Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

A place to discuss casual topics amongst spiritual friends.
User avatar
BlackBird
Posts: 2069
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:07 pm

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by BlackBird »

Haha the future of humanity is at stake, by gawd, we better stop those gays from having civil rights or we're done for!
"For a disciple who has conviction in the Teacher's message & lives to penetrate it, what accords with the Dhamma is this:
'The Blessed One is the Teacher, I am a disciple. He is the one who knows, not I." - MN. 70 Kitagiri Sutta

Path Press - Ñāṇavīra Thera Dhamma Page - Ajahn Nyanamoli's Dhamma talks
User avatar
Ceisiwr
Posts: 22405
Joined: Sun Jan 11, 2009 2:36 am
Location: Wales

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Ceisiwr »

BlackBird wrote:Haha the future of humanity is at stake, by gawd, we better stop those gays from having civil rights or we're done for!

I know right lol

As if legalising gay marriage suddenly would make everyone gay ...


It's the same argument that thatcher used to stop schools teaching about homosexuality in schools
“Knowing that this body is just like foam,
understanding it has the nature of a mirage,
cutting off Māra’s flower-tipped arrows,
one should go beyond the King of Death’s sight.”
User avatar
Modus.Ponens
Posts: 3853
Joined: Sat Jan 03, 2009 2:38 am
Location: Gallifrey

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Modus.Ponens »

This is one of those things that is so obvious that it isn't (intelligently) debateable. The only reason for it not being legal is that people who are against it, are afraid of having homosexual inclinations. It's as simple as that.

Portugal has legalized gay marriage and "coadoption". No destruction of our country by god yet... :mrgreen:
'This is peace, this is exquisite — the resolution of all fabrications; the relinquishment of all acquisitions; the ending of craving; dispassion; cessation; Unbinding.' - Jhana Sutta
User avatar
Aloka
Posts: 7797
Joined: Wed Jan 21, 2009 2:51 pm

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Aloka »

clw_uk wrote:Just interested what members here thing about gay marriage?

A good thing? A bad thing?


My opinion is its a progressive step
Definately a good thing !

One of the most faithful,loving couples I ever knew were two gay men (sadly one of them died unexpectedly from a massive heart attack recently) and they should have been able to have had the same legalities as a heterosexual married couple.
User avatar
Dan74
Posts: 4529
Joined: Sun Mar 01, 2009 11:12 pm
Location: Switzerland

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Dan74 »

Yay! I say, let them have the ball and chain, if they want it!

I've always wondered why conservatives don't embrace gay marriage, since marriage is a conservative institution and gay people are a large segment of society. More membership of the marriage club, more kudos!

On the other hand, I think celebrity marriage should be banned. Would save hectares of the Amazon and lots of greenhouse gas emissions.
_/|\_
User avatar
Khalil Bodhi
Posts: 2250
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 6:32 pm
Location: NYC
Contact:

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Khalil Bodhi »

I can't imagine how it could be bad thing and am glad that NY recognizes such unions. I think that it gives committed individuals important protections under the law and makes many things much more simple and straightforward (estate planning, end of life decision making, etc.). So, I give it a resounding "Yay"
To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.
-Dhp. 183

The Stoic Buddhist: https://www.quora.com/q/dwxmcndlgmobmeu ... pOR2p0uAdH
My Practice Blog:
http://khalilbodhi.wordpress.com
User avatar
Anagarika
Posts: 915
Joined: Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:25 pm

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Anagarika »

I live in the United States, and it never made any sense to me at all that a court could find a constitutional basis to deny a same sex marriage. Our legal history has always placed extreme importance on the right of privacy, and within that right a number of other rights affecting families. We also have an Equal Protection Clause, which disallows treating one recognized class of people differently from another. Our Declaration of Independence, which we celebrate this week, declares that all people have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Yet, because the US has weirdly evolved from a country founded on escaping religious oppression, into a world leader in Christian religious oppression, we still struggle with marriage equality issues. Yesterday, a conservative Christian NGO director was claiming on NPR that children raised by gay parents suffer developmentally. The host of the program cited the APA's and other studies that show that kids thrive in gay families just as well as in straight parent families. The Xtian then stated that he had other studies, but refused to define what studies he was referring to. In other words, he had his reasons to hate and discriminate, but couldn't cite a competent basis for his bias.

It's really significant that in a 5-4 decision, the DOMA was stricken from our law. The 5-4 decision also tells us that the Supreme Court was just one vote away from affirming this country as one of the most deluded on the planet, in terms of mixing fundamentalist religion with politics and law.
Last edited by Anagarika on Sun Jun 30, 2013 5:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Vern Stevens
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Vern Stevens »

I would say it should be legally permissible. However, i don't see gay marriage as good or bad as a concept, it really depends on the couple, just as in heterosexual marriages.

I just think the government's role in marriages should be very limited. I realize the government has a role in determining what types of activity are contractable, and they mediate contract disputes, but providing financial incentive to encourage marriage and having children goes too far for my tastes.
“What we think, we become.“ - The Buddha
User avatar
DNS
Site Admin
Posts: 17191
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 4:15 am
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, Estados Unidos de América
Contact:

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by DNS »

It's a good thing. I write to my legislators and governor all the time asking them to legalize gay marriage. In Nevada we have quickie marriages, some that can even be done by drive-thru, so besides the ethical, equality issues, I mention the economic impact it could have in helping tourism as gay couples will travel here for quick marriages the same way heterosexual couples do that right now.
User avatar
SDC
Posts: 9062
Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:08 pm

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by SDC »

Very good thing.
“Life is swept along, short is the life span; no shelters exist for one who has reached old age. Seeing clearly this danger in death, a seeker of peace should drop the world’s bait.” SN 1.3
Coyote
Posts: 845
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2011 12:42 pm
Location: Wales - UK

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Coyote »

Vern Stevens wrote:
I just think the government's role in marriages should be very limited. I realize the government has a role in determining what types of activity are contractable, and they mediate contract disputes, but providing financial incentive to encourage marriage and having children goes too far for my tastes.
In an ideal situation IMO, marriage would be a private institution and have nothing to do with the state. But to deny state benefits to same-sex couples while that isn't the case is just wrong.
"If beings knew, as I know, the results of giving & sharing, they would not eat without having given, nor would the stain of miserliness overcome their minds. Even if it were their last bite, their last mouthful, they would not eat without having shared."
Iti 26
User avatar
Vern Stevens
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 11:19 pm
Location: Virginia Beach, VA

Re: Gay Marriage - Yay or Nay?

Post by Vern Stevens »

Coyote wrote: In an ideal situation IMO, marriage would be a private institution and have nothing to do with the state. But to deny state benefits to same-sex couples while that isn't the case is just wrong.
I think our views are not far apart. However, I do see a legitimate state interest in the sense that a marriage has a legal contractual component to it. I think the state does have an interest in determining which types of contracts are legally allowable. So, IF one agrees that the state has an legitimate interest in contracts, the secondary component is contract resolution and/or enforcement. I know some people hold that these functions could be handled by private institutions, but even if they did, their rules would still have to come under some kind of state guidelines for consistency's sake.

But yes, I don't see how the state has any interest in saying that this set of consenting adults can marry but this set of consenting adults cannot, when set is based on race, sex, religion, etc. Likewise, I don't think married couples (hetero or homo-sexual) should be rewarded by the state for their marriage and / or having children. Single people shouldn't be "punished" for remaining single.
“What we think, we become.“ - The Buddha
Post Reply