Quote:
Why is the word so important? Does your "marriage" become less valuable if the word is used to describe the partnership of gay people? If so, then your issues aren't with gay people.
My issue isn't with gay people at all. I believe that marriage is something God instituded within specific guidelines. Like anything else God has given us, proper usage yields blessing and improper usage is harmful, even if we don't see it. I don't like the idea of homosexual marriage because I see it as being harmful to people.

As for why the word is important to me, in a perfect world everyone would realize that the two insitutions of marriage are not the same (governmental and religious), however this just isn't the case. In fact, in the post you're responding to I had to explain the difference between them and why religious marriage is important to me. But more importantly than that, decisions about marriage that the government makes absolutly effects the way that people view the religious institution of marriage. No Fault divorce happens in the church all the time because the state allows it, yet it is explicitly ruled out in scripture.

I don't want the government to make broad pronouncements on things I believe. Those things should be left to the church.
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-Jeff
Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings; they did it by killing all those who opposed them.