This is why Westboro Baptist Church is a joke

[kandrathe]

You'd think that "religious" people would show some respect for a sacred rite. Ergo, they are not religious people.

This is a strange argument. You go from "you'd think that" to "Ergo" as if being respectful of other religions was some kind of definitional requirement of being religious. Even the most cursory glance at the history and practice of religion would tell you that tolerance is the exception, not the rule.

I'm looking at the history of the US. Much of Europe's issues with religion had more to do with dictates of various monarchies, and the Holy Roman Empire.

The bulk of the resistance to gay marriage in the US has little to do with how people feel about homosexuality...

Really, Kandrathe? Little to do with how they feel about homosexuality? About half of people say homosexuality is morally wrong. Almost 40% oppose even civil unions, where "marriage" is not involved. The "sacrament" of marriage aspect seems largely a fig leaf, to allow people to keep their opposition to change, while convincing themselves that they are not anti-gay.

http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1994/poll-su...g-marriage

More like 58% say homosexuality should be accepted, and 33% say it should be discouraged with 8% don't know, or undecided. However, in the 58% group, only 45% favor same-sex unions. I think the attitude of that 13% would be described as ambivalent to what people do in their relationships, but are more concerned for changing what marriage means.

Regarding the federal DOMA,

On Friday, September 20, prior to signing the Defense of Marriage Act, President Clinton released the following statement:

Throughout my life I have strenuously opposed discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans. I am signing into law H.R. 3396, a bill relating to same-gender marriage, but it is important to note what this legislation does and does not do.

I have long opposed governmental recognition of same-gender marriages and this legislation is consistent with that position. The Act confirms the right of each state to determine its own policy with respect to same gender marriage and clarifies for purposes of federal law the operative meaning of the terms "marriage" and "spouse".

This legislation does not reach beyond those two provisions. It has no effect on any current federal, state or local anti-discrimination law and does not constrain the right of Congress or any state or locality to enact anti-discrimination laws. I therefore would take this opportunity to urge Congress to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, an act which would extend employment discrimination protections to gays and lesbians in the workplace. This year the Senate considered this legislation contemporaneously with the Act I sign today and failed to pass it by a single vote. I hope that in its next Session Congress will pass it expeditiously.

I also want to make clear to all that the enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against any person on the basis of sexual orientation. Discrimination, violence and intimidation for that reason, as well as others, violate the principle of equal protection under the law and have no place in American society. - President William J. Clinton