I just felt like opening cans of worms today.

Do you think government is too involved in our lives when they can say whether or not you can be married? If two people love each other, what's the big deal?

How do you think the Supreme Court will rule? I think they will strike down anti-homosexual marriage laws myself, as there is no grounds for them not to be able to marry.

The dictionary already includes homosexual couples as married, slowly our society changes.

As for me, I hate to see the word 'marriage' changed, but once again I can not put my values on another. So I will not fight this action, I will let God sort it out.

Christians duty is to stand up for God's Word, for it is not only His spiritual code of conduct but ours. Homosexuality is a sin—the lifestyle is considered abominable by God, not the person, for if they choose they can repent and be transformed by God.

I don't go around bashing people in the head with it, but I will speak up about it if the situation arises. The greatest victory the devil gets is when believers don't do or say anything.

since i don't believe in a god, i'll go with morality issue of it... there really is no point to it, it's unnatural, and if everyone is gay, the humans as a species will disappear... i don't think the majority of people thinking being gay is ok...

I've said this before, but I'll say it again now. Although I think homosexuals DO deserve the same benefits a normal hetero married couple gets......I believe we are really asking the wrong question. It shouldn't be whether someone can or cannot get legally married whether they be gay, straight or even trans, it should be WHY are we allowing the state to have a say in our personal relationships AT ALL? What business do they have being a part of it? THAT is what should be being asked, the rest is just a smokescreen to distract from that issue IMO.

That is what I meant, gov is too involved in our lives. The other two responders are just doing their opinions and moral values. I have decided I cannot force mine on another. Through gov or any other means.

There's really no reason why gay people should not be able to marry each other. I get that some disagree with the lifestyle and others see it as a sin, but those are personal reasons. They are not reasons to ban gay people from marrying each other.

well, one thing people don't seem to understand is that there is no such thing as total freedom... some laws just need to be there, for the good of the people... i don't care if anyone is gay or not, i just don't see the need for all the "advertising" gay people do...


i would like for someone to tell me what the gays cannot get out of common law marriage that others get by being married...

The only reason they "advertise" is because people judge them. If people stopped JUDGING them, maybe this wouldn't be a problem. Think about it dude.......

And short of that, the good of the people line is bunch of bs, most laws that remove a personal right of one person are about CONTROL, not good of the people. How does it personally effect you if gays marry, tell me how. And no that it hurts your moral code doesn't count. Get over yourself.

As for common law, you do realize it takes 10 years for that to go into effect......what happens if someone dies or they split before then? SOL? It's not the same at all.

maybe you should read more about common law marriage... it may vary from state to state, but i have never heard of ten years...

doesn't count? don't try to tell me what counts or doesn't count in my world, if i'm against gays marrying, then i'm against it, and none of your business why... it's mainly pushy people like you that says i have to is one of the main reasons i'm against it. so, get over yourself and don't tell me how or what to think... you wanna go marry your "partner", go for it, but i will never be at one of of these "ignorant" affairs...

No it doesn't count, because just cause you get all butthurt over gays marrying, doesn't give you the right to tell them they can't. It's not a damn bit of your concern, so stay out of their lives. They don't tell a straight person they can't marry do they? You are not the center of the universe, others live in it too and they may want to do things different from you, deal with it.

If you wanna stay prejudiced though feel free, but don't be surprised when people call you on it or push back.

in your little mind, you might think it doesn't count, but guess what: your not the only one on the planet... don't even try to shove your beliefs on me, it won't work... thats the problem with gays like you, your so worried about what others think that you cannot function is society because you have this need to be accepted by everyone... another news flash: not everybody cares what the hell you do... i don't, and never will... so you can keep on with the name calling, like a little baby, or you can accept the fact that not everyone on the planet will agree with your viewpoints and stop attacking people that don't agree with them... and by the way, it's not racist, race has nothing to do with this... so you have any other inept names you wanna call me?

This is all fine and good guys but play nice.

The real question is gov too involved in our life?

yes...i think so... but like i said, some of it is needed... to many people with to many opinions, the government would have to step in sometime...

Why should they have to? Because people get their feelings hurt? Should everyone be the same just to keep peace? No thanks.

First off I'm NOT gay, just defending their right to live without being made into second class citizens by people like you, but thanks for judging what you don't know. Second, maybe they wouldn't be trying to push for acceptance if people stopped subjugating them. You don't want them shoved down your throat? Then treat them with damn respect instead of looking your nose down at them for being different from you. Hard concept I know.

you really need this explained to you? you didn't take social studies in high school? do you really think that society could function without a government?


maybe you can find an island somewhere, where you and all your buddies can not have a government, get married and have a great gay utopia... best of luck to ya on that...

It takes no skin off my nose if gay folks want to marry.

i'm pretty sure that if the state in question doesn't recognize it as marriage, they can't recognize a common-law marriage either. (as pertains to same sex couples)

FindLaw
Corporate Counsel
Law Library
Common Law Marriage in Texas

Published: 2008-03-26
Common Law Marriage in Texas
28 6692

By James Patrick Smith

To have a common law marriage in Texas, you must do three things:
(1) have an agreement to be married
(2) hold yourself out to a third party as being married, and
(3) live together

Remember, while common law marriage in Texas has the same legal status as a ceremonial marriage, you have to get a formal divorce with either common law or ceremonial marriage.

There are child support guidelines in Texas based generally on the net resources of the obligor (paying parent):

1 child
20% of obligor's net resources
2 children
25% of obligor's net resources
3 children
30% of obligor's net resources
4 children
35% of obligor's net resources
5 children
40% of obligor's net resources
6+ children
Not less than the amount for 5 children

"Net resources" is defined under Texas law as all wages and salary income, including commissions, overtime pay, tips and bonuses, interest, dividends, royalty income, any net rental income plus other forms of income including severance pay, retirement benefits, pensions, trust income, annuities and several other types of benefits and income.

From these resources are deducted federal income taxes, social security taxes, union dues, children's health insurance costs, to arrive at NET RESOURCES AGAINST WHICH ABOVE PERCENTAGES ARE APPLIED on the number of children for whom support is to be paid.

The grounds for divorce in Texas are:

1
insupportably - divorce is granted without regard to fault if marriage is insupportable with no reasonable expectancy of a reconciliation
2
cruelty (mental or physical)
3
adultery
4
conviction of a felony if conviction was for at least 1 year and not based on testimony of spouse seeking divorce
5
abandonment (everyone has to separate and get a divorce - abandonment is where a spouse disappears for at least a year and obviously does not want to be found)
6
living apart - no cohabitation for at least 3 years; and
7
confinement in a mental hospital - 3 years confinement and probability of future mental problems

Thus, Texas has seven (7) grounds for divorce and they are either a ground alleging "fault" or "no fault". The importance here is that a spouse who alleges and proves a "fault" reason for divorce can seek a disproportionate (over 1/2) share of community property.


says nothing about amount of time living together, or about same/opposite sex...

are same sex marriages allowed in texas?