Fellow North Carolinian Voters ...

I can't speak for everyone but If Churches were the only people allowed to marry anyone and the gov't did not recognize those marraiges then I would say there would no longer be an issue.

I don't see how this is relevant though as this is an imaginary argument as it will never come to pass.

In response to the other comments here, you cannot assume that gay people wouldn't want to get "married" if there weren't legal benefits involved. Personally, I'm somewhat of an atheist, but other gay men and women world-wide are devout practitioners of virtually any and every religion. I would propose that the same % of straight men and women who practice Christianity directly correlates to the % of gay men and women who do as well. It is their belief that they are not sinners, they do not believe that the fundamentals of Christianity condemn them, and they believe in the holy sacrament of marriage just as any other Christian does. The religious aspects of marriage are just as important to them, if not more so, than the legal aspects.

Not allowing gay marriage is something I'll probably never understand. The way I see is, gays are people and have the same rights as people. They have the right to marry just like anyone else has the right to marry.

What I don't understand is why people that are not affected by it are so upset by it. It's an 'I'm not gay, therefore gay marriage doesn't really affect me, therefore why should I be offended if they get married' type of thing.

If you don't like beets, don't eat beets.
If you don't like abortions, don't get an abortion.
If you don't like hip hop music, don't listen to hip hop music.
If you don't like marijuana, don't use marijuana.
If you don't like flip flops, don't wear flip flops.
If you don't like religion, don't go to church.
If you don't like gay marriage, don't get one.

That seems so easy to me, but so many people just can't get a grasp on it. :-(

What I don't understand is why people that are not affected by it are so upset by it.

That's fine. Mormons can marry 20 people for all I care. Just don't expect to go to any run of the mill Christian church and demand to be married. Just like you wouldn't go to any run of the mill Islamic church and start talking about how Jesus is so much better than Mohammad.

When you find a church that accepts homosexual marriage, by all means, get married. I just don't want marriage to have any part in state affairs.

Only partially true. I know in Pennsylvania, at least, you get issued your marriage license, but you still need to have a ceremony performed by an official recognized by the state to perform the ceremony. This can be a magistrate or other, similar government official, or it can be a member of the clergy from mostly any recognized religious order. I believe they need to sign off on the certificate, as well as another witness. (Some of this may be off, it's been a while since I checked out the rules.) Most places also don't allow for common law marriages anymore, either. (I know we certainly don't here in Pennsylvania. My "partner" (girlfriend, wife, fiance, whatever; we're officially in an "engaged" status to the world at large) and I have been together for nearly 14 years and we've been living together for 10 -- four years in college and "legally" (registered voters/taxable at the same address) for six. We receive no benefits from the government or our employers (well, they're one in the same, we're both state employees) despite being far more insperable than most other couples, married or no. And ultimately, my guess is that politicians who are against gay marriage or similar domestic partnerships are against it for financial reasons, and just beat the morality drum in order to gain support. Why not indeed? Though this is not a topic for this thread. (Edits were used in the making of this post.)

All in all, I just don't believe its right and moral. Nor do I think it will ever nationally be legal. Some states will approve it eventually yes but I don't think all states ever will.

That's fine. Mormons can marry 20 people for all I care. Just don't expect to go to any run of the mill Christian church and demand to be married. Just like you wouldn't go to any run of the mill Islamic church and start talking about how Jesus is so much better than Mohammad.

When you find a church that accepts homosexual marriage, by all means, get married. I just don't want marriage to have any part in state affairs.

It's not imaginary if the vast majority of people start viewing it this way. If more and more people start thinking this way, then eventually the law would be changed to reflect it, and maybe sometime in my lifetime I'll be able to see government's hands out of marriage. I truly believe the root of the problem is the fact that government and the law have gotten entangled in this marriage mess. I just want to address the root of the problem, not these silly little surface problems.

I am a religious person and I agree 100% Elana. I hate the people that say things like God loves all of his children, and then turn around and act as if gay/lesbian individuals are lesser beings. It's hypocrisy, and it makes me sick. I live in South Carolina, so sadly I can't help with the vote. I do hope people vote no.

Side note: GO TARHEELS WOLFPACK!

I know it's your opinion, but if we set a clear definition of marriage, it being between simply between 2 humans, there is no problem.

Then we could just use the terms "Heterosexual marriage" or "Homosexual marriage" if we want to be specific.

I have nothing against gay people joining together, but the term 'marriage' means something different to me. It's not so much about equality in why I disagree with it, but more about using the wrong definition for something. It might be an archaic view and I wouldn't push said view on anyone, but I find it very hard to stomach gay 'marriage' not a lifetime partnership with a same sex individual.

So what then... you think the Church should have a monopoly on Marraige?

That's what I mean though, I personally find it hard to stomach, but I also agree with equality.

Therefore I simply wouldn't vote due to having conflicting feelings on the subject.

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I don't care if you're conservative or liberal, religious or nonreligious, straight or gay, black or white, man or woman, old or young .... discrimination has no place in the Constitution, period.

We're better than that North Carolinians, and I expect you to prove it by voting "No" on this issue in May.

Sure, and people can make their own churches or private communities and claim that they "marry" people. The fact of the matter would be that "marriage" doesn't mean anything except to the people who do it. It's like you colored inside the lines in 1st grade and got a shiny star! Should 1st grade teachers have a monopoly on giving out shiny stars???

I'm going to have to agree with Flion here. There are heterosexual couples with children who practice co-habitation. I kind of see gay "marriage" as legally recognized co-habitation.

Marriage, fundamentally, was religious. It's hard for me to separate the religious conotations. That's could just be me being old-fashioned though.

I'm going to have to agree with Flion here. There are heterosexual couples with children who practice co-habitation. I kind of see gay "marriage" as legally recognized co-habitation.

Marriage, fundamentally, was religious. It's hard for me to separate the religious conotations. That's could just be me being old-fashioned though.

I'm going to have to agree with Flion here. There are heterosexual couples with children who practice co-habitation. I kind of see gay "marriage" as legally recognized co-habitation. Marriage, fundamentally, was religious. It's hard for me to separate the religious conotations. That's could just be me being old-fashioned though. EDIT: I'm very pleased with homosexual couples who adopt. Every child deserves a home.

The issue with your reasoning here is that you're assuming that your religious beliefs are the same as the rest of the world utilizing the term and ceremony of marriage. Within the Christian faith, for example, there are something like 100 different sects. Some of which abhor homosexuality; others, however, do not. All of them observe the sacrament of marriage though. Are you saying that your beliefs and the beliefs of your religious sect are greater than or more important than the beliefs of others?

@ Flion and Mahayaya

There is a seperation of church and state in the United States of America.

The problem is you assume I'm religious. :) According to laws in Texas my last boyfriend and I lived together long enough to be considered common-law married, but the fact is we were not "married". EDIT: When we separated I could have easily claimed a portion of his property. Could we claim the tax benefits of being legally married? No.