Marriage! What is the fuss?

As a devout conservative and christian, I do feel the government is handling the marriage issue very badly. While I do not believe being gay is natural (take an anatomy lesson if you disagree), I do not think I have the right to judge the moral opinions of others. I feel that if two people love each other, they should be afforded the right to have a legal partnership with all of the rights of opposite sex couples. The bible does not teach us to look down on a segment of society. It teaches us to love our neighbors even if we do not agree with their lifestyle. Does being gay make someone lesser of a person? Does being straight make us superior to others? No, it does not. Until we learn to be an inclusive society, we will continue to argue and take sides.

My solution to the whole issue is to set forth legislation where all government entities would issue a "Right To Civil Union" certificate. If a couple chooses to use a justice of the peace, they will have a Civil Union ceremony. If they go to a church, they can call it a Marriage ceremony (and yes, there are many churches who accept same sex couples). This is a moral issue and the government should not legislate our moral issues.

In case you are wondering, my former bowling partner was gay and is the sole reason for helping get my first date with my wife. We have had this discussion and both understand where we stand. We have much respect for our opinions without getting into heated arguments.

We need to learn to stop arguing with each other and taking stands. We need to listen to each other to find a common ground in hopes of building a stronger society.