On gay marriage...

I understand some of the arguments against gay marriage. I get that some people are "grossed out" by the idea of two guys together (although some of these guys watch videos with two girls together, but I digress). I get that if the Bible is your personal law book, that you might view homosexuality as an abomination. And I get that you may view marriage as a sacred God-given ritual that shouldn't be tarnished.

I really do understand HOW people could feel this way.

But -

What I do not understand is how someone then extrapolates that to mean that everyone must live by their belief.

This country has lots of different people - it is how the country was designed.

Our country is full of Christians. And Jews. And atheists. And Muslims. And Wiccans. And a whole lot of people that don't know what to believe.

And this is a good thing. Because our country is all about FREEDOM.

And I am big on freedom. I think freedom is the most important thing. Freedom doesn't just mean that YOU are free to live your life the way you choose. It means that you must stand up for the right for others to live THEIR lives the way they choose as well.

It's easy to support freedom when there is nothing going on that offends you. It's trickier when you are supporting a freedom that you don't personally agree with, morally or otherwise.

I think this is where both the Democrats and Republicans fall short.

The Democrats say "We want freedom!!!! Except not freedom to own guns. And not freedom to profit with a successful business. And not freedom to make our own food choices for our children. And not freedom to fly certain flags that we may not agree with. And not freedom to teach creationism as one of many theories for how our world came to be."

And the Republicans say "We want freedom!!!! Except not freedom for gays to marry. And not freedom to make our own reproductive choices. And not freedom to smoke pot! And not freedom to teach evolution as one of many theories for how our world came to be."

It's easy to support freedoms you agree with.
It's trickier to support freedoms you don't agree with.

So back to gay marriage.

Even IF someone thinks it is disgusting and wrong and immoral... Why do YOUR beliefs dictate what is right for everyone? This is what baffles me. You can say "God says it is wrong and we must follow God." But.... there are lots of things God says are wrong that we do. How many Christians divorce? How many Christians re-marry? How many Christians have affairs? None of this is against the LAW of our country.

So why this one sticking point?

Why gay marriage? What will happen if gays are allowed to marry?

For those who are not gay, life will go on as usual. Your marriage will mean the same thing it always meant. If God was the center of your marriage, it will continue to be so. If your church and community are God-focused, it will continue to be so. Your church will not be forced to marry gay people.

For those who are gay, you will now have the same options that every other American enjoys. You can continue to stay single, or you can commit to someone you love. And that commitment will mean that you will receive the benefits that other married Americans have. You can put your partner on your health insurance. You can file taxes jointly. You become a FAMILY, so that you and your partner are legally responsible for each other. You can stand before your family and friends (and God - because there ARE gay people who believe in God) and profess your love for each other.

There is nothing dirty or disgusting here. It's all about LOVE. Your mind doesn't have to immediately go to what happens in the bedroom, because there is much more to a relationship than that. I mean, is sex the only important thing in your marriage? Doesn't it mean something to know that there is someone who will always be by your side, who you can walk through life with, and who is connected to you? Doesn't it mean something to know that the law recognizes your connection with this person, and that you are responsible for each other?

Why deny another adult that experience just because he/she happens to be attracted to the same sex?

It's about FREEDOM.

Gay marriage doesn't DIRECTLY HARM anyone.

And it's about equality. We should all be treated the same under the law. PERIOD. And if you do not support someone else's right to equality and freedom, it is only a matter of time until someone will be trying to take away a freedom that means a lot to YOU. We must all stand up for FREEDOM - no matter our personal views on an issue.