I think the term "Marriage" is too loaded a word, and means different things to different people. I would guess for me and other secularists, it defines a relationship between 2 life-partners. For someone like John, I think it would be safe to assume there is a much more religious connontation to it. Since the Catholic Church believes homosexuality is sinful, the idea of gay marriage would be in direct opposition to their beliefs. You can think whatever you want about this, but religious groups have a right to their beliefs.
To make gay marriage legal then (and, specifically, calling them MARRIAGES), may in some cases compell churches to marry against their beliefs, or at the very least make them feel a key component of their belief system has been hijacked to apply to something they don't believe. I don't think that makes one neccessarily "homophobic," though perhaps you could argue the BELIEF itself is (and there's lots of ways to argue it). I think this is what Dan was talking about "seeing the other perspective." Personally, I think the government should drop the term "marriage" from their side of things, and call ALL such unions Civil Unions and treat them the same. That way, if two homosexuals want to enter into such a union, they can, and then privately call it whatever they want. And similarly two heterosexuals can do the same. This way any sort of dispute over terminology is a PRIVATE matter and not up to legistlation, and both sides can maintain their perception of individual freedoms, while getting the same benefits from the government that current "married" couples enjoy... Damon. ===== ------------------------------------------------------------ Damon Agretto [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." http://www.geocities.com/garrand.geo/index.html Now Building: Legends Aussie Centurion Mk.5/1 ------------------------------------------------------------ __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page. www.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
