Dear Cedar J.,

The art of reasoned, intelligent argument is a skill
not easily acquired. I'm still learning,
therefore I do appreciate your honesty and tolerance.

Social conflicts do occur between various groups in
our society - be they between political parties, religions,
racial groups, et cetera. Tensions between such interests
as management and workers, teachers and students, the old
and the young, males and females, bureaucrats and the public,
conservatives and others, pro-life and pro-choice, gay advocates,
and so on. All, are an enduring feature of modern social
life. They all generate change when dissatisfied groups
mobilise their resources in order to get what they want.

New social and cultural arrangements emerge out of this
competittion, with the outcome generally favouring
whatever group has the greatest support (power) in the
interaction.

Only time will tell what the final outcome will be regarding
same-sex marriage in this country. From all indications it
does appear that years down the track we may all be wondering
what all this fuss was all about.

See you on another thread.

Take care.

AFA, for the record, I'm am not a follower of god. My wife is, and I respect her for her beliefs, as I do for all followers who keep their views private, or at least accept that we are not interested. First time they ask.

Of course our conversation is at an end, as you simply don't want to go there anymore.

Quite simply, you won't accept the majorities wishes, and that's for marriage to remain a registered union between a man and a woman.

Now I can bet you one thing, that being had you had the word married sewn up, the rest of us would not be causing such a fuss about it, as we would simply find another word.

Just a pity you lot can't accept that, cause quite frankly, I, along with many others are pretty much over the whole debate.

But good luck in your quest, I sill make sure that I don't support you should you be successful. Along with the majority I would assume.

rehclub,

No hard feelings. May I suggest, if you haven’t already any friendships with gay people, that you might like to consider that as a course of action.

Another would be to express your views on the AFA Forums http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/index.php

All you need to do is introduce yourself and then start a thread outlining your thoughts about gay marriage. You will need to be truthful and accurate as the AFA Forums is known for its extensive use of critical thought.

Good luck.

David

AFA, you seem to have formed the opinion that I hate gays. I don't!

I don't approve of what they do, but I don't hate them, nor do I interfere.

My only objection here is that the married word be left alone and that should gays feel the need to be a recognized couple, by all means do so as I will not oppose that, but as I have said repedidly, the married word is taken, so find another and all this fuss and frustration will simply go away.

As for my medical point, again, I don't discriminate against gays, as I am a firm believer that if anyone is being treated for a preventable illness, not an accident, but an illness, then why should the public purse pay for this.

rehclub,

“AFA, you seem to have formed the opinion that I hate gays. I don't!”

I’d rather you didn’t put words in my mouth. It is your dislike of gay sex that has upset your sensibilities. You disguise this with trying to make a case that gays should be in the user pays category and then justify it with obesity etc.

This is so like the Christian rubbish of ‘hate the sin but love the sinner.’ That is nonsense of course with them and with you.

You have the right to be offended but you don’t have any intrinsic right to use that self-inflicted or culturally inspired offence in affecting the lives of others. Learn to live with it.

Don’t look now but you are displaying obvious signs of bigotry. You stand in judgement of what other people can do with their genitalia as though that is all that same sex marriage is about.

To you it is ‘us and them’ and that is the perfect storm for creating a prejudicial method which partly retains the oppression of same sex oriented people.

The word married is not yours to keep and this is just another way to separate heterosexual people from homosexual people, again, in the ‘us and them’ categories.

Thankfully your opinions are in the minority, not that human rights and equality are about opinion.

Just imagine for a moment you were gay, what would you think of the heterosexual you and your ideas? Please answer this.

I really am tiring of your hurt feelings concerning gay sex and the cost of medical assistance.

To me is shows a cultural blindness or some other deeper problem.

David

AFA I have gone over a few of my posts. Now while I said I had not mentioned anal sex, I was not referring to gay relationships among men. After all, what other forms are available.

On second thought, please don't enlighten me.

Now if I miss led you on this, please accept my apologies, as it was nit my intentions.

Now I have done a little research, and it appears that the main risk of anal sex in gay men is the weakening of the passage, something that can cause major problems down the track. Sorry about the pun!

Now your whole argument (with me) is based on your assumption that I hate gays. I don't.

Now, off topic a bit, do you think it is fair enough for a sufferer of emphysema, having heavily smoked all their life, despite being warned time and time again about the serious risks, should be entitled to the same, subsidized medical treatment, given that they having knowingly inflicted self harm.

I don't, and that's my opinion, pretty harsh, I know, but it's how I feel.

It's also the reason why health/life/trauma insurance is much higher for these people, if available at all.

In fact, I recall being asked if I were involved in a same sex relationship when recently changing providers.

Don't you think there's a message in that? Not only gays, but any form of self harm.

Why do private companies place restrictions, while the tax payer has to accept that free treatment for self harm as a given right.?

BTW, I don't think I am in the minority on gay marriage either.

What typically happens in these situations,where there is a strong minded minority group involved, is that while 100% of gays voice their opinions on gay marriage, many non gays simply don't allow the topic to occupy any of their time, hence, the ratio of voters is distorted.

Now you can agree on that, or object, it doesn't worry me either way.

As for me assuming I'm gay, thanks, but I'm simply not interested.