Californians are going to the polls to vote on whether Gay and Lesbian people should still be able to be married in the state of CA.

I know this has been talked about before but I am curious what some of the relatively new posters think about this subject.

It has been a few months now that marraige between same sex people has been legal there and I asked my sister how her marraige has been holding up. She and my BIL, she said, have had no ill effects from the ruling and subsequent marraige of gay people. She said that her hetro friends have not seen any changes in their straight marraiges and that society out in the Bay area hasn't deteriorated nor seems on the verge of it. Neither she nor my other sister have felt the DEVESTATING effects on her family, the sacredness of her union has not yet been ripped apart. She tries to be a good citizen, raise her kids right, pay taxes, does her job every day, just like gay people do. She doesn't get what all the excitement was about.

Neither do I.

Why do I care what people do in the privacy of their own home?

Yeah, I could really care less if gay people get married. . .just means that now they might get to experience the joys of divorce like everybody else.

I know some people have the problem with the term "marriage". So call it a civil union if that makes people feel better about it. That's a trivial thing to me. I think that it's the legal implications of it that are what is important. You should have the right to visit your ill partner in the hospital, etc.

I know there are people who have religious based, moral objections to homosexuality. But the state recognizing a civil marriage has nothing to do with that as far as I'm concerned. I see it as a seperation of church and state thing. If you are say, Luthern, and you don't think that the Luthern church should be marrying gays. Then by all means argue that, but as far as the state is concerned. . .eh.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I think that the perfect solution would be for all of us be required to enter into a civil union when we wish to spend our lives together. Then, if you want a marriage, leave it up to the church.

I am si happy to see this proposition going down in flames.

A good friend of mine told me that her church sent a letter to the members asking for their time and money to keep Gay people from getting married and to go door to door spreading the word. Then the letter was read from the pulpit in CA. She doesn't believe that this action could jeopardize the tax exempt status of their church.

Personally, I agree with everyone having a civil marraige and then have it solomnized by the church. To paraphrase another poster....Don't want to have a Gay marraige, don't have one.

I'm not sure that what you describe would be illegal. For instance, if a church advocated that its members contact their elected representatives and spread the word door to door about supporting a bill such as child protection from sex predators, it wouldn't jeapordize the church's taz status.

While a church cannot remain tax exempt if they tell their congregations which candidate to vote for, I think they can support or not support bills if they so choose.

Then again, I think that in 2004 many churches told their congregations who to vote for.

Oh, I thought that if a church got too involved with telling their members how to vote they could lose their tax status. I don't know. She and I talked about it and she mentioned that she thought so too so she was concerned.

She has been told to vote conservative but I am not sure that it is something that came from the pulpit or just is common knowledge, KWIM?

As long as you know I'm not a lawyer........

I found this: Tax Guide For Churches And Religious Organizations | Project Fair Play

It looks like they can talk about issues and legislation all day long. They just cannot recommend a candidate.

Great post!!!

Thanks. I will let her know. I appreciate your help.

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RJB 3/18/60 - 5/22/04
We miss you, sweet brother
God Bless the USA!!!!! Praying for my Youngster son at United States Naval Academy, class of 2014!!

Waiting for my "No On 8" lawn sign to arrive....

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"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

"Your candle does not lose it's light by lighting another candle" Generosity

Have the courage to be yourself.

gay marriage does not bother me at all...I say whatever & yeah, let them deal with divorces too.

I understand that based on the latest polls, Prop 8 is losing support.

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l/ l/ l/
Dont go through life,
GROW through life

Real eyes...realize...real lies.

Yes it certainly is!!! Well-informed populations here in California in many regards!

__________________
"Well-Behaved Women SELDOM make history."Laurel Thatcher Ulrich


"Yesterday is but a vision, and tomorrow is only a dream. But today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a dream of hope." Anonymous

"Your candle does not lose it's light by lighting another candle" Generosity

Have the courage to be yourself.

Wait...I'm confused.

You can only be "married" or have a "marriage" if religion is involved?

Please clarify.

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I'm the kind of woman when my feet hit the floor in each morning, the devil says "Oh crap, she's up."