North Carolina passes same-sex marriage ban

[T@T]

While I'm not pro gay but I seriously think this is wrong, peoples lives are..well, theirs to be frank. I'm surprised at the results of 61-39 percent but then again it's in one of the hillbilly bible belt states.

North Carolina voters have passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, CNN projects, putting a ban that already existed in state law into the state's charter.With more than 1.5 million votes counted from Tuesday's referendum, supporters of the ban led opponents by a margin of 61% to 39%, according to figures from the State Board of Elections. Its backers prepared to celebrate by serving wedding cake to their supporters in a Raleigh ballroom.

Tami Fitzgerald, the head of Vote for Marriage NC, said she had been confident that "the people of North Carolina would rise up and vote to keep the opposition from redefining traditional marriage.
"We are not anti-gay, we are pro-marriage," she said. "And the point -- the whole point -- is simply that you don't rewrite the nature of God's design for marriage based on the demands of a group of adults."

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/politi...html?hpt=hp_c1

[evman150]

This is why direct democracy is so dangerous.

Shame.

[VO #23]

Unbelievable that rights-based issues can become constitutionally entrenched via a simple majority vote. Aren't constitutions supposed to protect human rights, regardless of whether those affected are in the minority or the majority? Thankfully these rednecks weren't pulling this business 50 years ago, or black people would still be drinking from segregated water fountains in the great state of North Carolina. Shameful.

[driveway]

The ultimate fate of all of these State Constitutional amendments is pretty obvious. Within the next ten years, the Supreme Court will rule that the right to marry is Constitutionally protected at the Federal level which will invalidate the various State amendments.

There will then be a flurry of laws passed to protect the 'religious liberty' of churches who do not wish to marry gays, and the end result will be that any difference between a "civil union" and a "marriage" will be eliminated and sexuality will no longer be a reason a person can be discriminated against.

And it will be about damn time.

[Shasta Beast]

It's their first marriage amendment since they had one banning whites from marrying blacks.

[Thor]

Neil deGrasse Tyson posted this, he rarely gets political and his father was a civil rights leader. To say this law is ridiculous is an understatement, this law also harms non gay couples, children and not only bans gay marriage but bans CIVIL unions.

[3 Justin 3]

nature of God's design for marriage.

Oh religion.

[Devils'Advocate]

I swear... in some states if they asked if slavery should be allowed to return it would pass in a landslide. I agree with the statements above. Rights should not and can not be decided by a popular vote because the majority will often subjugate the minority.

[SeeBass]

[Titan]

they can still marry cousins and sisters though right?

[Cheese]

If nothing else this will help the non-theist cause...educated people will see through this and work to stop the church from having influence in government.

[HPLovecraft]

In other news, a pastor that said that parents should "punch" kids that appear gay, clarified his message. He didn't mean for them to punch the kids, they should just shove them. I suppose this could go here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#...ris-church.cnn

Now there's some o' that good ol' Western moral tradition!

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

nature of God's design for marriage.

Oh religion.

I wonder if this was part of God's design?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

In other news, a pastor that said that parents should "punch" kids that appear gay, clarified his message. He didn't mean for them to punch the kids, they should just shove them. I suppose this could go here:

http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#...ris-church.cnn

Now there's some o' that good ol' Western moral tradition!

This is all so predictable, at some point that Pastor is going to be caught with a male prostitute.

[calf]

"And the point -- the whole point -- is simply that you don't rewrite the nature of God's design for marriage based on the demands of a group of adults."

So, when are they banning divorce?

[Reaper]

Land of the free, my @$$.

[calgaryrocks]

Originally Posted by calf

So, when are they banning divorce?

^^This would seem more appropriate

[calgaryrocks]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

I wonder if this was part of God's design?

quite obviously, no

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

I wonder if this was part of God's design?

Most definitely no. It's stuff like this farce that has lead people to believe that marriage isn't that serious, so why not change the definition to suit more people? If this is what you think marriage is, then I can see why you would think that changing things around would be fine. But this isn't right.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

"We are not anti-gay, we are pro-marriage,"

I love how to prove that they are pro-marriage, they are actually preventing people from getting married. You know, those same people that they don't have a problem with.