We have Obama's NDAA,Preventative detention,Patriot Act,endless illegal wars, Global warming lies,GFC theft with the most base corruption and the hot topic is Gay Marriage?

Just shows how conditioned by the pop media our humanity in the West has become.We make Pavlov's dogs look intelligent.

Stop wriggling, Chris C. It is not a good look.

>>Pericles, Marriage is a contract that some people break. That does not change the meaning of the contract when it was agreed.<<

Let's see how close that is to your original.

>>Marriage is the exclusive and life-long union of one man and one woman...<<

No mention of a contract. And from my limited knowledge of the subject, a "contract" in the sense that most people understand it, is not a prerequisite to marriage.

"contract n. an agreement with specific terms between two or more persons or entities in which there is a promise to do something in return for a valuable benefit known as consideration."

Nope. That doesn't fit, does it. These damn words, they never seem to do what you want, do they.

The only contract that occasionally exists is where one or the other establishes what is commonly called a "pre-nuptial agreement". The interesting aspect of this is that it anticipates the possibility that the "life-long union" might not actually be what is advertised on the packaging.

In which case, can these people be described as married, according to your definition of the word? Or have they, too, "hijacked" it to describe something different entirely?

Awful lot of hijacking going on. Too much, I think, to be a simple conspiracy on the part of homosexual couples, don't you think?

In fact, we might validly add this to your - already splendid - list, Alan Austin.

11. A man and a woman in a sanctioned union, where one party has predetermined the actions that will take place at the termination of said sanctioned union.

Words are funny things, aren't they.

Just think of the thousands of different meanings that the word "god" has to different people. And how many millions have died, solely as the result of their individual interpretation.

Perhaps we should ban words.

The only social reasons they want is the benefits that go with marriage. Union is the right term, not marriage.
What about gay divorce, and gay separation.
You are talking about a whole set of rules that have-not been thought of yet.
Stick to being undercover wooly woofs.

579 You seem to know a lot about nothing, especially when it comes to the love and happieness of two people.
Your leader Julia Gillard will be very pleased with you!!

I find it extraordinary that we're even having to
have this conversation in our society today when
marriage means so many different things people.
Who has the right to tell consenting adults who to love
and who ro marry. It certainly should not be the State,
or for that matter Churches interfering in people's
private matters (who to love, marry, how to vote and so forth).

Why do we as a society allow this nonsense.

Pericles, the bottom line is, the marriage word is taken, find another.

As for cheating on ones marriage, that's another issue and does not mean this man and woman are not married, rather, they have failed to respect their vows that so many don't take seriously, which is a shame