Marriage Can Be Expanded

LA Times ^ | June 5, 2004 | Sherman Stein

[asmith92008]

A quarter of a century ago, our then-teenage daughter, the youngest of our three children, announced that she was gay. Her revelation came as a shock, but the intervening years have given me time to reflect on homosexuality. I have slowly gone from that initial shock to acceptance, along the way reaching some insights.

In our world, the word "stranger" calls forth fear. For two people to shift from strangers to friends to devoted lifetime companions is practically a miracle. Society should encourage such commitments, which not only sustain two people but provide a firm foundation for our society.

[asmith92008]

Once again, a "gay marriage" activist shows his complete lack of understanding.

Arguing that a redefinition of marriage to allow gays is analogous to expanding voting rights rests on a false premise. As the right to vote expanded, the concept of of "the vote" always remained the same. Voting always meant choosing one's representative, no matter who was allowed to vote. Marriage, however, has always been a union of man and woman to raise their children. Thus, "gay marriage" distorts the entire concept of marriage in the way that expanding the franchise never changed voting.

Plus, the canard that gay marriage does not threaten traditional marriage is put to the lie by Gene Robisons, the Episcopal cleric who left his family for a gay lover. If he was willing to do that when homosexuality was stigmatized, how many other marginal marriages might end when society gives homosexuality the thumbs up? Plus, how will we be able to teach children about marriage when we will always have to treat Suzie's two daddies as a normal family?

[Tax Government]

After decades of research, it is agreed that people do not choose their sexual orientation.

Liar.

[TheBattman]

Freaks have long used lies to back up their own false claims....

Homosexuality is a CHOICE -

[Sister_T]

Marriage Can Be Expanded

That's the first LIE, without even reading the rest of the "homo-promo" tripe.

[Asclepius]

Marriage Can Be Expanded

Indeed. Incest. Polygamy. Bigamy. Interspecies relationships. If two people of the same sex can marry, then why not anyone, under any circumstances?

[tuesday afternoon]

Good catch. I missed that while scanning the article.

Doesn't the Times do any fact checking? /s

[Tax Government]

Sexual behavior is the most addicting kind of activity possible; the brain is hard-wired to do whatever it has done in the past successfully, to make it occur again.

Changing orientation is in the same league as ending a drug addiction. With drug addiction, everybody agrees change is possible and desirable. But with sexual addiction, a whole social movement and political party are campaigning for people to believe change is not possible or desirable.

These are the same people who, except for the single example of letting women choose to end a helpless baby's life, are ashamed to associate with those who believe people have power to control their lives.

They are liars.

[tbpiper]

I have slowly gone from that initial shock to acceptance

How many times have you heard something from a tearfull momma like this "I know they said Jerome killed them people, but he's a good boy."

Understandable avoidance of reality.

[BenLurkin]

Somehow, someway, too many people gave up fighting to save Western civilization - just about "a quarter of a century ago".

Rather than get his daughter help, this person simply gave up and gave in.

Sad, not just for them but for the larger society as well.

[goldstategop]

Agreed. The comparison is invalid. The nature of a vote does not change regardless of who is voting. Marriage has always been understood from time immemorial to be a union of a man and a woman. If people of the same sex unite, it changes the nature of marriage since the substance of the union will be different. One would expect liberals to understand that when you change a traditional arrangement, it destroys the essence of that arrangement. That is exactly why marriage cannot be expanded in the way the voting franchise was. Don't expect liberals and gay activists like Sherman Stein to understand that not all change is good for society.

[Tax Government]

The pro-abortion argument and the born-gay-and-can't-change arguments are the same, and are made by the same people.

In each case, the idea is that individuals are powerless to resist sexual impulses, and must be protected from the consequences of their addicted behavior.

With abortion, the woman must be allowed to "undo" the effects sexual addiction, and of her lack of self-control when the child was conceived.

With gay lifestyles, the individuals must be given special legal rights to insulate them from social pressure against their addicted lifestyle, and against suggestions they are perfectly able to choose to be normal.

[Old Professer]

The man's daughter is confused so he does the natural thing - he learns from her.

[Old Professer]

Not exactly, basically, it is just a trial-period.

[Tax Government]

Whatever people do in the sexual area, it is an addictive behavior.

And the addicted brain can be altered.

Probably, more people would try to control their lifestyle and succeed at it, if the social environment provided encouragement. As you know, democRATs and the "rights" movement are committed to NOT providing encouragement.

[Bubba_Leroy]

After decades of research, it is agreed that people do not choose their sexual orientation.

Most recent studies indicate that only 10% of male homosexuals are born that way. The rest just get sucked into it.

[JohnnyZ]

That editorial is so gay.

[Gid_29]

I must disagree here: As the right to vote expanded, the concept stayed the same - it was just opened to more people. The same goes for marriage in this situation: Expanding marriage opens it to more people, but the concept stays the same; The joining of two in a common bond.

[megatherium]

After decades of research, it is agreed that people do not choose their sexual orientation.

Liar.

I doubt many homosexuals made a conscious choice to have homosexual desires.

But it is true that the alleged biological evidence that people are born homosexual is very thin, and it is also true that the psychoanalytic explanations (weak or abusive father, or abuse by peers) have much better scientific support -- contrary to often-repeated claims by gay activists.

Also contrary to claims by gay activists is that homosexuals can change; as Tax Government points out, success rates are similar to those of substance abusers.

[Gid_29]

Incest has issues genetically; Polygamy and Bigamy, I can't argue for or against them really; Interspecies relationships would run into the same issue as incest.