To those who argue for tolerance:
If I decide I want to marry my dog, and have all the associated recognitions.
The current law(s) will say no-can't do.
As weird as it may sound to the ‘bigots’ that may be my/our thing.
Why am I/we being discriminated against?
If my dog & I are consensual, would you countenance such a union being recognized by law with all the trimmings?

Angela, nice post. Self interest is something worth keeping in mind when we consider the implications of Government's playing favourites.

As for it not happening in Australia - as a "Child support payer" I've seen it happening here. Well meaning intentions designed to help worst case scenarios contributing to a much greater wrong. Kids being kept from parents to help the other parent maximise benefits and one parent being penalised because of the choices of another. An agency with a formula and no ability to take cause into account. Add to that the damage done by Nicholsens "Family Court". Governments just don't do that stuff well.

Hamlet, thanks for taking a saner christian approach than most.

Martin_C - some can change their viewpoints. There are those who will not let any weight of evidence change their viewpoints but others actually seek the truth. I used to be a lot more homophobic than I am now - a variety of reasons including former religious beliefs, a period in boarding school, the need to use public toilets regularly in my old job and a lack of understanding that the mardi gras does not represent the norm for homosexuals. I think that there is benefit in "normal" homosexuals letting straights understand that they exist, in particular I have really appreciated some of David_JS's posts duing the times that he has been active on the site. A counterpoint to holes in toilet walls and TV images of a bunch of guys flashing butt cheeks in Sydney needs to be out there to help those willing to learn.

R0bert

Hamlet
This is getting wierd.

The only way to learn about an institution [like marriage] is through writing.

writing originated in the 3rd millenium BCE in Mesopotamia.

So marriage has NO record stretching back 20,000 generations. We don't know what prehistoric people did.

All we have are old bones & examples of their funerary rites. That's it!

Please learn something about history BEFORE you make an argument based on it.

Ah Bosk, You seem to be peddling your own myths.

Of the animals in the wild that we see doing homosexual acts, how many are exclusively homosexual?

Since we see animals killing each other and their young in the wild, obviously this also is natural and so we should allow that too! Such fine logic you have....

As to your question to me, it is nonsensical. Essentially you are saying if homosexuality wasn't homosexuality would I have a problem with it.

As I said before, hetero and homo sexual people have exactly the same rights when it comes to marriage. Neither is allowed to marry anyone they want. Both are allowed to marry exactly the same categories of people.

Alan, "As I said before, hetero and homo sexual people have exactly the same rights when it comes to marriage. Neither is allowed to marry anyone they want. Both are allowed to marry exactly the same categories of people."

Logic but the kind of double speak that does not do credit to you.

To give a parallel

Some of your fellow christains go to great pains to emphasise the lack of religious freedom in muslim countries for non-muslims (I note that you seem to stay out of the general mossie bashing). Using the logic you have applied to this argument it can be argued that christains have exactly the same religious freedoms as muslims in those countries. The right to worship Allah and to win converts to the muslim faith. I doubt that many christains would consider that equality in religious freedom.

Mostly your posts seem to be much more honest than is portrayed by that comment on this issue, where did this double speak come from?

R0bert

My question is? WHO LET THEM OUT OF THE CLOSET TO BEGIN WITH? Homosexuality is no normal act. For those of you that think it is, you have a chemical imbalance in your brains. It does not take a genius to work out what the rectum is for: Its function is to store stool temporarily, until your body is ready to eliminate it. Eliminate: To leave out or omit from consideration; reject. Do you read that? REJECT. Now I ask. How would a car exhaust work if you were to force an object up it? I can tell you, it would block up and explode. Like the exhaust the rectum, is for outtake, now please explain to me how you call this homosexual act normal? God created Adam and Eve (NOT Adam and Steve)

But what the hell, Marriage is worth nothing these days; why not make it more of a joke?

And as for same sex parents: How selfish are you? Do you understand what sort of predicament you are putting the child in? The teasing and humiliation it will cop all through childhood and school