Help me, If marriage is becoming an irrelevant ceremony in the US, why is same sex marriage a big deal?

Because some people don't want to be married is irrelevant. Homosexuals want the same right to be married that straight people have,

It's like skiing. Because most people don't like to ski, it would be wrong to say that "since most people don't like to ski, why would homosexuals mind if we ban them from skiing?"

I think it just fits the "progressive" world view, and is therefore promulgated for many reasons. To achieve the total recasting of humanity, and finally break the ties to our past...in other words, to truly progress beyond what we ever were, to become what we have never been...this redefinition of what a normal sexual relationship is must be established.

When we no longer do anything for the reasons our ancestors did them, we will have made the quantum leap into a new reality. The true goal is total revolution. The marriage issue is one minor battleground on the way to a much greater paradigm change. To those with any moorings in the old order of reality...this will be very disorienting indeed. We old fashioned fuddy duddies will be the muddles, the zombies...those so out of touch as to be roadblocks to progress to the "in" group.

Of course, the progressives are the "in" group. Do they really have any clue as to what they are ushering in to our lives? Not really. Let's just" hope the changey thing" works out for the best now...at least, you are aware that something is going on. Most are asleep at the wheel, or have been conditioned not to care, or have feelings one way or the other about these things. We have become inured to change, and the pace of change. This is not an accident either, but reflects the clever use of "chemical enhancers" over a broad population base. Sound whacked? Research ritalin, ADHD, and "chemically enhanced water supplies" and see what google comes up with. Wow.

All people put different values on all different types of things. Just because some cynics and critics say marriage is irrelevant doesn't mean they are the majority. Also there are rights acquired through marriage that gay couples living together now don't have access to. These are estate rights, social security benefits, military benefits, sometimes the ability to make medical decisions on behalf of a very ill or injured partner, equal rights to children either adopted or conceived through a third party, sometimes the ability to be on a partner's insurance, to transport a partner's body back for burial if they were to die while out of the country. It just simply is not fair that heterosexuality breeds privilege while homosexuality breeds discrimination. All people deserve to be treated equally. I am going to guess that you are straight as am I and so these are things that we don't even think about. You know if you have kids, even adopted that if you and your wife split you can still see them, all of that. Those differences are noticed more by those from whom they are denied. Just something to think about you know...if the shoe was on the other foot.

It's the discrimination that's a big deal.

Even if 90% of gay people don't want to get married, it's wrong to prohibit the others from doing so, just as much as any other group of consenting adults.

BTW the USA is lagging behind the developed world in terms of social trends viz-a-viz marriages. It probably will come back in fashion again, but not in the same narrow social niche it had before. Once other countries made it easier for marriages to be non-religious, it made a comeback. Most of my contemporaries have had non-religious ceremonies, and probably quite a few would have not done it at all if the old religious rules had applied. It's that same social trend that feels discrimination against gay people is wrong.

So when marriage is for those who want it, not just for those who conform to certain religious rules, it will probably flourish again. Preventing such secularisation will only hinder that.

Well, that and the economy recovering so couples can afford their 'big day'.

Because marriage between heterosexual couples is legal everywhere in the United States but gay marriage is not. Therefore, you have the governments of our states and the federal government acting in a bigoted manner, and I don't want there to be such bigoted laws in this country.

How pointless marriage is or not does not matter at all, it's the fact that government says "a gay relationship is not as valid as a heterosexual one", and that's simple bigotry. For example, if hula hoops disappeared tomorrow, there wouldn't be much of an impact on your average American's life. However, if the government came out and said "heterosexual people can buy hula hoops, but gay people cannot", it'd STILL be a big issue.

So yes, it's about equality and fairness...are you saying those aren't virtues we should espouse?

There are over 1100 rights bestowed in the United States by the act of marriage.

Consider this. Under US law as it stands right now, despite the fact that I have a living will, my wife has power of attorney, our church recognizes us as married and we've been together almost 18 years, if my birth father, who I have not seen for more than a few minutes since I was an infant, and had nothing to do with my upbringing, wanted to contest it, he'd have MORE RIGHT than my wife (or my will) under the current laws to say what happened to me if I was incapacitated and in the hospital.

That's screwed up, regardless of what religion you follow.

I mean, luckily for me, I know my birth father isn't a scum bucket, and my mom, for example, standing WITH my partner, could overrule him if he were, but that's scary crap, and it's HAPPENED to other people.

Marriage is a civil contract which entitles the partners to legal rights and assigns the legal responsibility. Stop being so obtuse.

Yes, we can rewrite the laws. By taking your religious dogma out of them. Problem solved, so stop trying to stir up hatred and anger. You want to bring back segregation too, Mr. Seperatebut"equal".

I think it's very interesting to note that the Bible predicted long ago that people would turn away from God in this way and reject His plan for human sexuality. Since Adam and Eve wrongly ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil we all seem to think we know better than the One who made us and our modern pride and arrogance toward God's ways reflects that. I believe we're all sexually broken in one way or another and if y'all knew me you'd know i sure am, badly broken. To me it adds to the growing pile of evidence that we all need a Savior who forever makes things right between people and God. Personally, I choose to be loving to people, point y'all to Jesus and let Him do the work of changing all of us.

Far better to promote the sanctity and glory of marriage, whatever others think

Sadly the major religion in the US is materialism

Even the historian Pliny recognized that the family is the foundation of society. If the family of one father and one mother is destroyed, then society will crumble. Most men in prison had no father present in the home and the result was catastrophic. Why would you want to promote more crime and unrighteousness?

Because gays & lesbians are making it a big deal. Marriage can only be between a man and a woman regardless of what any court,politician or gay activist claims. Being gay is wrong ! So is marriage for gays. It is not sanctioned by G-d.