I support what David has written.

Over the last thirty years of so both sides of government have by legislation and administrative action weakened the family.

Some of these issues are;
- No fault divorce
- Legalisation of homosexual acts between consenting adults in Australia and its Territories
- Financial support of unmarried mothers
- Establishment of Relationship Registers (Tasmania and Queensland and ??)
- Abortion on demand (Victoria)
- Legalisation of prostitution.

If the Marriage Act is ammended to allow "same sex marriage" this will be another knife in the heart of the family.

Kipp, why should gay people have equality but then deny equality to children?

Unless you're willing to argue that 8 year olds should be allowed to marry and that polygamy should be allowed, then you must admit that marriage laws will still not provide equality for all people, even when gay marriage is allowed. You must admit that the laws will still be discriminatory after gay marriage is allowed.

I don't see any reason to privilege gays over polygamists and 8 year olds, therefore I think the most sensible approach is to continue having laws that are in keeping with the traditional purposes for marriage, and the purposes that best serve society as a whole. That is, one man and one woman.

Trav, 8 year olds are not legally consenting adults. Hence, they cannot be married. Dredging up stupid strawman arguments like that is as good as admitting that you don't have a logical leg to stand on.

progressive pat - please tell me where, exactly, in the Bible does *Jesus* say that same-sex marriage is not allowed?

Clownfish, please stay on the point at hand.

Whether we're talking 8 year olds or "minors" more generically, the point remains exactly the same. As it does for polygamists.

Why should homo's get privileged above those groups?

Why DO you think the marriage laws didn't apply to ALL people EQUALLY in the first place?

@ Clownfish,

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest part or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” (Matthew 5:17)

Clearly, it was Jesus' view that traditional marriage was the way to go. But, the issue isn't what Jesus believed, the issue is what will the progressive left have Christians believe about the concept of marriage? Can the left allow people to have freedom of religion in the 21st century, or is religion an impediment to their utopian vision of the future?

>>Why DO you think the marriage laws didn't apply to ALL people EQUALLY in the first place?<<

Difficult to completely answer, Trav, in the absence of any qualifiers from you...

but the ostensible answer is because in the first place women, children, slaves as well as some categories of males were excluded from being regarded as legally entitled people.