together outside the law. For its first five hundred to a thousand years, the early Christian church considered marriage a tainted, earthly institution, something rendered unto Caesar, and didn't officially declare marriage a sacrament until 1215. In English and American law, women did not have the right to be their children's guardians until the 19th century. While American states were battling for nearly 150 years over whether to recognize each others' divorces, Protestant denominations were roiled by the question of whether it was sinful to remarry divorced people whose ex-spouses were still alive. Marriage has always been a social battleground, its rules and borders shifting to suit each economy, each era, each class. (submitted to Marriage Equality by author E.J. Graff)
Marriage is a powerful legal and social institution that protects and supports intimate family relationships by providing a unique set of rights, privileges and responsibilities.
Marriage is an important personal choice and a basic human right. The decision to marry should belong to the couple in love, not the state.
Religious and Civil Marriage: What is the Difference?
Legally, Religious and Civil Marriage are two separate institutions. Though many faiths do perform same-sex commitment ceremonies now, they have no legal recognition as civil marriage. Religions that do not approve of same-sex marriage would not be forced to perform them if they are recognized civilly.
The state does not dictate which marriage any religion must perform or recognize, just as religions should not dictate who gets a civil marriage license from the state.
"Traditional" definitions of marriage are not good reasons for laws that discriminate against lesbians and gay men -- just as laws no longer ban marriages between people of different races or define wives as the property of their husbands. Likewise, divorce laws have changed, and now all states recognize divorce without forcing couples to "go to Reno" to legally end their marriages.
Committed lesbian and gay relationships are a reality. Allowing our relationships to share in civil marriage would not threaten or detract from non-gay marriages. Since much damage has already been done to the institution (and that was allowing heterosexual people to marry), that argument does not hold. Either does the morality argument. In fact, what could be "moral" than allowing committed couples to share in the responsibilities and protections their families need? Many would agree that Marriage promotes healthier and happier lives for couples and families and fulfills an important role in supporting and stabilizing the communities around us.
Marriage brings not only legal rights, but also sets up RESPONSIBILITIES for the spouses to each other, and to the larger society. Examples of the legal responsibilities, which accompany civil marriage, are:
Commitment to Remain Married: Once two people marry in a civil ceremony, they cannot undo their marriage without first obtaining the permission of the state. The commitment to remain married, and the stability and continuity that provides for families and society, is why civil society provides married couples with extensive legal, social and economic protections.
Disqualification from Government Benefits Available to Single People: In some cases, an individual who would otherwise be eligible for Medicaid or student loan may become ineligible because his or her spouse¹s income is counted as his or her own income.
Spousal Support: In some states, people are responsible for the necessary debts of their spouses, including medical bills, and for debts of the spouse.
Support Following Divorce: In many cases, courts require people to help support their spouses even after the marriage breaks up.
Child Support/Parental Responsibilities: In many situations, the spouse of a mother who gives birth is automatically responsible for child support.
