[Starboy]

Originally posted by PatrickHenry,+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='0' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (PatrickHenry,)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Originally posted by Starboy,@ I am not sure he would think much of you either. Why do you have to make things so personal, Starboy? I am not the enemy; just a debater here with a different point of view.[/b]

Why do you argue that people’s rights should be denied simply because of their preference of sexual partners?

I am not saying that homosexuals may not marry. I am simply saying that this "marriage" will be regarded askance by a majority of Americans for reasons of TRADITION.

And I say to that, so what? I am an atheist. I think that most of the people are nuts for believing in an invisible creator. That does not mean that I think that you should be stopped from doing it. If atheists were in the majority and magical thinkers were in the minority I would still oppose anyone that would try to stop you from believing as you wish. For me this was never an issue of majority opinion. This has always been an issue of American values. And in particular the principles of freedom. It is not what people think that bothers me, it is what they do about it. And people are voting to restrict the freedoms of others. This is very much a matter of principle, not Christian principles, but American principles.

"Taking away rights of people?" Who decides what is a right?

It's in the constitution. It is called the "Bill of Rights". It contains the first amendment, which says very short and sweet,

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

If your argument is that there should be laws to ban gay marriage simply because the majority religion opposes it then read that first sentence of the first amendment very carefully. For Congress to pass any such law is unconstitutional. And to amend the constitution to separate out a particular group to exempt them from the constitution is beyond comprehension for a people who claim to love freedom so much. As Jefferson said in his inaugural speech –

<!--QuoteBegin-Thomas Jefferson
All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will to be rightful must be reasonable; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal law must protect, and to violate would be oppression.[/quote]

The majority in this country should be ashamed of themselves. In voting their Christian values they have made a mockery of American values.

Starboy