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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
the flaw i find in this is: shouldn't the burden of proof be on those who encourage a change in a culture's mores? people love to say this and expect their audience to automatically ascent to it. i'm not sure i agree with this and i'm positive no one could prove it.
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Changes in the mores of a culture are constant. Do you honestly believe that gay marriages will have a negative effect on our society? How exactly? Meet me halfway, let me assuage your fears.
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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
hmm... call me crazy, but since changing the fundamental makeup of the basic unit of all culture and society (the family) is at stake... i'd want to know the implications first.
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The problem is that no one is advocating the changing of the fundamental make-up of the basic unit of all culture and society. I assure, this will not stop straight people from getting married and you'd have to have an odd relationship with your wife if two guys getting married effects it. During your formative years, how often did the genitalia of your parents come into play?
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Originally Posted by irateplatypus
as a general rule, i would usually agree with your reasoning. but, in this case, we're not talking about limiting freedoms... we're talking about making something that is illegal and changing laws to make it legal. it isn't a "freedom" to marry someone of the same sex, it isn't a right granted by the constitution. by the same logic you could say that any laws that have a moral component in their purpose are limiting freedoms. in some sense you would be right, but society would quickly degrade if we dispensed of all laws concerning morality. we grant the government the power to put limitations on behavior that falls into a moral realm. it's no good to saying that it's a freedom issue, it's a public mores issue. very distinct difference.
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As a general rule i would say that laws that are only in place based on morality should be reexamined. Laws should serve the function of promoting order and striking an appropriate balance between the rights of the individual and the rights of the people as a whole. To often, morality amounts to what the loudest person/people in the room think/s. Sometimes when morality is codified it is nothing more than state sponsored foolishness, i.e. slavery, prohibition, prohibition of inter-racial marriage.
and... If a church decides that it wants to marry gay people and you oppose their efforts, you are limiting their religious freedoms, it's as simple as that.