What's with all the new red and pink avatars / profile pictures?

[Parrothead]

I was also wrongly accused of saying something that I have every evidence I never said nor implied. KK isn't the only one getting heated, and I understand why she is. I think perhaps some kilts are needed.

 

Looks like it'll have to be Tennant in a tutu.

 

Tennant in a tutu. If I could like this twice I would.

[Lisbeth]

 

I'm so sick of religious people claiming persecution when someone disagrees with them. What about my freedom to NOT be persecuted by religious people? This is a secular nation and I'm really tired of Christians trying to wheedle their religious beliefs into the laws of this country! There is a separation of church and state for a reason.

 

And religious people are haters, phobes, or "a-holes" for disagreeing with gay marriage. Welcome to the party!

[AdventureMoms]

Why do we care about the word? Because it was the idea of a contractual union of a man and a woman since before they could define it.

 

This is not remotely true. That has been discussed repeatedly in this thread and ad nauseum elsewhere. Polygamy, with the husband owning his wife/wives is the most historically common form of marriage, but we changed the definition to fit our modern sensibilities.

 

And gay marriage has existed in the past, possibly even in the early Christian church.

[Orthodox6]

 

And gay marriage has existed in the past, possibly even in the early Christian church.

 

Slander and falsehood. Stick with facts, please.

[Corraleno]

Actually that would not be true in terms of US History. Some NA tribes were perfectly fine with homosexuality.

 

Yes, exactly! Some NA tribes allowed for a role that's very similar to the concept of the "mahu" which is widespread throughout Polynesia. In some cultures, homosexuals/transvestites/transgendered individuals were respected and even revered, and they were allowed to marry. In some cultures in Africa, wealthy women were allowed to have their own wives, and many who did this were actually straight — the wives were a sign of wealth and status. In other cultures, in Melanesia or ancient Greece for example, male homosexual relationships were encouraged and even ritualized.

 

Most of the time when someone claims that some custom or belief has existed "since the beginning of time" they really mean "has been part of the Judeo-Christian tradition for the last few thousand years," as if that is the only "history" that exists — or matters.

 

I really wish that US high schools required a year of anthropology in addition to world history; the ethnocentrism in this country is quite dismaying.

 

Jackie

[Ipsey]

A friend of mine, and professor of Ancient Greek history offers a very readable history of marriage, from the Ancient Near East to some Native American traditions.

 

http://awomanscholar.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-early-church-redefined-marriage.html

[[email protected]]

Because we can't take any more REPORTS. Go eat cupcakes.

 

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