"Civil marriage is a government institution that grants hundreds of state rights and over 1,000 federal rights. When a couple goes to the County Clerk's office for a marriage license, religion plays no role. The U.S. Constitution makes no mention of the bible or any other religious text. There is no clear definition of exactly what constitutes marriage -- for example, at least in the Old Testament, polygamy is permitted, since several of the biblical figures had multiple wives. Although gay people have had religious wedding ceremonies performed, many in the freedom to marry movement are not asking for religions to accept same-sex couples' vows

Oh, there is no question - the "definition" of marriage has been changing since it was simply a contract between two men (exchanging goods for a woman) and a man could have as many of these contracts as he could afford.

Who can and can't be married - and who one can and can't be married to - has been changing and evolving for thousands of years. It has only been 60 years in America that people of different races could marry in all 50 states - and there are still religions that will not allow their members to marry outside the faith. Like all social institutions, it adapts to new education and knowledge, wisdom, and experience.

That which does not evolve is destined to stagnate and rot.

Considering the homosexual union is by default sterile, there will be no evolving....just rotting.

nearly correct but not quite......... although we are gay we still have all the correct equipment to procreate. insemination can be used without recourse to intercourse with the opposite sex. So we won't rot we will evolve and adapt.

hey tristan, again the bigot believes we actually give a damn about what he thinks, some people just won't take a hint.

oh, he knows that I don't care ... I've employed the ignore feature on him a L*O*N*G time ago. I don't even know what he's written, unless somebody else quotes him in their post - and even then I look past the quotes, unless I just don't notice who it's from. In all the years I've run across him on various forums, his schtick hasn't changed one iota. The only thing that has changed is that others catch on to him much quicker these days. He's losing his touch, I guess. I have two others on ignore - one I also find repulsive, and another who thinks being irritating is quirky and cute ... I simply disagree.