Gay Marriage in Australia?

[TZENU]

Originally Posted by BFZF8

I think half the world's problems could be eliminated by people minding their own business.

Absolutley!!!


I think sometimes we get too preoccupied with what other people are doing especially if it goes against those values that an individual believes in...

[Barnaby]

What's so special about hetro marriage? Most of them don't last anyway...let 'em suffer like the rest of us...

[DJR-351]

It's getting to the stage where to speak out against gay marriage is deemed to be politically incorrect....

I’m not a believer in political correctness either.....

[SEZ213]

My family is quite full, out of immediate family there are 3...and to be honest, they're no different to anyone else - one has a one year old that she had with her partner, and she's not a bad mother. I've never understood why same-sex marriage is a no go, aside from the religious debate (and I'm not going there). If two people love each other and want that recognised in the eye of the law...who is anyone else to say they can't have that? And likewise if they want children, why should they not be allowed to have children? Are they going to be bad parents because of their tendencies? No worse than anyone else in my eyes...

I don't care what they do...it's not as if they rub it in my face, and even if they tried to...I don't need to watch, do I?

Agree wholeheartedly with this...

Originally Posted by BFZF8

I think half the world's problems could be eliminated by people minding their own business.

Your paper is a very interesting read Raised by Monkeys...well done!

[FalconForce]

Originally Posted by GK

Marriage is between one man and one woman.

If you go outside those boundaries, then anything is up for grabs.

If the only requirement is for people to love each other, then you must also allow, the one Muslim man with a plethora of wives, two men and a woman, five women, five women and one man, and so it goes.

And if you open that door, then get this possibility - two or maybe even more consenting adults in the same family, whether that be same sex or otherwise.

My two cents.

GK

but why cant you say only two people that are not related can get married?

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

but gays have an agender and with shove it down peoples throats, i am sick of hearing about it this thread included

Wooowww....Epic generalization there, my mum is gay and she couldn't care less for gay marriage.. nor does she have an agenda...

I for one don't really care, but there are pro's and cons.. Eventually people will have to realise we live in a community whereby we expect to be treated, and treat others as equal.. I guess this is is no different based on sexual preference, race, or religious beliefs.. But then where does it stop? As mentioned... can of worms..

If the laws can treat a gay couple as defacto, and give them the same rights as a straight couple, why allow them a "ceremony" of sorts to make it legal?

Interesting reading peoples opinions though..

[Carrie On]

Everyone should be able to marry another person.

[FGII-XR6]

I have nothing against legally binding commitment ceremony but the term marriage is the joining of a man and woman so I feel the term marriage should keep this meaning

[FPV8U]

Marriage - No.
Civil Union - Yes.
IVF/Donor Sperm Children - No.

[kaniSS]

You would have to be out of your mind to donate your own sperm to a gay or lesbian couple anyway. How can you live with yourself knowing our child is in the hands of other people.

See what happen to that poor bastard a few days ago? The lesbian couple basically through the courts took his name off the birth certificate how ridiculous.

[SEZ213]

Originally Posted by kaniSS

You would have to be out of your mind to donate your own sperm to a gay or lesbian couple anyway. How can you live with yourself knowing our child is in the hands of other people.

See what happen to that poor bastard a few days ago? The lesbian couple basically through the courts took his name off the birth certificate how ridiculous.

You do realise that the donor in this case was also gay?

[geckoGT]

Lets not expand the discussion to artificial insemination, that is a whole new can of worms and we have a big enough one as it is.

Please stick to the topic of same sex marriage, perhaps we can expand it to all the other issues another time.

[WMD351]

Civil union, legal rights, whatever else = yes
Holy marriage, church, in the eyes of God = no

[vztrt]

Quite happy for Gay Marrage to be made legal.
Hetro marriage doesn't really mean all that much these days, not that I would care if it does. There are much worse things out there then to let two gay people get married. Life will not end if this were to happen.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Sezzy

My family is quite full, out of immediate family there are 3...and to be honest, they're no different to anyone else - one has a one year old that she had with her partner, and she's not a bad mother. I've never understood why same-sex marriage is a no go, aside from the religious debate (and I'm not going there). If two people love each other and want that recognised in the eye of the law...who is anyone else to say they can't have that? And likewise if they want children, why should they not be allowed to have children? Are they going to be bad parents because of their tendencies? No worse than anyone else in my eyes...

I don't care what they do...it's not as if they rub it in my face, and even if they tried to...I don't need to watch, do I?

Your paper is a very interesting read Raised by Monkeys...well done!

Sezzy.. As per usual top post mate.. May be going a little deep here and a little off topic, but meh.. Having being raised myself by my gay mother I could go into the issue a LOT further but that's not the topic of convo here.. But I will say I turned out just fine, and all it has done for me is make me want to be the best father I can be for my boy.. The father I never had (he left my mother as she was preggas with me..)

And I can safely say that as a single father to a 2 1/2 year old autistic boy I am doing a shedload better job then a lot of fathers from hetro backgrounds...

[JC]

Originally Posted by WMD351

Civil union, legal rights, whatever else = yes
Holy marriage, church, in the eyes of God = no

Agreed. In essence, the partnership could be recognised under civil law so that everything from joint loans for a house, right down to custody and property settlement could all be the same as a "married" (current use of the word) couple.

I have colleagues at work who choose same sex as their mate of preference, my god mother was married to a man only to leave him for her female (and since then, life) partner when she discovered she didn't really like his appendage and preferred her "bits".

But as GK and others have said, marriage is between a man and a woman (in some religions, between a man and several women - whole other kettle right there though). Civil union that is recognised as (similar to) a marriage, but not called a marriage would be OK with me; as a voter, I would not not support that (double negative intended - I wouldn't go out and protest for the recognition of the union, but neither would I protest to stop it).

At the end of the day, we all (mostly) seek someone to share a full life with - as long as it's legal, why should we not recognise it?

[RG]

Originally Posted by WMD351

Civil union, legal rights, whatever else = yes
Holy marriage, church, in the eyes of God = no

Marriage does not have to take place in a church or under the eyes of god you do realise?

For hetero couples the difference between marriage and civil union is basically wording anyway. I have no issue with gay marriage as I believe marriage to be between two people who love and care for each other, no matter their sexual preference.

[prydey]

being a religious person, i was raised to believe it is wrong. i believe it is wrong. i will teach my kids it is wrong. morals don't have to change just because society does. call me old fashioned.

[TheSneakiness]

If they call themselves married then hell no. Being married I find it insulting.

Lifetime partners or something like that no worries.

[SEZ213]

The ancient Romans, some Chinese provinces and in some cases parts of Europe had same sex unions, that were accepted...until Christianity became the 'main' in Rome, those who partook after that point were executed. (If I've stood on the wrong T&C, I'm really sorry and feel free to append to the suitable terminology that doesn't cover that T&C).

It was accepted centuries ago, and is becoming more widely accepted now, again...but it always made me wonder, if those that aren't accepting of it, ever thought about the history of our world?

[Geez Louise]

Love is love...I am all for people who love each other to be married. I don't care if it is two guys or two girls. I know some very hard working gay people, who pay taxes, vote etc etc and I know some lazy ones too. Why shouldn't everyone have the same rights?

As long as they are happy and it's not hurting anyone...I don't have an issue with it! People should mind their own business!

More power to them!

[Bucknaked]

Most marriages end in divorce. So save your money and go to Thailand

[ZA-289]

Doesnt bother me, if they like it go for it.

Pollies need the christian vote too much for it to ever change in this county.

[BLUEYBA]

I would have to say no. I think out society was built on marriage being between a man and a woman. I think the more we erode this then we are only inviting more problems. This is only my opinion be it wrong or right, I have nothing against gay people and have friends who are. One thing I must say about this debate is that when someone speaks out against gay marriage they are put down and called bigots and are told they are discriminating. This really make me angry as we are all allow to have an opinion and it should be respect whether you like it or not

[mcnews]

The most important reason for this to happen is to help reduce the stigma felt by young people as they come to terms with their sexuality. Anything that helps this should be applauded.

Otherwise the suicide rate among young males will continue to be terrible. And more men will marry women and have kids because they can't deal with being gay, and then going on to bang other married males in public toilets and the like for their gay out. Which then ends in misery for them and their family.

The whole between man and woman marriage thing is new. Through the ages males have been together in society for aeons, lots of them married to produce offspring and had numerous wives to that end, but they also had their male lover etc. If anybody thinks this is new they are kidding themselves.

There is no reasonable argument against same-sex marriage. The excuses against it reflect just pure ignorance and bigotry and just feed the hate cycle and the radical religonazis.

[uranium_death]

I have no problem with people of varying orientations.
I wish those people the best of happiness.

However, I feel that the formal arrangement of marriage should be confined between a man and a woman.

I would be happy if homosexual couples could were arranged in formal unions however.

[Streets]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i find it offensive to take something special away from a man and a woman being married .

What is it taking away from them?

Originally Posted by Rapid Axe

If they call themselves married then hell no. Being married I find it insulting.

Why?

Originally Posted by BLUEYBA

I think the more we erode this then we are only inviting more problems.

How?

I mean, do any of you have any actual reasons to back any of this up, or is it all just posturing?

[Ezz]

My 2 cents...
Can there be 'Gay Marriage'... 'No'!

Call it something else if you want and set up some laws/contractual documents to allow distribution of assets etc etc upon separation of the relationship.

WHY?
Marriage is defined as reuniting male and female into an integrated sexual whole. Marriage is not just about more intimacy and sharing one’s life with another in a lifelong partnership. It is about sexual merger—or, in Biblical Scripture’s understanding where the covenant was derived from, re-merger—of essential maleness and femaleness.

Not pushing my personal beliefs upon anyone, but I am stating what marriage is, has been and should always be. A minority group of people should not try to change something that is already established and well defined. Call it something else if you want, but it has nothing to do with the term ‘Marriage’.

People can choose what ever path they wish in life, I am all for that! But there needs to be a line in the sand on many things. Call me old fashioned or whatever, but I prefer to stand for something rather than fall for anything.

[raised by monkeys]

good discussion, however i notice that there is biased comments built on historical assumptions or because thats the way it has always been. Unless we can challenge ourselves, debate and be open to suggestions by looking outside what we already know and are used to, then we are never going to improve, adapt or move further forward. This really could be a massive reply, but i'll leave it there.

To those christians/catholics/mormans/muslims, i challenge you. I was actually a christian, but challenged it, only because i never felt answered. Do you believe in what you do because it was the way you were brought up? Why do you believe in what you do now? Can you give a direct answer and include proverb of why it is not allowed? Did Jesus not hang out with prostitutes and homosexuals?

can anyone say why marriage is only between and man and woman. Why??

[Streets]

Originally Posted by Ezz

Marriage is defined as reuniting male and female into an integrated sexual whole.

That's your individual interpretation of marriage. What you're doing when you say "call it something else" IS in fact imposing your interpretation and views on other people. Allowing gay marriage will not affect anyone -- aside from the two people marrying -- one iota.