Same Sex Marriage

This is a tough one for me. As I've said before, I'm a Christian, so I have a hard time reconciling homosexuality to the beliefs I grew up with. I've come a long way, but I still have a long way to go. I know I don't have all the answers. I also know that I don't have the right to judge anyone. I have enough to answer for in the afterlife that I don't want to add that to the list.

I also have libertarian leanings that ask, how will two women or two men getting married affect me? It's not going to hurt me in any way shape or form that I can see. I admit that I haven't thought past the basic issue, so maybe there's something I haven't considered.

I don't believe that anyone chooses homosexuality. Why would anyone choose a lifestyle that is not acceptable to the majority of the public? Why choose to possibly alienate yourself from your friends and family? Why choose a lifestyle where people could say nasty, to say the least, things to you? Why choose a lifestyle where you are different from other people? Why choose a lifestyle where people might hate you simply for that choice? I believe that people are born homosexual. It might be years before they acknowledge it to themselves, much less their family and friends. I know several lesbians. I've known gay men and I currently know one gay teenager. It's not a lifestyle I would choose, but I won't deny them their right to live the lifestyle they are born to live, choose to live, or want to live.

Okay that being said, I have to say I am against same sex marriages. My reason is that right now, our laws say marriage can only occur between a man and a woman. Until the law is changed, I have to follow the law.

I can't see that a Constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage will be passed. I could be wrong, I have been known to be wrong before. And I don't think that a Constitutional amendment is even necessary. I think this is an election year flavor of the month and won't live past the election.

I believe that this is a state issue, not Federal. If any state or states change their laws, I'd be willing to bet that eventually, and sooner rather than later, all states will recognize marriages from that state. And eventually, all states will change their laws. But, I don't see laws changing anytime soon.

Since same sex marriages are currently illegal in all states, the marriages that have been performed are not legal. The clerks who issued the licenses have performed an illegal act, and because of that act, the marriages are null and void anyway. The officials who performed the ceremonies also performed an illegal act, just as the clerks did. Or at the very least, performed a ceremony that has no legal value. Those couples have no more legal standing today than they had a month ago. And, could the couples themselves be charged with a crime? I don't know, and I doubt that any prosecutor would file charges.

Will same sex marriages ever be accepted and legal? I don't know. I think this should start at the state level with a change to the state constitution to allow same sex marriage. It's going to be an uphill battle to get people to change their minds about an issue so personal and fundamental as marriage.