I really shake my head at people who when you say that something they said or did is wrong or dumb or whatever, they get outraged and indignant that you called them wrong or dumb or whatever. No. I said what you *said* or *did* was wrong or dumb. (not usually about opinions being wrong, but concrete things like you followed the directions wrong or forgetting your passport when you went to the airport was kinda dumb) I'm not *calling* you a name or saying that *you* are wrong or dumb. We all do wrong and dumb things. I see this more than you'd think online.
I love the quote: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it" Aristotle
and
Some people's idea of free speech is that they are free to say what they like but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage." Sir Winston Churchill.
As far as the discussion about gay marriage, I am a conservative Christian and believe that God ordained marriage as a sacred covenant between a man and a woman. However, in our country there are economical and social rights afforded to married people that aren't afforded to others. I think that those rights should be available to everyone. There are also a lot of non Christians that don't believe what I believe about marriage. They can still get married even though they don't believe the way I do. I can separate my specific religious beliefs from the rights that our country should provide for citizens. I want all citizens to have these rights, so I vote accordingly. I think the heterosexual/gay issue is clouding the issue that there are some citizens that are being denied rights because of a matter that is personal and should be private.
I really wish that the US would do what other countries have done. Everyone who wants to get married goes to court, fills out a license, and has a civil marriage ceremony. Then they get married in a church of their choice or not, their choice.
I just think that all adults should have the economic and legal rights that married people enjoy. You shouldn't be able to be banned from your sick or dying loved one's side because you're unable to be their legal next-of-kin and so intolerant family can ban you from the bedside of the person you love most because that person is not able to communicate their desire for that person to be present. Or the family legally fought a legal document naming their gay spouse as next of kin because the government doesn't recognize gay marriage. That really was the key for me to see this matter in a different light.
I don't want to deny other American citizens the rights that I am afforded as an American.
With abortion, it's scary to let the government regulate a person's medical rights. That's a slippery slope. There are lots of people that don't just want to ban abortion. They would like to see ALL birth control banned. As someone who had to go through a Catholic hospital deny them a hysterectomy to remove a cancerous uterus because I hadn't had children, I got a taste of what can happen. The catholic church refusing to allow women in countries that are at high risk for the Zika virus is scary.
I am against abortion, but I think that instead of trying to legislate this issue, we should strive to make adoption and prenatal care more appealing so women have other choices available.