Renew debate over rights of same-sex partners

The California Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry.

[Italiano Brah]

It is a very sad day when man decides that marriage with the same gender is alright.
The well-known Biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah reveals God’s feelings about homosexuality. Our Creator established rules governing marriage long before governments began regulating the institution. The opening book of the Bible tells us:“A man will leave his father and his mother and he must stick to his wife and they must become one flesh.” The Hebrew word “wife,” according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words,“connotes one who is a female human being.” Jesus confirmed that those yoked together in marriage should be “male and female.

[Whatever]

Hey Brah, The Bible also allows slavery, death for adultery and working on the sabbath etc etc. To allow a 3000 year old book define today's civil rights is an outrage. Gay marriaage is simply a civil rights issue, pursuit of happiness, as stated in the constitution. If marriage is so sanctimonious, you should be working to stop divorce, not love between couples.

[Inquring Minds]

Another example of Unelected officials (Actives Judges) who "LEGISLATE" from the BENCH! It seems like they know exactly what the people need! Overriding the will of the people! Too much power is given to the Judicial Branch!

[keonaona]

People are so afraid of civil rights for the gay people. Why? Does it affect you somehow? Why shouldn't they have inheritance rights and so on? Love should have no stipulations.

[willie]

So Italian Brah you follow the bible to the letter?

"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)

"...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)

But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:10)**that would be shrimp and lobster***

"They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination." (Leviticus 11:11)

Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45)

"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people." (Leviticus 20:18)

"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)

[Dennis]

Once the ceremony is over and the cake is eaten and the family and friends go back to their normal routines, marriage is nothing more than a contract between two people.

A scientific theory of the cities of Soddom and Gemorrah was that a meteor either exploded above or hit the area. There are two craters that have been found on the border of Jordon and Saudi Arabia where the two cities were supposed to have been. I guess god hated those 80 million trees in Tunguska, Siberia when he sent a meteor to kill everything that lived in the area. Pesky chipmonks. What good where they anyway.

[Mike Hu]

I think the editors of the Honolulu newspapers are entitled to all the same-sex marriages they want.

[kira_girl]

There are two types of laws. One is regulatory and the other moral. Regulatory is like the traffic lights. Green you proceed and red you stop. There is no moral or ethics affiliated with the traffic lights. Marriage laws are moral. That is, we (the people) have beliefs and feelings regarding marriage. If we feel marriage should be between a man and woman, then we should adopt laws that reflect that. California constitution does not define marriage as Hawaii did. The people of Hawaii have spoken.

[kamaaina in training]

Gay people should be allowed to make the same mistakes straight people have been making for centuries.

[steve]

Californians had already voted to forbid same sex marriage (aka bilious queerieness), but as has been the case, politicians and hand wringing liberal judges merely ignore the will of the people. Freedom is slipping away.

[steve]

Note to Star: In your haste to misunderstand the English language. you sensored ess ee exx, a three letter word indicating gender, for four asterisks, which indicate stupidity. Good going!

[steve]

Oops . . .censored, with a cee, not an ess.

[Jerry Okamura]

Sitting on the fence?

[In all Fairness]

kira_girl:

There is no such thing as regulatory and moral law. Law is law.

You may be among those that do not believe that gay couples should have equal rights as heterosexual couples; however, you need to keep in mind that there are also those that beleive otherwise. Let's not forget that laws should reflect the latter group's beleifs as well. Having said that, Hawaii as a whole has not spoken. No one should claim that an entire state is against same-sex marriage.

Since there will always be two camps of people, the 'system' leaves it to the high courts to make a final decision on controversial laws. That makes sense. And in doing that the high courts simply determines if constitutional rights have been violated. Morals do not get caught up in the mix at the hight courts. That said, the high courts' decisions are more or less sound--from a legal point of view.

We ought not focus on the lives of those who do not directly affect us lest we lose focus of our own and fall off track.

[Starvn Marvn]

America = Sodom/Gomorrah. Sex on tv,in the movies,in the schools,in the churches, in the government. Sex,sex,sex! One day a meteor will fall on America, too!

[Yes]

What's wrong with gay marriage? I don't know and I don't like it! However, two females in romp sounds exciting!

[midnight rambler]

Hey, just look at the precendents. I mean, after they allowed gay marriage in Massachusetts, look what a catastrophe that place turned into!

Oh wait, I forgot...nothing happened at all. It's still a "family values" state, with a much lower divorce rate than Hawaii or any place in the South or Midwest that's banned gay marriage. Never mind.

[Joe Blow]

IF "same sex marriage" or "domestic relationships" are legalized we should do the same for men who want to legalize their relationships with more than one woman (polygamy) and, in the interests of equal opportunity, also for any women who want to legalize their relationships with more than one man (polyandry).

There are many places in the world where polygamy is legal and recognized today, and others (like Utah) where it exists semi-openly. People who embrace the concept of "cultural diversity" for America should be rushing the support the rights of those whose diverse cultures include polygamy, and also the rights of those Americans who want to make polygamy part of American culture.

So, yes, homosexuals of both genders should have the opportunity to enter into legally recognized partnerships.

But, if we are going to change the legal and long-standing definition of "marriage" here in America from "One man, one woman" to something more inclusive of "non-traditional (American) lifestyles" we should make a clean sweep in our break with tradition and legalize polygamy as well.

It is the logical course of action if we are going to dump the traditional defination of "One man, one woman" -- culturally sensitive to those of "alternative lifestyles" be they homosexuals and in the best traditional of "cultural diversity" as well.

[Francine]

Two issues here: The will of the people and the definition of marriage.

The will of the people has been that the definition of marriage is between one man, and one woman.

Not between one man and another man,or a woman and a woman, a man and his daughter, a man and his dog, a woman and her father, cousin, sister, a man and a boy, a man and 10 wives. Once we go down this slippery slope where does it end?

[sli]

What I want to know is where the hard lines are drawn. If gay marriage is legalized than what forms of perversion are prohibited? Is adult-child sex ok? Rape? Where does society draw the line?

More and more, we are hearing that what we used to regard as perverted or even criminal is the result of genes or upbringing or environment. So where does free will come in? Is it ok for me to murder my neighbor because it is natural to be pissed off? When do people return to taking responsibility for their actions?