Peter, reading your work makes me realize I am a closet Libertarian posing as a Conservative 😁 One topic needed in this blog - unless I missed it - is that of Registered Domestic Partnership (RDP). I believe that stays confers some of the contractual advantages of marriage. The Woke corporation I worked for until a decade ago recognized that in its benefits package.
I used to argue for the "civil union" as a stepping stone measure, figuring that it'd make acceptance come about more quickly.
For it to be legit, it'd have to confer *all* the contractual advantages of marriage.
But, ultimately, it's about ownership of the word, and I'm getting into some debates on FB right now about that.
And, to create a difference between "married" and RDP as you put it is to create separate classes and perpetuate a sense of "wrongness" about being gay. That's all born of religious dogma that's been inculcated into people.
The Left has gone completely overboard on LGBTetc matters, and the fringe activists have created rifts therein, but that shouldn't change the premise that we should treat every individual equally, and we should not alter our views because some loons have gone too far.
Oh, and welcome to the dark side :). Tis a turbulent place.
“The correct answer to the marriage issue is to get government out of it …” Your comment - which pretty much sums up my position on this issue. My Church teaches that marriage is a sacramental bond between a man and a woman and God. The government has no business meddling in that. Studies show that children born into a family created/headed by the child’s’ biological parents do best, in terms of stability. The simple fact of shared genetics sets up that bond. This is not to say that adopted children don’t do well, or that all biological children have no problems. Even in the lower animal kingdoms, however, biological parents of offspring are partial to their own progeny. That being said - other than the care and raising of children, the loving commitment of one adult human being to another should be a covenant between those two people. The State needs to stay out of these adult relationships, EXCEPT when the welfare of children is at risk. Governmental interference in marriage relationships has brought nothing but hassle and heartbreak. I believe what my Church teaches about the sacramental bond of marriage, and I do my best to live according to my beliefs. Guess I am libertarian-leaning, but mostly I look to my faith for the best answers.
As an aside, Panos the Greek physics student from Crete told me that my cousin’s hubby’s last name Floros can translate as “wimp”. 😲 When I told her that, she quickly replied that Floros is a shortening of the original Florakos 😁
Even better reading today, in light of current events, than when I read it previously. (*Gratuitously announces long time readership status.) Truly, this goes in the "Nunya" File as regards the Federal government.
Peter, reading your work makes me realize I am a closet Libertarian posing as a Conservative 😁 One topic needed in this blog - unless I missed it - is that of Registered Domestic Partnership (RDP). I believe that stays confers some of the contractual advantages of marriage. The Woke corporation I worked for until a decade ago recognized that in its benefits package.
I used to argue for the "civil union" as a stepping stone measure, figuring that it'd make acceptance come about more quickly.
For it to be legit, it'd have to confer *all* the contractual advantages of marriage.
But, ultimately, it's about ownership of the word, and I'm getting into some debates on FB right now about that.
And, to create a difference between "married" and RDP as you put it is to create separate classes and perpetuate a sense of "wrongness" about being gay. That's all born of religious dogma that's been inculcated into people.
The Left has gone completely overboard on LGBTetc matters, and the fringe activists have created rifts therein, but that shouldn't change the premise that we should treat every individual equally, and we should not alter our views because some loons have gone too far.
Oh, and welcome to the dark side :). Tis a turbulent place.
“The correct answer to the marriage issue is to get government out of it …” Your comment - which pretty much sums up my position on this issue. My Church teaches that marriage is a sacramental bond between a man and a woman and God. The government has no business meddling in that. Studies show that children born into a family created/headed by the child’s’ biological parents do best, in terms of stability. The simple fact of shared genetics sets up that bond. This is not to say that adopted children don’t do well, or that all biological children have no problems. Even in the lower animal kingdoms, however, biological parents of offspring are partial to their own progeny. That being said - other than the care and raising of children, the loving commitment of one adult human being to another should be a covenant between those two people. The State needs to stay out of these adult relationships, EXCEPT when the welfare of children is at risk. Governmental interference in marriage relationships has brought nothing but hassle and heartbreak. I believe what my Church teaches about the sacramental bond of marriage, and I do my best to live according to my beliefs. Guess I am libertarian-leaning, but mostly I look to my faith for the best answers.
Thanks, Peter, well reasoned and stated.
As an aside, Panos the Greek physics student from Crete told me that my cousin’s hubby’s last name Floros can translate as “wimp”. 😲 When I told her that, she quickly replied that Floros is a shortening of the original Florakos 😁
Even better reading today, in light of current events, than when I read it previously. (*Gratuitously announces long time readership status.) Truly, this goes in the "Nunya" File as regards the Federal government.
“The Nunya File” is a great blog post title…
I look forward to reading it!