To: one_less who wrote (469976 ) 4/9/2009 4:30:02 PM From: tejek Read Replies (1) | Respond to The honored institution of marriage provides a sense of meaning and motivation to people who value a definition of community built of family and the core values that embody that. It provides a clear and decent avenue to replace societal members who are raised and educated according to the family and community values that help to define a principled life and society at large. There are other ways to do that but traditional core families is a tried and true method. It provides the expectation of a shared and complimentary nurturing of individuals who would be strong enough and competent enough to replace existing members, and to promote the values structure for generations to come. There is nothing dishonorable about any of that and no one is excluded. It is an open invitation to participate according to the qualifiers, mature adult human beings who choose to start and promote that lifestyle. Other options are available, stay single, live in adult groupings, etc etc. As much as single people complain that it isn't fair for married people to have such a rich and rewarding life, calling singles married or calling other groupings married does not make them the same or offer the same rewards. Single people have other rewards, more free independent time etc. As much as gays complain about straights having something different, calling themselves married does not make them the same as straights, nor does it offer the same rewards. It is only an attempt to deny straights what they can't have as gays. But when you try to deny my right to an identity, because they don't like the stigma of their difference, you offend me.
