Love

[Midnight Pete]

A degree is to certify a certain level of education. A marriage certifies, what, that you paid the marriage license fee? Is a loveless marriage that's done for insurance, or a green card or for "the children's sake" more legitimate and meaningful than a long-term healthy, loving, committed relationship that doesn't have the government's or Jebus' stamp of approval?

If a comitted relationship is healthy, loving, long-term, etc. why shouldn't it have the church and/or state's stamp of approval? If the relationship exists for all the right reasons, why not take that last step of sharing your love for each other with the world? I've seen video footage of gay/lesbian couples celebrating their hard-earned civil right after many years of waiting, and those people did look exceptionally happy to be doing what they were doing.

It makes no sense to reverently refer to marriage as "a civil right" out one corner of your mouth and then out the other corner say, "Marriage sucks!"

 

[Father Heathen]

If a comitted relationship is healthy, loving, long-term, etc. why shouldn't it have the church and/or state's stamp of approval?

Because it's entirely unnecessary?

If the relationship exists for all the right reasons, why not take that last step of sharing your love for each other with the world?

Does that really require going through the motions of some ritual to do so?

I've seen video footage of gay/lesbian couples celebrating their hard-earned civil right after many years of waiting, and those people did look exceptionally happy to be doing what they were doing.

If that's their thing then awesome. However, if/when they fall out of love they're still shackled together. That's never fun.

It makes no sense to reverently refer to marriage as "a civil right" out one corner of your mouth and then out the other corner say, "Marriage sucks!"

I've never said that. I support gay marriage, and if anyone, gay or strait, monogamous or even polygamous, wants to get married then more power to them. I just don't see it as a necessity when it comes to love and long-term, committed relationships.

 

[Meow Mix]

If a comitted relationship is healthy, loving, long-term, etc. why shouldn't it have the church and/or state's stamp of approval? If the relationship exists for all the right reasons, why not take that last step of sharing your love for each other with the world? I've seen video footage of gay/lesbian couples celebrating their hard-earned civil right after many years of waiting, and those people did look exceptionally happy to be doing what they were doing.

It makes no sense to reverently refer to marriage as "a civil right" out one corner of your mouth and then out the other corner say, "Marriage sucks!"

If I were at the grocery store and they were giving Snickers bars to all the children around me, but when I asked for one they said "Oh no, silly, you have red hair... you can't have a Snickers"

Then by golly, I want that damn Snickers even if I'm not hungry anymore if only to prove that I'm not inferior to the other children.

More to the point though, what we're saying is that love isn't legitimized by state approval, but civil equality sure is legitimized by it. I don't need state approval to know Alicia is mine and that I'm hers utterly, but were that option available to me sure I would take that step. It just isn't necessary for it to be legitimate.

 

[Midnight Pete]

If I were at the grocery store and they were giving Snickers bars to all the children around me, but when I asked for one they said "Oh no, silly, you have red hair... you can't have a Snickers"

Then by golly, I want that damn Snickers even if I'm not hungry anymore if only to prove that I'm not inferior to the other children.

More to the point though, what we're saying is that love isn't legitimized by state approval, but civil equality sure is legitimized by it. I don't need state approval to know Alicia is mine and that I'm hers utterly, but were that option available to me sure I would take that step. It just isn't necessary for it to be legitimate.

I understand. But don't civil equality and state approval go hand-in-hand?

 

[Meow Mix]

I understand. But don't civil equality and state approval go hand-in-hand?

Exactly, but not legitimacy (unless by "legitimacy" you mean legitimacy to the state).

Love is legitimate to me and to many others, heterosexual and homosexual and everything in between, without state approval.

 

[Midnight Pete]

Exactly, but not legitimacy (unless by "legitimacy" you mean legitimacy to the state).

Love is legitimate to me and to many others, heterosexual and homosexual and everything in between, without state approval.

So there are no forms of love which are by their nature you deem illegitimate? What about the people who are in love with children or corpses or animals or inanimate objects?

 

[Meow Mix]

So there are no forms of love which are by their nature you deem illegitimate? What about the people who are in love with children or corpses or animals or inanimate objects?

A legitimate point considering I hadn't clarified that by true love I mean requited love between two (or I guess I should say "more than one" if polyamorous groups really love one another) sentient beings of mature age to make decisions.

Children aren't mature enough to make the decision to have romantic love with someone (though Platonic love between children and an adult is fine, for instance one of my friends has a child whom I love as much as I love my friend in utterly non-sexual ways and we're not related whatsoever).

Same with corpses, animals and inanimate objects. For instance what's the difference between beastiality and, say, every sci-fi nerd's dream comes true and extraterrestrials show up and a human and extraterrestrial fall in love? Is that beastiality? No -- because both parties ostensibly have the maturity and the sentience to engage in a close personal bond.

 

[tomato1236]

A legitimate point considering I hadn't clarified that by true love I mean requited love between two (or I guess I should say "more than one" if polyamorous groups really love one another) sentient beings of mature age to make decisions.

Children aren't mature enough to make the decision to have romantic love with someone (though Platonic love between children and an adult is fine, for instance one of my friends has a child whom I love as much as I love my friend in utterly non-sexual ways and we're not related whatsoever).

Same with corpses, animals and inanimate objects. For instance what's the difference between beastiality and, say, every sci-fi nerd's dream comes true and extraterrestrials show up and a human and extraterrestrial fall in love? Is that beastiality? No -- because both parties ostensibly have the maturity and the sentience to engage in a close personal bond.

Oh, I thought every nerd's dream was 7 of 9 coming and assimilating them.

 

[Meow Mix]

Oh, I thought every nerd's dream was 7 of 9 coming and assimilating them.

Yes, please!!

Moderator cut: image removed

 

[Midnight Pete]

Oh, I thought every nerd's dream was 7 of 9 coming and assimilating them.

That would not be as enjoyable as it sounds. Stabbed in the neck by Borg tubules. And never knowing if Seven's catsuit was padded or not ...

 

[tomato1236]

That would not be as enjoyable as it sounds. Stabbed in the neck by Borg tubules. And never knowing if Seven's catsuit was padded or not ...

I think it's safe to say they're borg implants.

 

[Reptillian]

Oh, I thought every nerd's dream was 7 of 9 coming and assimilating them.

I always liked T'Pol from Star Trek Enterprise better. Here is the actress:

 

[Meow Mix]

The twi'lek jedi from Star Wars -- has a very minor part, but she's hot as hell:

 

[Reptillian]

The twi'lek jedi from Star Wars -- has a very minor part, but she's hot as hell:

Agreed that she's amazingly attractive, but the weird head tentacles freak me out. I wonder what color her nipples are... (ok that might be an inappropriate comment)