How does a civil union undermine marriage?

[Maraya1969]

Just in case anyone wants to email these "lawyers" with a question or three their addresses are at the bottom.

Personally what undermined my marriage was ME and MY HUSBAND!




ADF: Be not fooled, Connecticut civil unions undermine marriage

Wednesday, April 20, 2005, 4:34 PM (MST)
ADF Media Relations | 480-444-0020

HARTFORD, Conn.—Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, active in numerous cases involving marriage, domestic partnerships, and civil unions around the country, are calling Connecticut’s decision today to create civil unions for same-sex couples a naïve move that further erodes marriage.

“The governor believes that she can protect marriage by including a statement that says marriage is only between one man and one woman in legislation that creates civil unions for same-sex couples. This is clearly naive, as proven by media reports of homosexual activist groups that are already stating that they intend to continue to push for full-fledged marriage rights,” said Glen Lavy, senior vice president of ADF’s Marriage Litigation Center.

Gov. M. Jodi Rell today signed the bill, which grants same-sex couples all the same benefits of married couples—only without a marriage license—because it contains an amendment stating that marriage under state law would be limited to one man and one woman.

“That amendment does little to protect marriage. Civil unions themselves are an erosion of marriage,” Lavy observed. “Only a constitutional amendment can put marriage out of the reach of activists who seek to use the courts to tamper with the most foundational institution in our society.”

Lavy added, “No one can legitimately conclude that these civil unions are anything but marriage with a different name. No matter what anyone calls it, marriage is, and always will be, a union between a man and a woman.”

Lavy said that ADF will remain vigilant to defend marriage across the country.

“We oppose those who are trying to redefine marriage to mean anything and ultimately nothing,” he said.

For more information on the battle to protect marriage, visit www.domawatch.org.

ADF is America’s largest legal alliance defending religious liberty through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.

www.telladf.org www.domawatch.org

[JanMichael]

1. They don't; that's just horseshit to keep people from thinking

plus it keeps marriage exclusive. What a load of crap, eh?

[Kerrytravelers]

2. How does a civil union undermine marriage? It doesn't.

... unless you're a biggot.

[ComerPerro]

3. Somebody dig into Lavy's past, I bet you will find

an instance of adultery, infidelity, or divorce.

[kentuck]

4. It doesn't but...

it keeps the Repubs in power. So they will continue to say it does so long as they think it works for them...

[HawkerHurricane]

5. I know why they are against it...

It's because they hate the idea of homosexuals even existing; and they wish to deny them the basic rights of human beings.

But this phrase “Civil unions themselves are an erosion of marriage,”... I'm with you: How? How does allowing a gay couple to have a civil union hurt my marraige in any way? It 'niether breaks my leg nor picks my pocket'.

[LostinVA]

6. The thing that gets me is: civil unions ARE marriage

To me, marriage only happens if clergy marries you, if not, it's a civil union. I don't care if it says "Marriage Certificate" or not. Likewise, you go to the STATE to get a marriage license, not a religious authority. A CIVIL AUTHORITY. Thus, it is NOT a religious matter in the least, it is a civil matter, and thus denying this to a citizen is discrimination. That's it/

It's up to the different churches to decide if they want to marry anyone or not. I have no problem with that at all. We shouldn't force churches to do things, and they shouldn't force us. Why don't more people get this???

[Terre]

11. I've never been able to grasp the reasoning. . .

behind this phrase:

“Civil unions themselves are an erosion of marriage.”

Many people look at the word "marriage" to mean the union between a man and woman, sanctified in a CHURCH, and recognized by the state.

A civil union is just a civil ceremony, recognized by the state, and simply confers all the rights & responsibilites that "married" couples enjoy.

How can a "civil union" erode a "marriage"? I don't get it. It's like comparing apples and oranges.

[LostinVA]

13. Exactly -- it's insane! Plus, if your marriage is so weak

That it can't withstand outside forces (no matter how make believe and nonexistent those forces may be), then you have other issues you need to look at...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

7. Simple..they worry their wives will leave them for other women

[LostinVA]

12. Well, I've been with both genders in my time, and women are

HANDS DOWN (in my experience)much better lovers. So all of the Christofacists are right! Deny gays marriage! Lock up your wives! The lesbians are after them... especially the cute ones!!!

[yurbud]

8. straights will be confused, marry same sex by mistake

They think it's going to make being gay more tempting, but whenever I ask a con if seeing gays makes them want to be gay, they say NO! So they must think all their friends are closet cases.

[two gun sid]

9. They don't....

any other answer is bullshit.

[Dervill Crow]

10. Those goofballs need to read Matt. 20:1-16.

Gods, I wish all the people who profess to be Christians and want to apply it to politics would read the bible and think about what it really says!! That's the parable about the workers in the field, and how what one person agrees to do for X-number of deniri doesn't have anything to do with anyone else's agreement.

[ruggerson]

14. The amazing thing

is that many of these groups claimed they only wanted to protect the institution of "marriage" when they pushed various state constitutional amendments.

They claimed quite clearly that they didn't mind the rights and benefits and obligations going to gay and lesbian couples, as long as they didn't use the word marriage.

Now that some states have said ok, we will afford gay couples all the rights and obligations under the law, and we will call them "civil unions", these same religious rightwingers are now backtracking and saying they don't support that either.

Nothing short of death for all gays and lesbians will satisfy the republican religious rightwing.

What gays need is a leader of Martin Luther King proportions, a church man or woman, who can get on the front pages of the newspapers every day and who will fight the fundamentalists on their own turf.

[yurbud]

15. The real reason men oppose gay marriage

By Les Veeryl


Legalizing gay marriage will undermine marriage and family for one simple reason: most men find it extremely difficult remaining heterosexual.

Only cultural pressure forces us to seek the company of women and competition with other men drives us to find the most attractive women, just as it drives us to buy the biggest SUV.

This is also why once we have gone to all the trouble seduce a woman, our sexual encounters are so brutal, brief, and disappointing for the woman. As much as we try not to think about it, it’s just not a man.

Most women become unconsciously aware of this over the course of their marriage, which is why they cut their hair progressively shorter and cultivate the physique of John Madden, hoping the resemblance will catch our eye and rekindle our original feigned passion.

The cultural norm of heterosexuality forces us to channel our desires into sports, so we have the excuse to touch each other in violence that society would not allow in love. As we grow older, this pattern continues with male exclusive outings like golf, hunting, and fishing. Wealthy men feel less of a necessity to preserve the façade of woman lovers and have male only clubs, where than can merrily chat naked in steam rooms and smoke cigars.

It is torture enough to be forced by our wives to watch Will & Grace and Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and see the care-free life of abandoning society’s blind devotion to procreation. I have to remind myself that it’s just a TV show, that there aren’t really people like that in the world.

But what if men were allowed to marry?

That could be enough to push many of us over the edge.

If I knew society would tolerate my true orientation, what would stop me from telling that blonde guy at the club that he looks good in the shower, and then asking him out for more than a beer? And unlike a woman, who requires months of pleading and showering with gifts before sex, another man would gladly give it up in the parking lot on the way to get the beer.

What would make my son, a handsome running back who just started shaving his chest, strive to achieve at school and establish a career if he knew instead he could simply find an older sugar daddy to marry who will shower him with gifts and pedicures?

President Bush has proposed banning gay marriage not out of ignorance prejudice or spite, but personal necessity. On a trip to Canada a while back, he said to the Prime Minister’s press secretary:

Well, you got a pretty face. You got a pretty face. You're a good-looking guy. Better looking than my Scott anyway.Text

More recently, he actually had a gay prostitute pretend to be a reporter in White House press conferences as some sort of role-playing fetish.

If even our president can barely restrain his homosexual impulses, isn’t obvious that a constitutional amendment banning marriage is all that stands between us and a fashion-conscious, color-coordinated, poodle-walking Armageddon?

[Karenina]

16. Truth will out!

:rofl: Brilliant!!!! Just BRILLIANT!!! :thumbsup:

[Withywindle]

21. Genius! Just genius!

That's the only reasonable explanation I've heard yet!

:toast:

[Karenina]

23. Kick

for the extra(ordinary) point!!!

[kweerwolf]

17. Alliance Defense Fund

ADF is a front organization for the religious right and fun-D'uh-MENTAL-ist organizations.

The legal group was established to challenge any progressive laws that that don't fit in with the bible-thumpers' (flat) world view.

[mcscajun]

18. They all yell "undermine, undermine" but not one of them ever says HOW

And nobody interviewing them ever ASKS!


:banghead:

[Dob Bole]

19. By stopping short of it, of course...

We at DU mostly prefer marriage over civil unions.

[tammywammy]

20. It doesn't

now, getting married during a drunken spree in Vegas and getting "annulled" a month or two later, is undermining marriage.

[Az]

22. All problems go back to Moral Relativism vs Absolute Moral Authority

The battle between the left and the religious right is centered around the notion of how we derive morality. We on the left embrace a diverse culture each adding their voice to the communal sense of morality. Even within that structure we allow for a diverse opinion of what is moral and what isn't within certain restrictions (ie don't hurt anyone).

But the Religious Right is struggling to reinstate the moral authority of the Church. The notion that morality is defined by God alone. Absolute moral authority resides in the church by proxy for God.

This is the battle. It is currently deadlocked. The advances of the left have become halted by the zealotry of the religious right. The primary social injustices that we have been able to right have taken hold and have revolutionized our society. Each advance causing stress to those that cling to more fixed systems. Each advance weakening our resolve as the newer cases become less and less obvious to the average person. Eventually equlibrium is found and stasis is brought about.

The homosexual agenda threatens this stasis. If the contention that homosexuality is natural is accepted by society then the progressive march will begin again. Thus the notion that it is a life style choice is demanded by the religious right. The notion of letting them marry undermines everything they are fighting for. It will shift the balance and they will lose their footing once again.

The thing people have to realise is that progressive ideals have been winning for a long time now. The current political situation isn't so much the right suddenly reversing the course as much as it is halting the progress. They certainly want to reverse it but they don't have the clout yet(though this is perilously close). Too many advances have been embraced by too many people. But they can destroy the process by which advances are made and that is exactly what they are doing.

If the homosexual community can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that their condition is natural then the right loses a great deal of position. As long as doubt about the nature of their position remains the left cannot find significant numbers to motivate. Once it is well understood that it is not a choice people will be motivated to push for their rights. And this will knock the wind out of the religious right.

The RR Is desperate. They are a cornered animal and this is what gives them the political might we percieve today. But don't be fooled. The world is changing. The foundations of their belief systems are being peeled away by society and science. They are fighting for their very existance. They are scared. And that is why they have abandoned the social contract and are going for all or nothing.