Jophiel wrote:
gbaji wrote:
I'm playing devils advocate to show how absurd the argument for SSM based on "but it's discrimination!!!" is.
It is discrimination. The courts have made it clear that you have a fundamental right to marry unless there's some overwhelming reason to not allow it. We discriminate against various types of couplings because we feel there is a great enough social concern to warrant doing so. The proponent argument for SSM is that there isn't a great enough social concern to warrant the discrimination and denial of this fundamental right.
So it's arbitrary then?
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That's where you start misusing the word "arbitrary" and trying to draw a comparison between twelve-year-old siblings and homosexual couples, apparently being unable to understand that the arguments for denying one group their fundamental right aren't the same reasons for denying another group their fundamental right (even if both denials were completely justified).
Lol. Predicting my answer doesn't make my answer wrong Joph.
And that still makes the difference arbitrary, doesn't it? We arbitrarily decide that 12 year olds aren't mentally mature enough to enter into marriage. We arbitrarily decide that marriages can't include more than two people. We arbitrarily decide that adults and children can't marry. We arbitrarily decide that marrying your cat doesn't count. We arbitrarily decide that siblings can't marry. We arbitrarily decide that gay couple can't marry. We used to arbitrarily decide that mixed race couples couldn't, but changed our minds (also arbitrarily). And we arbitrarily decide that opposite sex couples can marry.
I'm arguing that we shouldn't just assume those decisions are arbitrary, but perhaps have a purpose beyond just "well, society decided we should do X". I'm looking for that purpose, because to me, we shouldn't be doing things like giving benefits to groups unless their is a purpose for doing so beyond it being a benefit for them and we feel sorry that they're excluded. IMO, that's just a **** poor reason. I don't agree that those decisions are arbitrary. You're the one who thinks that they are and seem to be perfectly fine with it.
I'm not. Give me a reason why I should be willing to pay to provide those benefits to gay couples. Can you do that?