Shame on you, NC

[TrueFaith77]

Originally Posted by HejiraNYC

You are erroneously conflating "religious values" with "moral values." Are you saying that people who are not religious and have not been subject to "religious teachings" are somehow incapable of forming a sense of right and wrong? We are a nation/society of laws guided by a constitution that stresses the importance of personal freedom, personal responsibility, freedom of/from religion and equality (well... only if you include all of the amendments that have been made over the past couple hundred years). As an American, it is your duty to uphold the spirit of the U.S. Constitution when you enter the voting booth- that is your moral compass.

Civil marriage is strictly a legal construct that confers certain legal privileges and responsibilities between two people and their families- nothing more and nothing less. Nothing religious about it. I'm not sure why this should differ depending on whether the marriage is between same sex or mixed gender couples. How is same sex marriage not "marriage?"

I did not say that. I asked a question, not a rhetorical question. Some people get it from religion. Some people get it from philosophy. Some people get it from Fleetwood Mac. I don't care where they get it from. Your vote can be placed for whatever reason you want; it doesn't even have to be based on right and wrong--and even if it is, we don't have to come to the same conclusions. Don't put words in my mouth. All I did was ask questions.

I agree with your definition of Civil Marriage. I'm against Civil Marriage. But I only have one vote. And I'm at peace that others feel differently about Civil Marriage than I do--and enough feel differently that it is an existing instituion. That being said: what defines a Civil Marriage is decided by the democratic process, and some people within that process will vote according to values that define Marriage as being between a man and a woman. Obviously there are differing viewpoints even on that point. The question about whether or not the definition of Marriage can be decided by the democratic process may someday be brought to the courts--and I will comply with the courts' decisions. But I won't begrudge ANYONE from voting their conscious--whether for or against.