The contract covers the act the same as possesion of property is covered by an agreement. The contract is not the act of posession, similarly with marriage the contract is not the marriage, but merely a symbolic written definition of the actual marriage.

You are obsessed with laws and not the reality that the laws cover. Typical immature law student - Reality is not laws. Laws merely cover a reality.

Typical response of a myopic fundamentalist. I am neither young nor a student of law. I am a 58 year old pragmatist, a Humanist and married for 34 years with 3 almost adult children.

You, on the other hand, believe the world is only 4,500 years old, evolution is the work of Satan, everyone was killed in a flood 3,500 years ago (actually a tidal effect caused by the Minoan eruption) and that in the Rapture (or whatever you call it), the faithful will physically rise to Heaven. Alas, Babylon!

Please, Phil ... you may be on some mission for some god, but the self-righteousness is killing us!

Good luck to you ... and your poor, long suffering female sexual union partner.

Randall,
I am a 71 year old Grandfather of four almost adult children. Married to a committed wife.

Sorry mate!
I am not a fundamentalist as you imagine.
I do not believe in a Young Earth theory.
I do not believe in a being of Satan. In fact I have written volumes against the current Catholic concept of such, all defended by scriptural text.
I DO believe in a widespread flood in the Indus Valley 3,500 years ago.
I do not believe in a restoration of Eden or a physical bodily resurrection.

You said "Please, Phil ... you may be on some mission for some god, but the self-righteousness is killing us!"

Is that a flag of SURRENDER?

By the way I am not the author Phil!

Philo,

If it is only the action that matters and the law is of so little consequence, why are you so threatened by the possibility of a minor change to a law which you freely acknowledge has no meaning or importance?

The Acolyte Rizla,
You want to redefine the term of the act of marriage between a man and a woman to mean the same as any sexual relationship of person over the age of 18 to include homosexuality.

Marriage is the only term to define an exclusive lifelong sexual relationship between a man and a woman. Homosexuality does not define that term, nor is homosexuality defined by the term marriage.

The law defines and identifies terms for the protection of the parties involved.

Philo,

So the law does matter after all? Can you do me a favour, and make up your bloody mind?