Reader comments
Gay couples in Utah urged not to sue
428 comments | Read story
doesn't make it a non-truth. I have empathy for our homosexual brothers and sisters. It must be very hard at times, but I will not ever accept immorality in any form as the norm.
He may get away with calling anything he doesn't personally like judicial activism in such backward places as UT and the GOP majority but that doesn't make him in any way correct.
I deal with a lot of people that have reservations about homosexuals and gay marriage, but I never have encountered such doomsday behavior.
It makes me sad that so many people spend so much energy on negative thoughts. Take a deep breath and hug someone.
We can do for gay couples what we now do for straight couples; give them our blessing and hope for the best.
Marriage between a man and a woman predates government. Government did not create it. But rather than merely allowing it to exist, government chose to support it. Why?
Government did not involve itself with marriage to formally bless either love, sexual gratification, or even commitment generally. It got involved because it saw its absolute dependence upon one very specific institution and no other: One man and one woman married to each other.
The reason government provided special incentives to this marriage was to strengthen that upon which healthy society cannot live without. This marriage gets unique treatment because it is unique.
Equality means treating those similarly situated the same. Gay couples ARE NOT similarly situated with heterosexual couples. Society relies in no conceivable way upon gay couples. That is why government has neither reason nor right to create incentives for its existence.
Those who say marriage (recognized by government) is about love or sexual gratification, or even commitment generally, outside of one man and one woman, operate entirely outside the bounds of both history and reason.
The only people arguing that being gay is a sin do so from a purely religious perspective that requires a bizarre willingness to accept some of the nasty and wholly irrational parts of the Bible, but not others.
Fortunately, our country is not run according to the Bible. Nor should it ever be. Our country IS run according to a respect for the rights of all citizens.
I have gay friends, family members and co-workers. They're NORMAL PEOPLE and all they want from life is to live as normally as you or I do, including falling in love and making a lifelong commitment to someone and having the laws of the land recognize their commitments and protect their legal rights in the same way that the commitment my wife and I have has been recognized by law.
"And to "Dixie Dan" - the LDS church already HAS given their opinion on all of this. It's up to us to decide whether or not we're willing to follow the prophets, or the world."
You can choose to follow the prophet but that means that YOU choose not to be homosexual. It does not mean that you can choose for me and my partner what is legal. Please be American and treat everyone equally.
Every few years they emerge, try to disrupt the naturally liberal society we live in, then realizing they have failed miserably, crawl back into the darkness.
Now you'll tell me I'm self-righteous. I'm not the one who made the rules, God did. So complain to Him, not me.
I'll take a little of the open society of California where they have the lowest suicide rate in the West and report much higher satisfaction with their lives.
OK, I agree, government got into the marriage game (by providing incentives) because it saw benefits to society stemming from marriage. Can you honestly say, though, that there is no benefit to society of two gay people choosing to mutually support and take care of each other? Is it better for society that they remain alone? that they eventually become dependent on others or on the state?
With all due respect, I don't think that portion of your argument is an "indisputed fact".
This is not at all the same. It's like saying, "You have a right to eat tomatoes. I have a right to throw them at your house. I respect your rights, please respect mine."
Your argument is weak. While we enjoy "freedom," the government HAS to make some decisions based on "morality." What if someone wanted to go out and start murdering people legally? Does that make it his or her right because we live in a "free country?" While this example is extreme, my point is that we have to draw lines somewhere.
Incidentally, I am Pro Civil Unions.
Also isn't it odd that a group previously persecuted, even forced to leave their homes, because of their "nontraditional" family structure would turn around and persecute others because of their "unnatural" desire for marriage?
I believe that Americans will know in their hearts what is true and just and will keep their beliefs in their homes and churches--not in their laws.
Two people in love and wanting to get married and make a commitment to each other is not the evil that it is being portrayed as being. Please use your passion to fight evil for those who lie, cheat, steal, and even kill to take advantage over others. There is too much demonizing of good people who want to just spend their lives married to someone that they love.
Man and woman are what bring children into this world and therefore I believe marriage should be between a man and a woman. People have a right to choose the lifestyle they want to live but that does not mean they should be given certain rights by the Government. I am one who will actively oppose homosexual marriage but I am open to discussing this issue in a respectful manner and wish more people would do the same.
Your question:
�Can you honestly say, though, that there is no benefit to society of two gay people choosing to mutually support and take care of each other? Is it better for society that they remain alone? that they eventually become dependent on others or on the state?�
Response:
Thank you for your good question. Having two gay people caring for each other in this way is similar to a mother and daughter caring for each other. And yes, society appreciates that. Thank you for that important addition. But gay couples, wonderful mother/daughter relations, and several other configurations, should only receive the package of marriage incentives if they are similarly situated with the one-man/one-woman institution. They are not and never can be. The only social institution upon which society absolutely depends is one-man/one-woman marriage. To grant similar marriage benefits on ANY other institution would not expand equality, it would DESTROY it.
(Readers, please refer to my earlier post for clarification and context)
When you're not so focused on how you *want* things to be you can tune in to the facts of the matter. ;>
Your �wealth of research� is contradicted by an equally large or larger wealth of research. But let�s simply all this:
Society has no need of homosexual couples to successfully and healthily perpetuate itself, while society absolutely requires heterosexual couples. Government, then, reasonably creates better incentives for those institutions it absolutely needs than for those it doesn�t.
The point I am making is that what you cannot under our system, no matter how big your majority, is deny fundamental equal protection of the laws to a minority you happen to disagree with or dislike. But no one is making you like gay people, or applaud them, and you can continue believe and teach whatever you want about it.
Change is coming, better get used to the idea. I'm gay and I know that I was born "That way", my parents know it too and somehow we manage to go on with our lives. I suggest you people do the same.
Sure.
Benefits given to traditional families revolve around assisting the raising of children and protecting the caregiver parent who places them self at an economic disadvantage by forgoing outside income to stay with and raise children.
Eliminate the child rearing aspect and society has no vested interest in subsidizing or fostering any other particular relationship type.
(yes, I know not every marriage produces children but most do, get over it)
Any benefits that might be bestowed on homosexual partners; health insurance, pensions, etc; are things that would benefit all members of society regardless of what kind of relationship (if any) they are in.
In other words, you shouldn't have to have to "marry" a homosexual to get health care coverage or support in your old age.
If you recognize homosexual relationships as "marriage" and grant them family benefits (intended to support child rearing) you in fact are giving homosexuals couples unfair preferential treatment over everyone else not in a traditional marriage (unattached heterosexuals or homosexuals).
....CONTINUED.............
In other words, whatever benefits you think will accrue to society by having homosexual "marriages" tap into the family benefit pool should be extended to all citizens.
Diverting those scarce benefit dollars to homosexuals who "marry" postpones the day when all Americans can receive health care coverage, for example.
Further, treating homosexual pairings like "marriage" unwisely drains available family benefit dollars from the critical and underfunded support of children in our society.
It is more perverse when you consider that children are the most poverty stricken demographic segment of society, homosexual couples the most affluent.
Giving family benefits to homosexual couples steals healthcare and bread from the mouths of impoverished children.
That seems a high price to pay to feed the vanity and manufactured "victimhood" of homosexuals.
We don't really want to do that, do we?
Answer: People like you have children like me. HA!!
Someone on the board said prove to me that a gay marriage has hurt a normal person. I say to you prove to me that violence on television is bad for kids. I can't prove it, but I know it exists.
Gays brought about, spread, and still are spreading AIDS. You know the virus that kills people. One of the gays biggest talking points is that AIDS doesn't just effect gay people. Children have it. Well, if it weren't for gays, the virus wouldn't have infected a friend or a neighbor, or somebody's child.
Is that a good answer?
Not really. There will always be heterosexuals that will conceive children. The USA is not in a tailspin with birthrates to the point that we have to try and bribe people to have babies.
The reason for privileges in marriage is to protect those who have entered into this agreement. Read some of the rights that are afforded to married people and ask how they help children, (ie. a spouse does not have to testify against their partner.)
Read the history of marriage. It has changed dramatically just in the last couple of centuries. Churches did not become involved in this "rite" until around 1400. Monogamy was not even the norm until the Roman Empire. Women were property. The marriage defination that most of the posters seem to be fighting for is one of the 1950's. The notion that God ordained this institution from the begining of time does not fit history.
To YBU:
Contrary to your claim, following prophets means more than choosing as an individuals whether to live a homosexual lifestyle:
"The principles of the gospel...require that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints oppose any efforts to give legal authorization to marriages between persons of the same gender...
"We encourage members to appeal to legislators, judges, and other government officials to preserve the purposes and sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, and to reject all efforts to give legal authorization or other official approval or support to marriages between persons of the same gender."
--LDS News Release 14 August 2006
�The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints favors a constitutional amendment preserving marriage as the lawful union of a man and a woman."
--LDS News Release 7 July 2004
�...Any other sexual relations, including those between persons of the same gender, undermine the divinely created institution of the family. The Church accordingly favors measures that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and that do not confer legal status on any other sexual relationship."
--LDS New Release 19 October 2004
That seems a high price to pay to feed the vanity and manufactured "victimhood" of homosexuals.
We don't really want to do that, do we?"
Well, if we did what so many of you wanted and married a person of the opposite sex, we would have all those "family benefits" and then where would you be? It would be the same drain, wouldn't it?
You seem to be using us to pay for you and yours if you will not give us benefits too.
Falacious argument.
>"Can you honestly say, though, that there is no benefit to society of two gay people choosing to mutually support and take care of each other?"
Sure.
Benefits given to traditional families revolve around assisting the raising of children and protecting the caregiver parent who places them self at an economic disadvantage by forgoing outside income to stay with and raise children.
Eliminate the child rearing aspect and society has no vested interest in subsidizing or fostering any other particular relationship type.
(yes, I know not every marriage produces children but most do, get over it)
Any benefits that might be bestowed on homosexual partners; health insurance, pensions, etc; are things that would benefit all members of society regardless of what kind of relationship (if any) they are in.
In other words, you shouldn't have to have to "marry" a homosexual to get health care coverage or support in your old age.
If you recognize homosexual relationships as "marriage" and grant them family benefits (intended to support child rearing) you in fact are giving homosexuals couples unfair preferential treatment over everyone else not in a traditional marriage (unattached heterosexuals or homosexuals).
....CONTINUED......(above).......
>>moderator,part2 posted but not part1?<
I think if LDS members read their writings properly they are told to 'never mind' what the world is doing and to get on with their own 'business'.
In fact, delaying the 'inevitable world wide evil' COULD be seen as tantamount to delaying the second coming of Christ.
I say bring it on! Have a little faith in yourselves and let everyone else play the game as they see fit and stop acting like a bunch of 'christian right' evangelicals ranting over every thing that (shouldn't) doesn't affect you!
Put you eyes back on the goal and rise above the fray, life's much easier then.
I am afraid that those who whine the loudest on this issue just may have some latent homosexuality within them that they are afraid to examine.
That's a quirky fact of human nature.
Please comprehend the point: Government created incentives to enter man/woman marriage because it is required for society to exist. No such dependency exists with homosexuals. Reason permits government to create incentives to enter society�s most important social institution. How can this be said more clearly?
To give every other human configuration an identical package would destroy every incentive to enter any of them. This is a matter of deductive logic based on the meaning of the word �incentive.�
If you had checked your facts before posting, you would know that there are many instances where animals displaly homosexual unions. Just check. It really is a part of nature too.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
- Gifts for gamers 5:27 p.m.
- Acquired immunity may not help 5:15 p.m.
- Mitchell called intelligent, controlling 5:11 p.m.
- Many count pennies in recession 5:09 p.m.
- Clinton class sweet on candy 5:06 p.m.
- Alta rejects canyon subdivision 3:33 p.m.
- Adult sports leagues offered 3:19 p.m.
- Oil prices spike 3:06 p.m.
- Stocks turn higher 3:03 p.m.
- Nature's Way leaving Utah County 3:02 p.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
893 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
481 - Max Hall issues apology
360 - Hall reprimanded by MWC
290 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
281 - Utes won't respond to Hall
195 - BYU is champion of the state
140 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
121 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
119 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
91
Live 'Twittologue' Dec. 2, 4:00 p.m. with Jason Chaffetz. Click for more.
I wanted to tell them not to go. I dropped subtle hints. "My money is on...
When I was a kid, I worshipped my grandpa. He was undoubtedly my hero....
If you don't have the fire in your gut you shouldn't be competing in any...
So many of you say that Hall should be held out of the bowl game by...
You really need to feel sorry for a 24 year old man with his whole life ahead...
With all respect to the General currently in charge of operations in...
Our conference is a joke! Our best team got smoked against New Mexico, who...
I'll just let the hypocrisy of you calling Max Hall "classless" while...
A word to the wise: If you are a wife or a mother of a BYU player just stay...
Max said some dumb things. That is all. I am sure that he regrets it now....
I just looked at the photo of Coach Whittingham's wife and daughter beside...
He doesn't think of anyone but himself. He has nothing that stops him from...



I have a gay co-worker and good friend who is a fairly high profile gay rights advocate in Boston and has been for years. I had an interesting conversation with him about this whole issue. He is in a real struggle between wanting equal rights and his belief that male gay couples would divorce (if allowed to marry) at a much higher rate than heterosexual couples which would end up hurting their cause. He believes female gay couples would have a much better track record in marriage than heterosexual couples but is very concerned that the promiscuity in the male gay community would quickly hurt the gay marriage cause.
I am not trying to spread a stereotype but rather relay what a strong gay-rights advocate said he and others like him are genuinely concerned about. Heterosexual marriage fails at roughly 50% and we all know infidelity is rampant - but apparently my friend believes it is much worse in the male gay community.