Too many points to tit for tat, but Carl, we've had this discussion before under a different context.

The point is this: nobody has a direct line to ask God what he thinks about gay marriage or anything else. Religion is something you're brought up with, or you pick one and follow it, or you decide to believe in; it requires *faith*, which by definition means you decide to believe it even though it's not something you can reach out and touch. It's something you believe for yourself. There are many different great religions, and in this country it's your civil right to follow any, all, or none of them.

Christians believe all kinds of things that people who follow other religions don't believe, and vice versa. If it's against your idea of Christianity to have gay sex, then nobody is forcing you to have gay sex. You're free to disapprove of or dislike gay people, just as there's no law you have to like black people. You can believe whatever ridiculous nonsense you want. It's your right.

But it's not your right to interfere with other peoples' equal right to live their lives the way they choose. That's what's happening here. There's nothing noble about practicing intolerance just because it's part of your primitive, anachronistic bastardation of one of the world's great religions. So no, Carl, George Bush's principles are a big pile of **** to me. Never mind that this is all a cynical ploy.

And yes, Mogandus, I am sure it's a civil right. We're confusing two things here: the right for gay couples to have the same legal benefits heterosexual couples have - a civil right, not a religious one - and a "religious" ceremony (in quotes, because I'm married and not religious).