This is a great day for marriage equality in Maryland!!

a sad day for marriage is everyday someone gets a divorce or gets married for 3 days then divorces. that some real sanctity!

Having sex with someone of the same gender is hardly the same as having sex with someone of another race? My dog doesn't even have sex with the neighbors dog...they're both boys, but he sure is interested in that little poodle across the road. It has nothing (at least to me) to do with the bible, but moreso the slow erosion of basic civility and a moral core that contributes to a healthy society. Really could care less who's having sex with who, but hardly think that state should sanction basically an unnatural act as equal to that which produces healthy families.

Karl - Being gay is unnatural? Homosexual behavior has been observed in over 1000 species. I would say that Mother Nature loves the gays!

How do you get around the scriptures­? Do you think God will change for you? The Bible states Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with male as with a woman. It is an abominatio­n.

1 Corinthian­s 6:9–10 Do you not know that the unrighteou­s will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. eNeither fornicator­s, nor idolaters, nor adulterers­, nor homosexua­ls, nor sodomites­, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortione­rs will inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 1:26–27 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. You are getting by but not away. After death comes judgement for everyone. G­ay or Straight.

Hey tinbon434, read and quote the whole bible and not just what suites your needs. we do have other abominations in the bible start ranting about them. it is an abomination to eat anything from the sea that does not have scales. do you enjoy your crabs and oysters?

Hatred? Where in Mr. Heydt's comment is the word/term "hate" used? It is liberals like you that throw the hate word out whenever someone disagrees with your liberal ideologies.

Gay people DO have the same rights as straight people. They are allowed to marry someone of the opposite sex as are straight people. By the same token, straight people are not allowed to marry someone of the same sex. These are not "equal" rights for which thy are asking. They are asking for "gay" rights or "special" treatment. I wish they would stop painting their desire for gay marriage as an act of discrimination. Marriage is between a man and a woman. If they want to have a legal bond of some sort with someone of the same sex, they need to ask for a law with a new term and acknowledge it's seperation or difference from the institution of marriage.

Jennifer - Straight people are allowed to marry who they love, gays are not. That is not equal.

Move

Dont worry Kevin there are so many wonderful opened minded people around here and guess what ?! were not going anywhere . . . and we are all raising our children to know what it means to love and treat others with kindness & equality :)

This from a marvelous website:

1. If Jesus did not mention a subject, it cannot be essential to his teachings.
2. You are not being persecuted when prevented from persecuting others.
3. Truth isn’t like wine that gets better with age. It’s more like manna you must recognize wherever you are and whoever you are with.
4. You cannot call it “special rights” when someone asks for the same rights you have.
5. It is no longer your personal religious view if you’re bothering someone else.
6. Marriage is a civil ceremony, which means it’s a civil right.
7. If how someone stimulates the pubic nerve has become the needle to your moral compass, you are the one who is lost.
8. To condemn homosexuality, you must use parts of the Bible you don’t yourself obey. Anyone who obeyed every part of Leviticus would rightly be put in prison.
9. If we do not do the right thing in our day, our grandchildren will look at us with same embarrassment we look at racist grandparents.
10. When Jesus forbade judging, that included you.

St. John's Episcopal Church - Well said!

I don't know Mr. Heydt- it sounds as if you do and that he is a minister or associated with the Christian faith. If so, yes, he does represent God and God's will for all people. I invite you to read Matthew 16:23. Then go to Matthew 22:34-40. It is good to know that you will teach your children to love. I will pray that you are successful. Best regards. R

God says NO. He doesn't teach tolerance. How do you get around the scriptures­? Do you think God will change for you? The Bible states Leviticus 18:22 You shall not lie with male as with a woman. It is an abominatio­n.
1 Corinthian­s 6:9–10 Do you not know that the unrighteou­s will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. eNeither fornicator­s, nor idolaters, nor adulterers­, nor homosexua­ls, nor sodomites­, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortione­rs will inherit the kingdom of God.

Romans 1:26–27 26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. You are getting by but not away. After death comes judgement for everyone.

tinbon434 - The Bible does not condemn homosexuality when it is put in historical and cultural context and read using reason, as Jesus did. Let's look at the Scripture you quoted.

You quoted Leviticus as condemning homosexuality because the Scripture says, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is an abomination." As a gay man, I do not have s e x with women, I have s e x with men. Thus, I do not lie with mankind as with womankind. This Scripture was not intended to condemn homosexuality.

You say that 1 Corinthians 6:9 condemns homosexuality. The King James translation states, "9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God."
This does not refer to homosexuality. It may condemn effeminate men, but there are effeminate straight and gay men just as there are masculine straight and gay men.

tinbon434 - As for Romans 1:26-27, you need to Paul's letter to the Romans in context. In Romans 1:21-28, Paul talks about people who refused to acknowledge and glorify God (v. 21), the worshipping of idols (v23), people who were more interested in earthly pursuits than spiritual pursuits (v.25), people who gave up their natural, innate passion for the opposite sex in search of pleasure (v. 26-27), and people who live lives full of covetousness, malice, envy, and hatred of God (v. 29-31).

Homosexuality is a natural part of human sexuality (for verification, check out the APA website). This reference is talking about heterosexual people who gave up their natural orientation to have s e x with people of the same gender in what Paul calls, "Their search for pleasure." It is not talking about gay people who naturally are attracted to people of the same gender.

One verse in Romans you might want to look up is Romans 2:1 which says, "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things."

MdNatureGirl - According to a recent Washington Post poll, more people in Maryland support gay marriage than disagree with it.

Do you really believe that? Take your head out of the sand,the Majority disagree with you. It doesent matter how many times you say it,its still not true! Where do you get your info from,the 700 club? Do you hate your country(that was built on tolerance) so much that let people be what they want to be! And talk about stupidity,this costs nobody any money! The greater good,for who? Nancy had been asleep for 10 years until she decided to run for office now we see her all over,talk about material and money! Go back to sleep!

Then you are supporting discrimination.

Well said! There are certain creatures that were created that way. Man however is not one of them.

Janice Hash - I am a Christian, but I recognize that since this bill is about civil marriage, not religious marriage, what the Bible says is irrelevant.

Amen

Civil rights should not be put to a public vote. If they were, much of the south would still be segregated. The rights of the minority must be protected from the tyranny of the majority.

How do you spell i-n-v-a-l-i-d-a-t-e-d ! Maybe alabama would like to put slavery up for referendum! Wait,did'nt they try that one in CA.? Hard to keep up from the bunker?

One spells it exactly as you have so threateningly done, Mr. Thompson. However, no matter which way a possible referendum goes, the fact remains that not one referendum has been upheld constitutionally. Even *if* a referendum nullified the work of the senators, the courts (you know, that other part of our checks and balances system) will likely overturn it.

Civil rights should not be put to a public vote. If they were, much of the south would still be segregated. The rights of the minority must be protected from the tyranny of the majority.

Well said. I have communicated with Delegate James on numerous occasions over the years, and she has made it clear that she will not fight for the legal equality of Harford county's LGBT citizens.

Shes no Democrat and I urge all to dump her next election.I'm surprised she has not switched yet. Democrats unite and remove all the small minded,backward thinking,reps we have! And we all know your cow wouldnt let you mary that easy goat of yours #$%&*!

nowlookatwhatyouvedone - It is scary how quickly you jump from a discussion about two people of the same sex getting married to your statement about marrying your goat. Do you think about marrying your goat often?

Oh, for sure! This is why we don't see any divorces resulting from marriages performed in a christian ceremony.

BTW Janice, the argument is about equality, not about whether homosexuals can procreate. Some heterosexuals (even the christians) do not bear children, and that does not make their marriage void. Should it?

Jim Bakker,Newt Gingrich,Jim Hagee,Jimmy Swaggart,Billy James Hargis,Marvin Gorman,Paul Crouch,Ted Haggard, and the list goes on of preachers whos marriages were christian based! Values like yours and the above mentioned crowd need to end as I think hypocrisy is the value you cherish most!

Please get your thoughts in order before spewing them! Homosexuality and pederasty are not the same thing. FACT: Most pederasts prey on those of the opposite gender.
1. If Jesus did not mention a subject, it cannot be essential to his teachings.
2. You are not being persecuted when prevented from persecuting others.
3. Truth isn’t like wine that gets better with age. It’s more like manna you must recognize wherever you are and whoever you are with.
4. You cannot call it “special rights” when someone asks for the same rights you have.
5. It is no longer your personal religious view if you’re bothering someone else.
6. Marriage is a civil ceremony, which means it’s a civil right.
7. If how someone stimulates the pubic nerve has become the needle to your moral compass, you are the one who is lost.
8. To condemn homosexuality, you must use parts of the Bible you don’t yourself obey. Anyone who obeyed every part of Leviticus would rightly be put in prison.
9. If we do not do the right thing in our day, our grandchildren will look at us with same embarrassment we look at racist grandparents.
10. When Jesus forbade judging, that included you.

MdNatureGirl - You are right, bigotry is perverted. As for whether or not being gay is healthy, homosexuality is considered a normal part of human sexuality by the following medical and mental health associations: The American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association, the Canadian Psychological Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.

As for people choosing to be gay, the American Psychological Association has stated that sexual orientation is not a choice.

Finally, how has homosexuality hurt children? Do you know what really hurts children? Judgmental people. Gay teens are 8 times as likely to attempt suicide than straight teens because of the rejection they experience from unaccepting families and the judgment they experience from hostile members of society.

Hmm... I do not believe you for one second. I bet you do not know many children thriving in a home with same sex parents! Also, how do you really know how those children feel? Yep! Just what I thought. Very immature mind you have. I do not hate gay people. I just do not agree with them. I am not angry . I just feel that it is selfish behavior on their part. Forcing their agenda onto children so that they as individuals can feel more normal and accepted also worries me. That is all. You cannot except that I do not agree with you. I am ok with that. But , I am not mean and negative because I do not agree. You just choose to believe that because I do not agree with you. So you therefor believe my comments to be hateful! I am ok with that. I know who I am! I am certainly not perfect.

OK. i dont ? glad to hear you seem to know my life better than i do . . . i am not immature, i am a mother to wonderful children who are growing up in a very loving home with same-sex parents. i teach my kids to love all people and not to judge others based on things like race, sexual orientation etc. i dont believe anyone is "forcing their agenda onto children" just because they have different beliefs than you may have. it is not selfish to live an honest life an be who you are, and for lgbt youth and adults it's not always easy, especially when you fear the rejection of your family and the people you love. we all have our own opinions and you can say what you want but you cant possibly know the journey and life of another person or group of people.

Well put, Jessica. I marvel at the way people against the idea will almost literally spew their feelings, such as MdNaturegirl, without a thought to actually looking into the "facts" they quote. Those of a more progressive bent have a duty to present proven facts, since it is our only ethical choice. At this, we are met with accusations of "anger." As Mr. Shakespeare once wrote, "Methinks thou dost protest too much." (sic)

MdNatureGirl - "The research indicates that the children of lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from the children of heterosexual parents in their development, adjustment, or overall well-being." - The American Psychological Association.

MdNatureGirl - "Human beings cannot choose to be either gay or straight." From an article written by the American Psychological Association in PsychCentral. You can verify at http://psychcentral.com/lib/2007/frequently-asked-questions-about-sexuality/all/1/

It is great that you are checking out the APA website. You can find information about homosexuality such as homosexuality being a normal part of human sexuality, high suicide rates among gay teens because of the judgment they feel from family and members of society, gay parents raising children that are as healthy as children raised by straight parents, etc.

If a child had his/her choice to pick their parents 100% would pick a mother and father. So when two dads decide to take on a family it is the children that have the repercussions in our society, not the two dads. Argue with me all you want...your Wrong!!!

You know exactly where I am going with that comment! Worries you. It should . Children look to adults ! It should concern you ! I am glad that it does worry you. Because it should! While I would typically say that no question is dumb. Your question is! If you cannot understand it . I am truly sorry for you !

James - I didn't know you could speak for every child in existence, or know what they all think.

James - According to the American Psychological Association, "Despite social hostility toward same-sex relationships, research shows that many lesbians and gay men form durable relationships." They add that it is, "Reasonable to suggest that the stability of same-sex couples might be enhanced if partners from same-sex couples enjoyed the same levels of support and recognition for their relationships as heterosexual couples do, i.e., legal rights and responsibilities associated with marriage."

Your statistics come from The Family Research Council, which is hardly an objective group. This right-wing group describes their mission on their website as, "Family Research Council champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization...Properly understood, "families" are formed only by ties of blood, marriage, or adoption, and "marriage" is a union of one man and one woman."

The American Psychological Association (APA) does not have a political agenda. Their mission, as found on their website, states, "APA seeks to advance psychology as a science, a profession, and as a means of promoting health, education, and human welfare."

Well said Foley! The truth hurts! Afterall, Deeg, you want us all to accept that it is a relationship! Should be considered the same! Right? Well it is not!

MdNatureGirl.....I ask two questions and you jump to all kinds of conclusions! Calm down!

You are so delusional and selfish! Selfish , selfish, selfish.

Peter - Well said! James, you might want to check out the American Psychological Association's Website which says, "The research indicates that the children of lesbian and gay parents do not differ markedly from the children of heterosexual parents in their development, adjustment, or overall well-being."

Read the article. It is just a point of view, nothing more, nothing less.

Deeg - You are right. And it is a very biased point of view. The facts in the article come from the Family Research Council, a right-wing group who describes their mission on their website as, "Family Research Council champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization...Properly understood, "families" are formed only by ties of blood, marriage, or adoption, and "marriage" is a union of one man and one woman."

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, has stated, "The FRC (Family Research Council) often makes false claims about the LGBT community based on discredited research and junk science. You can read more about the FRC at http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/family-research-council

James Foley - According to AARP, "In the next several decades, LGBT adults age 65 and above is expected to double, reaching more than 3 million by 2030." I think you will see plenty of gay grandmas and grandpas on porches in upcoming years.

As for "Family values," I think teaching children that discrimination and bigotry are wrong is one of the best lessons they can learn.

Because they don't get out and try to convince everyone that gay Marriage is against the Koran and expect everyone to believe as they do about it!

I am a Christian, but I realize that since this is a civil marriage issue, not a religious marriage issue, what the Bible has to say about it is irrelevant.

Even in our country I do not get lots of Muslims prostelitizing me and convincing me that there belief system is king!

"I distrust those people who know so well what
God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."

Susan B Anthony

Apparently God does approve of marriage equality. The recent events in Maryland are prove of that. Who are we to question? I am a heterosexual woman married to a man and I support the right of two consenting adults to marry regardless of their gender.

Christine - Well said!

You are correct. People pick and choose the flavor of discrimination they practice to mask their own insecurities.

Take for instance: The Bible says in Leviticus 19:28, "Do not cut your bodies for the dead, and do not mark your skin with tattoos. I am the Lord."

Why aren't these same people picketing tattoo parlors?

How could you possibly know that? Please don't let your feelings on the issue cloud your judgement. I am simply going on the facts as I read and see them. 31 States voted against Gay marriage when it was put up for a vote after the state legislators went against the will of the people and tried to pass it anyway.So I think your statement about most Md. people support Gay marriage is facetious.Look I have no horse in this race I am looking at it from a legislative point of view and the Govt State and Federal are supposed to be "by the people and for the people" and clearly on this issue they are not heeding this basic principe.

Mark, as many people have noted, civil rights should not be decided by public vote. The framers were very worried about majority tyranny over minorities. If a majority of Marylanders voted to ban interracial marriage (as they may have 60 years ago), would you support that under your unqualified "by the people and for the people" principle?

That's a hard question--one far above my pay grade. I have no doubt that there are some against same-sex marriage that would be okay with civil unions. But judging by many people I have come across, that number is not so large. Earlier, Mark, you said, "Most have no issue with laws that would recognize a civil union extending the right to gay people that traditional married people have." Unfortunately I don't think this is the case. Many think even extending basic rights to same-sex couples is immoral, against their religion, etc. etc. I hope I'm wrong and you're right.

Many people who are opposed to gay marriage are against it mainly for that one reason - the redefinition of the word 'marriage'. Civil unions with every last one of the rights and responsibilities of marriage would have been in place years ago if the self-selected leaders and spokespersons (another invented word) of the 'gay community' didn't push so hard for 'we want it and we want it under our terms exactly the way we want it or we'll resist.'

Stubborn people sometimes get what they deserve - a big delay in achieving their goals and many lingering hurt feelings on both sides along the way.

Phil - What you say is not entirely correct. The Catholic Church is opposed to both gay marriage and civil unions, and the Church has used its considerable resources to oppose both.

It is important to remember that we are talking about civil marriage, not religious marriage. Thus, what the Catholic Church or any religion has to say on the subject is irrelevant.

well good luck, I believe the resolution will fall somewhere in the middle and both sides won't get entirely what they want. BTW I am a conservative.Were not all homophobic religious radicals.