[HouTom]

FormerLib wrote: "If they have their way, then marriage among groups without regard to the number, sex, age, familial relation, or species becomes the norm. If they want to strip marriage of meaning, then all meaning will be ultimately stripped."

The definition of marriage is a desire to create a union of two people based on love and respect. It is a "status" to others in the community that you have made a promise to be true to one another, to respect one another, to take care of one another. That you belong to each other. It is the symbolic giving over of independence to a shared existence.

Those are the elements that define marriage. Notice there is nothing there that says it has to be a man and a woman. No one is asking for you to understand or accept same sex marriage. You gave up that right when it became sanctioned by the government.

[Wordsmith]

The definition of marriage is a desire to create a union of two people based on love and respect.

What is the source of this definition? If this vague definition (vague enough that it could apply just as well to siblings or best friends) can replace the existing traditional definition, why can't it be subject to future reinterpretation as well?