Let the Joyous news be spread: New Jersey votes yes on Gay civil union!

[Morsaille 4]

I don't believe in marrying animals, only because they don't pay taxes.

That is what the legal definition of marriage entails. Tax breaks and property law. So if we are talking marriage as recognition of legitimate households I would say that sibs could "unionize civilly" and be entitled to the same privileges of family that are granted straight couples and with luck and time same sex couples.

Marriage is a religious term and has become outmoded in the law. Churches have the ability do discriminate; the constitution should not.

Please forgive the "butter-inner".

[Penni60 45]

So your answer to my question, that you would approve of the legal marrying of brothers and sisters, of polygamy, and of people marrying animals, is yes? I'm just trying to get a yes or no. So far no one has given me a straight yes on that answer.

And if I give you the answer (which I have answered) what will you do with this information? What difference would it make how I answer it? What purpose would it serve? Would you use it to undermine my beliefs? Would you throw it in my face? That isn't a christian behavior. I will now bow out of this discussion as I feel I have stated my views and opinions enough. My personal beliefs on certain issues are mine and I choose with whom and when to share them. I would hope you would respect that request. I would not pressure you like you have me for an answer when I have already answered it twice now.

I will pray for you.

[gadgetlady 4]

And if I give you the answer (which I have answered) what will you do with this information? What difference would it make how I answer it? What purpose would it serve? Would you use it to undermine my beliefs? Would you throw it in my face? That isn't a christian behavior. I will now bow out of this discussion as I feel I have stated my views and opinions enough. My personal beliefs on certain issues are mine and I choose with whom and when to share them. I would hope you would respect that request. I would not pressure you like you have me for an answer when I have already answered it twice now.

I will pray for you.

Thank you for your prayers. I'm not quite sure what you're praying for me about, but if you'd like some prayer requests I am ill right now and could use prayer for healing, and I'd also like to see my oldest daughter have a little more sensitivity for her sister.

I don't want to throw anything in your face. My point is that everyone draws lines somewhere, and I'm trying to determine where you draw yours. I would also ask that you not judge me for where I draw mine.

[Penni60 45]

Thank you for your prayers. I'm not quite sure what you're praying for me about, but if you'd like some prayer requests I am ill right now and could use prayer for healing, and I'd also like to see my oldest daughter have a little more sensitivity for her sister.

I don't want to throw anything in your face. My point is that everyone draws lines somewhere, and I'm trying to determine where you draw yours. I would also ask that you not judge me for where I draw mine.

I will pray for your family as requested. And yes everyone draws lines. Mine have been stated.

[silverthread 0]

How can something be wrong that is natural. Most gay people do not choose to be gay. They don't know how to be anything else the same way as heterosexuals don't know how to be homosexual.

Science has proven that homoxexuality is a natural occurence.

Scientist can distinguish from a post mortem brain whether that brain is a male; femail or homosexual.

I wish people would look into these issues further before judging others. Do they know the distress they cause homosexuals by their ignorance.

They need to stop judging others and take a look at themselves.

I have a close family member who could not have been anything other than gay. Thankfully, he belongs to a family who love and respect him and are not judgemental

Laine

[Alexandra 55]

I don't believe in marrying animals, only because they don't pay taxes.

That is what the legal definition of marriage entails. Tax breaks and property law. So if we are talking marriage as recognition of legitimate households I would say that sibs could "unionize civilly" and be entitled to the same privileges of family that are granted straight couples and with luck and time same sex couples.

Marriage is a religious term and has become outmoded in the law. Churches have the ability do discriminate; the constitution should not.

Please forgive the "butter-inner".

Hear, hear, Morsaille!! Marriage under the law as it now stands doesn't say anything about having sex with one another. Lots of people enter into civil marriages for reasons other than romantic love or a desire to start a family. It's now available in every state as a financial/practical arrangement to adult couples of opposite sexes, and indeed should be available to adults of any sort. I truly wouldn't care a fig if three or more adults decided to enter into a mutually beneficial arrangement that involved shared resources, multiple-beneficiary insurance policies, and shared parental responsibility for minors. Why on earth not? Our society could use MORE firm family units, not fewer.

It's extremely difficult for unmarried couples to approximate the protections and privileges accorded to married couples through legal constructs, although people do indeed try. But even something as simple a changing a last name can be very problematic and expensive if it's for reasons other than marriage, and it just shouldn't be that way.

[carol134 0]

:deadhorse:

fork me I'm done

[Moody Coverhous 0]

I am the mother of an adult lesbian daughter. From about the age of 3 we realized she was different than our other daughters. We are proud of who she is. She is bright, funny, loyal, compassionate and doesn't lie,cheat or steal. She has true character. (I'm happy to say our other daughters possess these same qualities.)

I can't believe there are people who think she should live her entire life without experiencing sex with someone she cares about because THEY think she should CHOSE to abstain. Her father and I have been married for 37 years and encourage our children to form committed, stable relationships. The government, actually no one, has the right to discriminate against consenting adults based upon whether they are heterosexual or homosexual. I would think rational people would promote stable, monogomous relationships. Everyone wins.

I also think if people were so concerned about "the sanctity of marriage", there wouldn't be so many people cheating on their spouses and our divorce rate wouldn't be around 50%. Just MHO.

[Carlene 12]

I totally agree with this statement. It should not be a crime, legally. I don't, however, agree that it should be forced upon our children in schools, etc. But that's another issue.

Surely school children aren't being forced to get married, are they???

Or did you mean that they should not be taught that same sex marriage is permissible? I don't see why it should ever come up for discussion. Public school teachers, at least in Texas, are no longer permitted to teach values. That means that my third grade teacher, who held up a self-portrait done by the only Hispanic child in the class and said, "See how he colored his skin brown? That's because he's Mexican." would be in deep doo-doo today. I was about 9 years old at the time and even I had sense enough to be outraged.

[Carlene 12]

Scientist can distinguish from a post mortem brain whether that brain is a male; femail or homosexual.

While I am on your side regarding same sex marriage, I have serious doubts about this statement. Is there some source you could post, for reference?

[Carlene 12]

Is it your place to ALLOW them to enter a CIVIL (not religious) union (. . . blah blah blah)?

Absolutely. "We the people" means me, too. I'm a voter and every time this issue comes up, I will vote for same sex marriage. If a governor or president vetoes the popular decision, I will vote to remove him/her from office.

It may be "blah blah blah" to you, but to the people whose lives it actually impacts (as opposed to you and I, who have no personal stake in this at all), it is a serious, life-changing matter. It would be gracious of you not to denigrate it.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I'd rather be a country built on the faith of God, not necessary from the Bible, but just knowing they have faith in God would comfort me. It seems that people who have faith in our Father are more likely to make fair and honest judgements. But they must have FAITH in their hearts.

I would also like to see laws be made through the same kind of people........ Just a thought.

Here are some countries that would fit that description:

Afaganistan, Albania, Algeria, Bahrain, Bangladesh Cameroon Central African Republic, Chad, Dahomey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Maldive Islands, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, U.A.E, Upper Volta and North Yemen.

The people from these countries tend to pray much more than the people of the USA. Their laws are based on the word of God to a much larger extent that the laws of the USA and they worship the same God as the vast majority of the people of the USA.

Can I book a ticket for you?

[TruBlueSue 0]

But the Old Testament in my Bible is not the same as my Jewish friend's Old Testament.

Many political decisions were made into what was going into the Bible and what didn't. And God didn't make those decisions.

TOM, I am constantly amazed (and amused) at your adroit responses...

My Bible isn't the same as yours...and, as a Jew, I don't see ten commandments or laws or rules - I see ten SUBJECT areas...and for me, there are 613 commandments...248 positives and 365 negatives...:speechles

We can create our own hell here on earth just by the way we treat each other...so let's resolve to make kindness one of our commandments...

[TruBlueSue 0]

One other thing - those that are preaching about family values keep saying that the family is the basic building block of society. If that is indeed the case, then why try to keep people out of that definition by legislating who can 'marry' (or whatever term you want to use) each other? I would think that the family values folks would be jumping up and down with glee at the thought of people wanting to become part of that most basic building block...? Or am I just obtuse with wondering why its such a big deal when there are so many other things with more pertinent, immediate impacts to/on me and my family, to be worried about this election season?

[Betsyjane 2]

Bravo, Moody!