Now, you don't see where changing that to be a male and a male, or a female and a female as forcing everyone to accept that Marriage, no longer means or stands for what it did for literally thousands of years of human history?
I don't see anyone changing it to
be a male and a male or a female and a female. I see people trying to get the definition to
include those unions, but I've yet to hear anyone trying to get it to
be defined as those types of unions.
I also see no way to force people to accept these marriages. I see an effort to get the government to recognize them, but people would still be free to accept them as they please.
Perhaps that is where the disconnect is. I do not understand your position because I don't see how the government recognizing something impacts the indivdual as being "forced to accept" something.
For example, the government recognizes second marriages that occur after the first marriage ends in divorce as "legitimate" marriages. I personally do not recognize these marriages as legitimate because the oath made at marriage is for life. If my wife were to divorce me for some reason, I would still consider my oath of marriage as binding for me. I would not get re-married as I would find this type of relationship to be illegitimate. Call it a throwback to my Irish upbringing (Divorce was illegal in Ireland until the mid 90's).
But that's my own personal ethos. I do not expect anyone else to adhere to these rules I have contrived. Nor am I forced to accept other people's choices as legitimate.
YES I know Polygamy is in the past, and Marriage hasn't ALWAYS been as we consider it, but it has been for the life of the USA. That's pretty serious stuff to go changing don't you think?
Why is it serious stuff? If Ireland, which actually had to amend it's constitution to allow for legalized divorce can make
that major change, why can't we make a similar change here in the US?
Regardless of what a persons views are regarding same-sex marriages, it's pretty obvious that divorce is a far greater threat to the sanctity of marriage than SSM is.
I find this opinion that "well how is it forcing anything on anyone to change marriage" to be such a dishonest position.
That's a question, not an opinion. The opinion that was rendered was yours, and that opinion was that it
is forcing something upon you. I was asking for an explanation of that opinion so that I could understand why you think that it forces something upon you.
I ask because I am a prime example of someone who holds
very strong opinions on what marriage is and what it should not be. Even though the government is currently recognizing marriages that are not in adherence to my own personal philosophy and morality, it clearly does not force me to accept these marriages in any way.
And I think it's intentionally dishonest, a naive question that seems to honest, and innocent, gee how does it hurt your marriage if two guys marry eh?? Completely ignores the purpose, tradition and reason for Marriage in favor of a political agenda. It IS forcing the country to CHANGE what it means to be married. Period. That's forcing all of us to accept something we may not agree with.
This doesn't answer my question though. It merely restates the same thing that spurred the question. How are you being forced to accept these marriages?