C.W. Nevius of SFGate.com has a really good article on the uproar over gay marriages and how they supposedly threaten to undermine the “traditional definition of marriage” in this country. President Bush is quoted as saying “Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society,” and yet if you take a good look at the history of marriage it’s clear that such serverances have been many and varied throughout history.
Nevius points out that back during the early history of America (1700-1800s) a married woman gave up many of the “rights” she enjoyed as a single person upon taking her vows. She could no longer own property or sign contracts and any money earned outside of the home had to be turned over to her husband. On the plus side, she didn’t have to pay taxes. In many ways a married woman was the property of her husband and this didn’t change until the the latter-half of the 19th Century, but change it did. Mixed race marriages weren’t legal in any state until California changed their laws in 1948 and it was 19 years more before the Supreme Court made it nation-wide. In many states it was still illegal for mixed race couples to marry until the year I was born (1967), but change it did. More interesting still is what you get when you look closely at just what the Bible suggests about marriage:
Marriage’s lineage a bit convoluted
“It is really much more complex in religious perspective than you might think,’’ says Tolbert, the George Atkinson Professor for Biblical Studies at the Pacific School of Religion. “What the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) suggests as a general model for marriage is polygamy. You look at someone like Solomon who had 200 wives and 600-and-some concubines. Or Abraham, who had his first child by his wife’s slave. It sounds as if it was quite normal.’’
Tolbert, who is also the executive director for the Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies in Religion and Ministry, points out that marriage didn’t even become a sacrament of the church “until the 12th century. For the first 1,200 years (A.D.) in Europe there were civil unions by town or village government.’’
Nor does the New Testament offer much help. In fact, by some selective readings it sounds as if the Bible has mixed views of marriage. As Tolbert says, Jesus says very little about marriage, and both he and Paul were single men. And Paul, at least, recommended chastity.
“Marriage is not a sin,’’ says Paul in First Corinthians, “but it is better to be unmarried.’’
“The Bible is an incredibly important sacred icon in our culture,’’ says Tolbert. “But I just think a lot of people don’t read it.’’
That not many people read the Bible they supposedly follow is obvious. I issued a challenge awhile back for anyone to list a single valid reason that wasn’t religious in nature as to why gays shouldn’t be allowed to marry and never got anyone to take me up on that challenge. That challenge still stands.
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I reviewed the long list of the advantages of a state recognized institution of marriage being a civil contract.
MOST all those advantages can be handled by a civil contract between any two people or even three or more people regardless of gender.
Corporations, living trust, and more, have “inheritable rights” and can be the beneficiary of insurance claims, enforce police powers as dictated by the court, and decision making for individuals that controls human, and other life, from cradle to grave.
My point being, that if Gays want what is in fact a “civil union”, and the advantages thereof, there are ways “on the books” to get that accomplished.
No title of marriage needs to granted, as it is the “rights” involved and NOT a title.
Let me put it this way, if I loved a person, really loved them, and that other person to me, do you think I would let state or federal law stand in my way? Much less a lame brained title? Not hardly.
The over riding authority in a civil union is the power of attorney, the power to act in an other person behalf, based on that person’s best judgment. This is common law, reconised by every USA state and federal consitiution and civil procedures, usable where ever such a “contract” exist. ALSO such an agreement MUST be in writing, and is NOT limited to sexual gender.
You can “assign” your legal rights to another person (or corporation, living trust, and more) with some limits, but being realistic, in a real world, in every day life, very little is left out of what you “cannot” assign to another person or to a legally created entity.
Most of all the gay argument (99%) for marriage is based on BULL SHIT of ignorance.
I (me) having sex with a man, I rather eat maggots from a road kill, perhaps amputate a finger with an ax, or have all my teeth pulled. Sex with a man is a repulsive and a vomitable act to me. If I was god, all beautiful ladies would sleep in my bed—NO exceptions, if you are a beautiful lady, you sleep with me and I am the judge. That is why I do not have any authority in the USA along with 300 million other people.
We are governed by laws, backed up with TEETH, unfortunately, but a fact of life. You don’t like the laws—fuck you, being crude. Man by his very nature is in conflict with his very existence, so what do we expect from human created laws, rules, and regulations?
The utter stupidity that a state or government can control another person desires for the opposite sex, is lame brained, or a lady will sleep with me because it is a god damn law, is utter foolishness as pitrid enjoyment in rape and bitch slapping into submission so I can boink you.
Point being, if two people want each other, hell on earth will not keep them away. This has been done for tens of thousands of years, male to male, and male to female, what ever, I assume that fucking trees and rocks has been popular also, a little rough until Vaseline came along or goat grease.
Go play with your wonky as you desire, but when the rubber meets the road in real life, called distribution of material, cash, means of survival, the old pecker shrivels up, and it is a matter of law as what belongs to whom and by what authority. Screw titles, and gay pride, I will take rights enforceable in court and accordingly I have access to ALL the police powers, big guns, and jets, and call out the National Guard if needed.
The gays that really think and study, that have intellect, you will never about, as the last thing they want is attention getting. BET ME. BET ME, I with a document that says I have full rights to review my client’s, or principle, medical records will not get me into the hospital for my personal review. I will see your ass in court, with fines, sanctions, penalties, and a police escort to review those records and to observe my client, or principle, in person. NO marriage needed, as I have a “civil contact” that gives me RIGHTS.
Don