Re-writing the Marriage Laws

Maryland become #8 on the list of states to officially recognize same sex marriage couples.  This follows a recent ruling almost one month ago where the the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals decided to overturn California's Proposition 8, which had previously been voted in favor of by California voters.

An Interactive map can be found on National Journal:

The battle rages on.   Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) has already been shelved by the Attorney General Eric Holder, as he pledged not to defend it in court.  It's now 8 v. 30.  30 other states have voted to legalize traditional marriage.  Yes, I said that right.  A vote for gay marriage is a vote against traditional marriage. From The Harvard study on marriage comes the following:

Once the judiciary or legislature adopts “the union of any two persons” as the legal definition of civil marriage, that conception becomes the sole definitional basis for the only law-sanctioned marriage that any couple can enter, whether same-sex or man-woman. Therefore, legally sanctioned genderless marriage, rather than peacefully coexisting with the contemporary man-woman marriage institution, actu ally displaces and replaces it.

Why does this matter?  Let gay marriage take place, what's really the ramifications perhaps you ask.  We could ask it the other way, if gay marriage doesn't matter, why don't just let traditional marriage stand? 

Read the underlined paragraph again.  Genderless marriage.  That's what this is all about.  Once gay marriage, when does it end? Man and dog, husband and child?  Without a reference point, you drift into never never land. 

Scripture

In Christian and Islamic traditions, Sodom and Gomorrah have become synonymous with impenitent sin, and their fall with a proverbial manifestation of God's wrath.  The only instance in scripture of God reigning fire down upon society is found in Genesis 19.  God does not take this issue lightly.  It matters A LOT  (no pun intended).


From ProtectMarriage.com:

Traditional marriage is the foundation of society and has served our state well for centuries. California’s constitutional marriage amendment exists to strengthen society, encourage monogamous and loving marriages and to provide the optimal environment to ensure the well being of children. Thirty-one other states, including California have voted on this issue and every single one decided against legalizing same-sex marriage and instead upheld traditional marriage. California has voted on the issue twice and the people’s voice has been resounding: marriage is between one man and one woman.

 From CNN:

(CNN) -- Maryland became the eighth U.S. state to allow same-sex marriage Thursday as Gov. Martin O'Malley signed legislation he said secures the "human dignity" of all residents, including gay and lesbian couples.

A standing-room crowd in the Maryland State House cheered O'Malley as he emerged from his office to sign the legislation, flanked by state Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Busch.

"The way forward is always found through greater respect for the equal rights of all," the governor said.

Six states and the District of Columbia already issue same-sex marriage licenses -- Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. Five states -- Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island -- allow civil unions that provide rights similar to marriage.
The Maryland House of Delegates approved the measure O'Malley signed Thursday less than two weeks after Washington state legislators voted to legalize same-sex marriage. That measure will take effect in the summer if it survives a likely court challenge.

New Jersey lawmakers approved same-sex marriage this month, but Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the legislation. He has said voters should decide the issue in a statewide referendum.

Maryland passes same-sex marriage bill

Voters in Minnesota and North Carolina, meanwhile, will consider proposals in November to ban gay marriage in those states. New Hampshire lawmakers may also consider a repeal of its same-sex marriage law, according to the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage. Lawsuits seeking to expand civil unions or turn back laws banning same-sex marriages are working through the courts in at least 12 states, including Hawaii, Minnesota and California, the organization said.

Same-sex marriage became a national issue in 1993, after the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that a ban on such unions violated the state constitution.

Legislation was introduced recently to allow same-sex marriages in Illinois, and bills from 2011 remain technically active in Hawaii and Minnesota, said Jack Tweedie of the National Council of State Legislatures. It's unclear whether any will see significant action, he said.

An effort is also under way to put a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage on the November ballot in Maine, where voters previously overturned a 2009 state law authorizing it.

In California, meanwhile, a federal appeals court recently ruled against a voter-passed referendum that outlawed same-sex marriage. It said such a ban was unconstitutional and singled out gays and lesbians for discrimination. The case appears to be eventually headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.