I usually avoid talking religion and politics, but feel compelled to say something this time round:
GAY MARRIAGE:
Believe what you want to believe. I'm just happy more people can now freely express their love for each other a little more openly and with the added benefit of being recognized formally through legal marriage through which they can now share things together as community property and name each other as spousal beneficiaries on each other's employment benefits, insurance policies, and have medical authority over each other in life and death situations just like all heterosexual couples have been able to do all along, not to mention the ability to adopt children legally as a married couple.
Heck, did you know it was only 48 years ago that people of color weren't allowed to marry white people, because people of color really weren't considered equal PEOPLE?! It took a long time before interracial marriages were finally allowed, and took even longer until gay marriages were finally allowed. But in both cases, this is the right thing to do. It's not just about which gender is allowed to marry which gender..... it's about acknowledging equal civil rights amongst fellow humans. It's about acknowledging all humans as equal PEOPLE especially in their ability to marry each other and be recognized by the state!
It's not the government's place to say that two consenting persons of legal age and who are of sound mind to make personal decisions are not allowed to express love for each other and be formally recognized in a committed relationship as a legal marriage. As long as they are consenting and of legal age, there should be no reason why two people cannot get married regardless of their race, religion, cultural background, or even sexual orientation. Non-discrimination laws set a precedent for that. It's against the law to discriminate on those basis when it comes to finding employment, housing, or obtaining paid services etc....., so why should it be legal to discriminate when it comes to legal marriage? Allowing gay couples to marry now fixes that. FINALLY the laws are consistent to each other in that regard.
There ARE some lines that do have to be drawn when it comes to what the government can or cannot recognize as a legal marriage such as instances where at least one of the people are not of sound mind to make good decisions for themselves (such as someone who may be developmentally delayed to the point where their mind is still like a child, or an elderly person who has advanced Alzheimer's disease, or if one of the people is in a position of authority which can abuse power over the other person, etc...)
But you can't compare a homosexual relationship between two consenting people of legal age and of sound mind to a predatory pedophile wanting to marry a child victim. COMPLETELY different. I'm so tired of people saying "if you let gay people marry, who's to stop pedophiles from marrying children, or humans from marrying animals?" Totally not the same. A child is not a person of legal age who is of full and present sound mind to make big decisions like marriage. Nor is an animal. Those comparisons would fall better under categories where a person of power is abusing their position over someone who is powerless. Two consenting people of legal age who are of sound mind, which may include a heterosexual couple OR a homosexual couple, is not the same thing as a pedophile and a child, or a beast lover and an animal. COMPLETELY different!
I don't get why those against gay marriage are even against it in the first place? Are they afraid homosexuality will spread to heterosexuals who will "catch" it and become homosexual too and then procreation of the human race will be at stake and the human race as a whole will become extinct? Are they afraid gays will influence heterosexual parents' children to become gay too? Are they afraid that the American flag will be redesigned to be Red White and Blue and Rainbow colored? I hear all the time from those against gay marriage say it threatens "the institution of marriage." What the heck is an "institution of marriage?" Is that a tech college where you attend to get your 2-year degree certificate in marital affairs? I'm sorry but when I marry someone it is between ME and THEM. It has nothing to do with any of you other people, single, married, heterosexual, gay, or otherwise. It is a partnership between ME and my spouse only. There's no "institution of marriage."
So how does a gay couple getting married even affect you to the point that you need to lobby against SOMEONE ELSES ABILITY to MARRY EACH OTHER?
And let's cut through the crap: those who do not support gay marriage have tried to disguise their stance by labeling themselves as "Supporters of Traditional Marriage" rather than the more accurate label of "People AGAINST Gay Marriage." Why would you need to support traditional marriage? It doesn't need support. It's not in jeopardy. Heterosexual couples have and always will be able to marry each other no problem! And it's not like allowing gay marriage is REPLACING heterosexual marriage! Heterosexual marriages are NOT in jeopardy! It's the gay couples who haven't been able to marry each other until now, and finally they can! So stop saying "I'm not against gays marrying, I'm simply supporting upholding Traditional Marriage". There's nothing to support! "Traditional Marriage" between heterosexuals is already legal, has been, and always will be. The truth is: you're AGAINST gays being able to marry. Stop beating around the bush with your PC terminology.
And you wanna talk "Traditional Marriage" ? It wasn't too long ago that even here in America "Traditional Marriages" included arranged marriages oftentimes between a much much older man and a young girl who had barely become of legal age (which has also varied from as young as 10-12 on up) where parents would basically "sell" their daughters to older men in exchange for financial promise in the form of bride service or dowry. The only thing that holds in common with today's version of "Traditional Marriage" perhaps is despite the horrible abuses no doubt endured by many a young bride, they were still heterosexual unions between female and male spouses. But as far as "traditional" goes, that's about it. Even now, even a 16 year old can get married. Do you consider that a "traditional marriage?" It's legal if parents sign off on it or if the minor has been emancipated. But see, "traditional marriage" is hardly what is meant by the term.
Truth is: people are afraid of things that are unfamiliar to them. And people seek to destroy that which they are afraid of.
Simple as that.
But you wouldn't be so afraid if you bothered to understand what you fear. It's a catch 22 though, because you won't venture out past your own self-made barriers to attempt to understand what you fear. You're too afraid to come out (no pun intended).
At least gays don't have to be as afraid anymore when they "come out". At least now they can proudly say "We're here, we're MARRIED, get used to it!"