But it is their business because with civil marriage comes certain legal rights dealing with things like joint property, tax, inheritance or intestacy, legal privilege in civil or criminal proceedings...there art issues here in which government has an interest.
We need to 'divorce' Marriage from religious and legal = one.
Legal and Religous marriage is different.
Case in point: Religions that don't allow divorce (or remarrying if one is divorced).
Religions and people with personal moral issues with 'gay' can go about doing thier thing without having to change anything for that 'minority' that want it.
Legally - there should be no difference.
I'm not advocating plural marriages - but the arguement against it is nothing more than another 'my morality doesn't allow it' issue. Other people's morality might just allow it (although having one wife is enough for me!!!!). Legalities like what an employer would have to provide would be simple to resolve. Something like: same rules as we have today for benefits for first spouse - then employee pays full price for adding additional spouses. Heck - in today's economy, many companies have the spouse already paying the entire cost of benefits (example - my wife's company DOES NOT subsidize any insurance or other benefits for the spouse of the employee).
So let me get this straight..the White House gets to "cherry pick" which laws it will enforce? Is that in the Constitution anywhere? Certainly not in the copy that I have. So which law will they choose not to defend now? This will go on and on if they are allowed to go unchecked. Also, I cannot believe the audacity of this administration to bring to the table a new issue that could potentually cost the taxpayers Billions, when we need to CUT spending. Thats what we get when we elect an UNEXPERIENCED Junior Congressman as President.
I guess you don't read/comprehend very well. Obama has said he will continue to enforce this law. However, the Justice Department, at his recommendation, will no longer challenge the federal court ruling that said the law was unconstitutional. Apples and oranges, duh......
No matter how you feel about DOMA, you can't deny the White House is taking unusual action here. Its Government 101...Congress passes the law, the President executes/enforces the law, and the Courts determine the constitutionality of the law. It is unusual for an administration to proclaim something is unconstitutional and then stop enforcing it. If anything, they should continue to enforce it until a ruling is made by the courts.
mottasa-2009, before you have a conniption fit over this, this happens in every adminstration. They still have to uphold the law, but since they think it's unconstitutional, they don't defend the law in court. This adminstration really has some audacity by not defending a law that is discriminatory. A big whatever to that one... As for the rest of you post, an even bigger whatever. You're just a sore loser because a conservative isn't in the white house in 2008, and won't in 2012 either. Conservatives always whine and belly ache when they don't get their way, and you certainly hold to that childish pattern.
Can anyone show me one single religion, except Christianity, Judiasm and Islam which orders the death of gays? Or anyone else for that matter. The bible is full of instructions for who to hate, who to kill. The bottom line is that this is a strictly religious objection and the US Constitution bars the government from making ANY law with respect to religion. Christians, you can still get married. You can still do whatever you want as long is it does NOT interfere with the rights of others. Your problem is that you feel(or course because "God" said you do) you have some ordained right to not only control what you do but what everyone else in the world does.
Your religion just wants to normalize gay people. Sorry, but it's not normal. No one is trying to keep gays from living their lives together. People just don't want it called marriage. I don't object to it personally, but quit trying to act like it's normal.
@nomorelibs, it actually is normal, normal to us... also we don't have a special gay religion, we're just united thru our common experiences of having to deal with foolishness from others.. most of us don't care if you approve or validate our lives...we're pretty fine with our lives, our friends, and our families, we don't care whether the religious right or the ultra conservatives approve...we're just a wee bit tired of the bull...
Civil unions are one thing, but traditional "marriage" should be left alone. Relationships between same sex partners are not the same as those between a man and a woman. I would hope that President Obama is not trying to equate the two.
Explain how heterosexual marriage different. And leave reproduction out of it. There are plenty of couples, straight and gay alike, who choose not to reproduce, and one doesn't have to be married in order to have a child. With this in mind, enlighten all of us, please.
RobAla, relationships between same sex partners aren't the same? Really? I'll have you know my uncle is gay and he has been with his partner for 29 years! Why is that relationship any less than one between a heterosexual couple? Why do they not deserve the same rights heterosexual couples take for granted? Stop insulting and dehumanizing my family? My uncle is a good man- better than you.
NO ROB, equal MARRIAGE for everyone. That doesn't mean your church has to perform equal marriages, but it does mean the government of the United States of America would view all marriages equally under the law. It's as simple as that... We will no longer stand for our family members, teachers, co-workers, friends or anyone being second class citizens in this nation! If you don't like that, SO BE IT.
it is the same...we're couple's who work hard, have kids, and pay taxes just the same as heterosexuals... second class status for us, no thanks.. stop dehumanizing us, that's what hitler did to justify killing millions of people...
The government has NO RIGHT to say who can get married or to allow or not allow any marriage between adults.
That reminds me of the warlords and kings of the middle ages who had to approve all marriages.
End of story.
So like the Dems of Wisconsin Obama is avoiding his responsibilities because of politics. It is the responsibility of the justice department and the executive branch to defend federal laws wether they like them or not. By the way Obama, it is up to the courts to determine whether a law is constitutional not you. You are such a piece of $*&^.
The President is still going to enforce the law. (See Art. 2 Sec. 3, US Constitution) What the President won't do from now on is to have the AG defend it in court against Constitutional challenge, which is entirely up to the President. The Congress or the Supreme Court can't force the President to do that.
In addition, deciding if a law is Constitutional or not is not solely the job of the Supreme Court. The Constitution does not specifically grant the Supreme Court, or the other two branches, that power. The Supreme Court established in Marbury v. Madison that the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional, but Congress and the Executive, co-equal branches of government, also have similar responsibilities in supporting the Constitution.
So, when someone says the President can't decide which laws are Constitutional or not, or that the President's only job is to enforce the law, that person's understanding of the Constitution should be questioned.
The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Reply to Comment The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Legal and Religous marriage is different.
Case in point: Religions that don't allow divorce (or remarrying if one is divorced).
Religions and people with personal moral issues with 'gay' can go about doing thier thing without having to change anything for that 'minority' that want it.
Legally - there should be no difference.
I'm not advocating plural marriages - but the arguement against it is nothing more than another 'my morality doesn't allow it' issue. Other people's morality might just allow it (although having one wife is enough for me!!!!). Legalities like what an employer would have to provide would be simple to resolve. Something like: same rules as we have today for benefits for first spouse - then employee pays full price for adding additional spouses. Heck - in today's economy, many companies have the spouse already paying the entire cost of benefits (example - my wife's company DOES NOT subsidize any insurance or other benefits for the spouse of the employee).
Is it cheap and easy in here, or is just me?
The bottom line is that this is a strictly religious objection and the US Constitution bars the government from making ANY law with respect to religion. Christians, you can still get married. You can still do whatever you want as long is it does NOT interfere with the rights of others. Your problem is that you feel(or course because "God" said you do) you have some ordained right to not only control what you do but what everyone else in the world does.
That reminds me of the warlords and kings of the middle ages who had to approve all marriages.
End of story.
In addition, deciding if a law is Constitutional or not is not solely the job of the Supreme Court. The Constitution does not specifically grant the Supreme Court, or the other two branches, that power. The Supreme Court established in Marbury v. Madison that the Supreme Court can declare laws unconstitutional, but Congress and the Executive, co-equal branches of government, also have similar responsibilities in supporting the Constitution.
So, when someone says the President can't decide which laws are Constitutional or not, or that the President's only job is to enforce the law, that person's understanding of the Constitution should be questioned.