Ron Paul said any decisions concerning the definition of marriage should be left up to the church

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57328247-503544/gop-debate-in-iowa-gets-weepy/

November 19, 2011 10:38 PM

GOP debate in Iowa gets weepy

<snip>Despite the candidates' devotion to the 10th Amendment, upholding states' rights, nearly all came out in favor of federal laws or constitutional amendments outlawing abortion and defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

"When you look at issues like traditional marriage, when you look at issues like the human life amendment, the president of the United States can lead on those issues, can publicly proclaim support and go campaign across the country to get states to support those positions," Perry said. "That is the virtuous direction that the next president of the United States needs to powerfully go down."

The notable exception was Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who said he would leave the definition of marriage to the states in accordance with the Constitution. He went one step further, though, suggesting the entire institution would be best left to the church.

"I think the reason we fight and feud over this is because we have too much government everywhere," Paul said. "I would say the church should make this decision."

----------------------------

What do you think about this idea?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

1. .

never mind.

[DURHAM D]

2. Ron Paul is an idiot.

[Starry Messenger]

3. Are the churches going to collect taxes too?

Marriage is a secular partnership contract that comes with government rights and obligations. I'm sure both Pauls take advantage of all of them. Although I don't know who would marry those two lizards...

[PETRUS]

5. Beat me to it.

I was going to make the same point.

[Starry Messenger]

19. Don't worry, you'll have future opportunities to point that out here.

;) There is a subsection of DUers who often loudly proclaim that marriage is a church ceremony, and that the secular contract should be called something else. This was hardly ever an issue before marriage equality entered the picture of course...

[Philosopher King]

7. "a secular partnership contract" should be between the parties who voluntarily enter the contract.

The proper role for government is to provide a means by which to remedy a breach, or alleged breach of the contract.

[Starry Messenger]

23. Well, they aren't.

I live on Planet Reality where being married grants you federal and local rights and responsibilities.

[Philosopher King]

26. And on Planet Reality, everybody wants something...

EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9caGXrc-eo&feature=related

Oww!
Ooh yeah!
Oh yeah-ah!

You can't get romantic on a subway line, ow!
Conductor don't like it, says "You're wastin' your time"

But everybody wants some
I want some too
Everybody wants some
Baby, how 'bout you?
Ohh oh yeah!

[LuvNewcastle]

4. It might be okay if it weren't for the fact

that some people wouldn't want to get married by a minister. Most churches won't perform same-sex marriages but there are many who will. I'm sure that there are ministers who will perform these marriages in every state; they wouldn't be that hard to find. But as I said, it really isn't fair to those who don't want a religious service.

[RegieRocker]

6. And the gov shoild stay out of it completely. No religion in gov.

[fasttense]

8. If you left it up to churches

We would have 50 year old men marrying 5 year old girls, two at a time.

We would have pedophiles espousing the glory of child rape.

The list goes on....

[roguevalley]

14. it was left up to the church once and polygamy resulted. which

church? The Phelps?

[zbdent]

16. using the standards set by conservatives ...

("liberal" plan X has not eradicated problem Y, so we must shut down every part of plan X)

The Church has failed in its eradication of evil, so the Church must be eliminated ...

If the "War on Drugs" was initially set in motion by Carter instead of Reagan, the Republicans would be screaming about the war's "failure" and be screaming also for the elimination of the budget for fighting the problem of illegal drugs ...

[sarcasmo]

9. The libertarians also want the church to help with welfare, funny shit.

[opihimoimoi]

10. My Heathen Church might wanna participate in this shit

[sufrommich]

11. Which church? What about those of us who married without

involving any church? Is Ron Paul, the libertarian, suggesting people should be forced into church weddings?

[krabigirl]

31. Yeah, it is a pretty lame statement.

[TNLib]

12. some churches advocate Polygamy

I wonder what church he's talking about?

[unblock]

17. which churches actually advocate polygamy? not the mormon church, if that's what you're thinking

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_polygamy

the lds church hasn't endorsed polygamy since 1890.
these days, they excommunicate polygamists.

they USED to advocate it and there remain some who consider themselves mormons who practice it, but the church itself doesn't advocate it or endorse it at all.

[NNN0LHI]

18. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

[unblock]

21. ok, yeah, that's all of about 10,000 people. a fringe that split off from lds.

got me, the number's not zero, but still.

[walerosco]

24. and other advocate Marijuana

I actually think I might like it, just create your own church and make it do whatever you want it to do. The muslims can marry 4 wives and written in their holy book, the mormons practice polygamy, the church of atheist would allow opposite and same sex marriages etc.

It all comes down to creating your own church/institution. Its a mind trick to sell libertarian ideas of marriage to the Christan right

[walerosco]

25. and other advocate Marijuana

I actually think I might like it, just create your own church and make it do whatever you want it to do. The muslims can marry 4 wives and written in their holy book, the mormons practice polygamy, the church of atheist would allow opposite and same sex marriages etc.

It all comes down to creating your own church/institution. Its a mind trick to sell libertarian ideas of marriage to the Christan right

[TNLib]

13. some churches advocate Polygamy

I wonder what church he's talking about?

[Bluenorthwest]

15. Hey Ron! There has not been any church that was THE Church

since we rid ourselves of the Church of England. We do not have 'the church' we have many different churches many of whom support equality. Others support child marriages. Others support beating your wife, handling snakes, refusing all medical care, some have vows of poverty, others seek wealth as a form of God's will. Which one is THE church, Ron?
Ron's church is the Church of The Poisoned Mind.

[blogslut]

20. Personally, I think it's time that churches got out of the legally-binding contract business

[JoePhilly]

22. He means HIS Church would get to decide, not yours.

[BiggJawn]

27. And what about those of us who are un-churched?

We don't get to be married?

Then change the law so I can sit at the hospital bedside of the one I choose to sit with, without having to go get a piece of paper to "prove" that I'm committed to her.

Ron Paul is such an ignorant tool, which is common among Libertards, yet people think he's just the cat's pyjamas because he's pro-pot and anti-war.

He also believes you're your own best judge of whether or not the beef at the grocery store is safe to eat, not the FDA. The Holy Market will weed out the purveyors of poison from good, honest merchants. S'Yeah, like that worked really well back in the 19th Century...

[CJCRANE]

28. Small Government...Big Church. nt

[ladjf]

29. That is a ridiculous suggestion. nt

[krabigirl]

30. What church? Not all of them are anti-gay, shocking to repukes, I am sure.

Unitarians happily marry gays and lesbians.

Also, many people, like my husband and I, didn't get married in a church at all.

[DefenseLawyer]

32. I think there is something to that actually

If we call the legally binding contract sanctioned by the government a civil union or whatever name the state wants to give it (I'm sure people would still call it a marriage)and make it available to any two consenting adults I think we would be fine. If people also want to have a "marriage" ceremony in a church or on a mountaintop or at Graceland or wherever, they would be free to do so. If a church only wanted to perform such ceremonies for certain types of couples, that would be their prerogative, but they would have no say in the legal contract that is recognized and protected by the government.

[CJCRANE]

33. Why not call the contract "a marriage" and the ceremony "a wedding"...?

[DefenseLawyer]

34. Same sex couples that get "married" in a church or wherever are free to call it a wedding

or a big hayride or anything they want. If some other church doesn't think that is a marriage? So what? they have nothing to do with it. The legal contract is recognized by the government regardless of how some church defines "marriage". The Catholic Church doesn't "believe" in divorce, but that doesn't mean they keep anyone from getting divorced. As the Dude would say, that's just like, you know, their opinion, man. I'm more concerned with legal protection for spouses than a pissing match with religious nuts. I think that is one way do make the whole thing a non-issue.

[CJCRANE]

35. I see what you mean. That sounds like a good solution. nt

[Bowwowwow09]

36. Wow, I'm really, really, really, really amazed at the responses here

This should be something that Democrats support. Instead of having the government controlling marriage, let the churches do marriage so everyone gets their rights from the government regardless of whether or nor their civil union is homo- or heterosexual.

Ron Paul just said he wants to make it easier for homosexual partnerships to have equal rights and he gets attacked. Did I accidentally come to FreeRepublic? Since when is this board against equal rights for gays?

Who the fuck cares if the church doesn't recognize your marriage. Big deal...you don't go to church, why the fuck would you care if they support your lifestyle or not? I'm just absolutely amazed right now. Is the hatred for Ron Paul so strong that it blocks any sort of intelligent thought when his name is mentioned here?

[CJCRANE]

37. It isn't clear from the quote

if he's talking about the legal contract or the ceremony...but the couple of posts before yours pretty much agree with you.