Hate to rain on your parade, Dr Dave, but the cat is out already out of the bag on this one. Separation and divorce - deliberately depriving children of one of their biological parents - have been legal for quite some time now. Maybe you missed the memo.

You've really got to feel for the sick and injured of Toowoomba... bad enough to be crook, but to be then have to be treated by a clown like this? I thought doctors were supposed to be intelligent.

Is Mise, a chara. Go raibh maith mile agat!

Despite centuries of British propaganda, especially the perennial Irish joke, the Irish people are not stupid. Docile to an unhealthy degree maybe, but not stupid.

Despite their scepticism about this referendum, they were more than happy to opportunistically rise to the bait to show the world they are not a nation of backward papists.

This thread encapsulates the reality of the same sex “marriage” debacle.
There is no such thing as same sex marriage, as marriage can only be between a man and a woman.
The relationships between homosexuals do not constitute marriage, and they have yet to come up with a word for such “unions”.
The baseless demands for “equality” are made in spite of the fact that everyone has an equal right to marriage, and marriage is between a man and a woman.
If same sex couples want a right to form a socially recognized relationship, then let them specify the nature of such a relationship, and what it is to be called, and seek recognition of it.
Our society need not be re-engineered to meet the demands of a minority. The minority needs to mould itself to the reality of the society of which it wishes to be a part. The hijacking of words that are already taken, like “gay” and “marriage”, needs to stop.

David’s article is quite reasonable, and those attacking it do so, without any rational basis, by puerile name calling, like: “dinosaur”,”fossilized”, “15th century”,”medieval”. There is even scurrilous and baseless criticism of David’s professional ability.Such is the base level of some of those opposed to David’s reason based views.
A J Phillips says he has not seen a valid argument against same sex marriage. He has now, unless he averts his eyes from the above. I have yet to see a valid argument in favour of it.

Leo, I don't doubt his medical ability, I doubt his ability to make ethically-demanding decisions.

Let's face it, Mengele was an excellent doctor...

Leo

I tend to agree with you. The word marriage is taken. Let's call the union by another name but on equal legal terms so both unions enjoy the same prerogatives under the law.

I'm puzzled about all the hoo-ha over recognition of same sex marriage. Is there anyone on this list, or known to anyone on this list, whose traditional heterosexual marriage would suffer to the slightest degree if the term marriage were extended to same sex couples in Australia? Or are those who feel threatened by it freaks who bust a gut to run other people's lives?

Without having a dog in this particular race I am especially delighted by two aspects of the Irish referendum. The first is that it is a kick in the teeth for the Church of Rome. The second is that democracy has spoken on an issue in the only way it can - at the ballot box. We should consider introducing democracy to Australia. If we had had it in 1999 we would not be saddled with a regressive Theft Tax on all purchases of goods and services.