Thoughts on California's Prop 8

I posted this in a Facebook discussion earlier and thought it might make a good blog entry. If you want to read the discussion you can find it here.

I do think it's mildly entertaining that all you guys and gals that are so against mixing Church and State are debating so hard to try and mix State with a Religious institution. Marriage is a religious institution whether you like it or not. Whether you believe the Bible or not, it has been established as an accurate historical document. The oldest documented marriage was performed by God. Establishing prior art. Religion wins.

What all you secularist really should be fighting for is the establishment of a legal institution with all the rights and benefits of marriage. Oh wait, doesn't that already exist with Domestic Partnerships?

So what is really going on here? If anyone can get the equal rights and privileges without the Religious institution of marriage, why must the religious institution of marriage be forced to adopt secular ideals?

One of the problems I see with the debate here is that most people against Prop 8 seem to think the Gov't will be reserved in it's interpretation of the law. However, anyone who has dealt with the Gov't knows that they do the exact opposite. They take a small foothold on something and expand it to the greatest extent possible.

I personally think that homosexuals should have the same legal rights and privileges as anyone else. My problem with the current law, and the reason I will be voting Yes on Prop 8 is that it gives the Gov't the ability to dictate and enforce religious doctrine. And that my friends goes dead set against the First Amendment.

Find a law that gives equal rights to some, while not impeding the rights of others and I will vote for it. Whether my values and moral agree with the ideal or not. You just can't give rights to one class of people by taking away the rights of another. That is just as, if not more, unfair as not being able to "marry" the one you love.