Is the word "traditional" offensive?

It has become so, since it is used by the right, as well as religious types, to mean 'not you gay people.'

That's EXACTLY what they mean by 'traditional family', 'traditional values' and 'traditional marriage.'

I don't define the terms traditional marriage or traditional family to exclude same sex couples so I am not offended. I am offended by people who define these terms to exclude same sex couples, but not by the terms themselves. I am also annoyed and offended by people who define the term authentic marriage to exclude same sex couples. Authentic marriage hinges upon two souls who not just love each other, but are committed and follow through on that love through the good and the bad times. And before the eyes of God, that doesn't need a piece of paper or a ceremony, it just is if the people live it that way.

This is an interesting question you raise. Hmmm. Never thought of that, but I think you're onto something here. And it seems that it's the religious right that's destroying some perfectly good words. For example, they made the word "liberal" a word that very few politicians are willing to use, but there used to be nothing wrong with it. The same thing is happening to the word "secular." The religious right is making "secular" mean "godless," but it doesn't mean that at all. "Secular" is closer to "neutral" in meaning.

...but maybe this is just payback for us swiping the words "gay" and "fabulous." LOL

Just the word itself isn't offensinve, but in some contexts it does bother me....

"You're not a traditional Christian"... like it matters to God? As if thousands of years of "tradition" makes what they believe true??

I can see how in this context, it could be offensive to some, become offensive to others.

Offensive? NO WAY!

The "traditional family" is the ideal - that's what should be the norm, not the exception. Sorry, but at least in the US, gays are not "increasingly getting married" since it's not legal in most states.

Using "tradition" to argue any point is a blunt logic fallacy, on par with fallacies such as ad hominem, circular reasoning etc. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_tradition)

The general form of this argument: "something is right because it's been like this for a long time/it's always been like this/our ancestors did this/it's tradition etc."

Examples. To appeal to tradition in order to justify something:

-Slavery was traditional, thus we should have slaves today.

-In most of history, women were not allowed to vote, thus women should not be allow to vote today

-Riding horses was the means of transportation since our ancestor's time, thus it's silly to drive cars today.

-Murdering innocents is wrong, because it has been considered so since the dawn of civilization.

The last one, murdering is wrong, but NOT because "it's been like that for a long time," but because of ethical reasons.

So, as you can see, maintaining "tradition" for the sake of tradition is a plain logic fallacy that makes no sense whatsoever. It sounds great on paper, but it's only an argument that someone without any real arguments would make.

Well, I guess it would have to fall under one's own opinion. I mean, what's traditional to one person may be extremely different to another.

When I think of a "traditional marriage" I think of how the marriage is set up, not the people getting married.

But, like I said, it would probably have to fall under an opinion.

It all depends on who says it and what they mean.

I know a little more about the history of marriage on earth than the average Fundamentalist, so I know that marriage traditions have varied greatly from era to era and area to area. These include polygamy, bigamy, polyandry, monogamy, and same-sex marriage. (And the most common form in the Bible was polygamy!)

So to me, "traditional marriage" is a rather vague and meaningless term, used by people who have never bothered to research the topic.

I don't mind the term at all.....I am a lesbian who believes in traditional family and values.....I just don't believe you must be straight to obtain, participate in or contribute to them.....I am looking forward to a future where 2 people (regardless of gender) marry and start a "traditional family" of their own.

I do not find it offensive. Yet, if you propose that the word is offensive to gay people, I would counter that turning the word "gay" unto something other than meaning happy could be offensive to straight people.