Regardless of whether you believe homosexuality to be a sin or the epitome of bliss, the fact of the matter is that the relationships homosexuals have with each other isn't marriage, and to ask the government to force others to accept your view on the subject is just plain wrong. It seems odd to me that, instead of asking people to accept them for who they are and their relationship for what it is, they are asking us to recognize them as married, as if they were merely eccentric heterosexuals. To do so only lends credence to the notion that the primary, fundamental human relationship is the union of a man and a woman. It also glosses over the distinctions between the union of man and woman and that of two people who, ostensibly, love each other.
Gays would do better just to be honest about their relationships. Even though my fellow heterosexuals do things with other heterosexuals I personally find morally objectionable, we can continue to treat each other like human beings because we are honest with each other, and honest about our disagreement on moral issues. It keeps the discussion open. But it seems like gays and lesbians have a problem with terms such as girlfriend or boyfriend, and oddly believe that a culture in which committed, non-marriage relationships are the norm, will not understand their relationship unless it's called marriage. As if we've never loved anyone passionately or deeply.
But with such dishonesty going on, an open dialogue is impossible. It is difficult for gays to understand the opposing point of view - that marriage is more than just a committed relationship, that it is more than just a matter of how two people feel about each other. Marriage - as traditionally understood - is the only relationship from which new life comes into the world, and is the best relationship in which to raise children. Having myself been raised for a portion of my life without my father in the home, I wouldn't wish the experience on anyone. No one would doubt the love of my mother, but she just wasn't a father when I needed one. And yet I see lesbians adopting children, who lack even the ability to understand the emotional harm they'll inflict on their adopted child. They really, genuinely don't see what a mother and father give to their children, nor understand the joy of bringing your spouse's child into the world. To have a loving relationship sanctioned by God seems a concept beyond their reach.
And I don't blame gays or lesbians for being the way they are. I blame the rest of the world for suggesting that the basis and core of marriage is simply a strong love for someone else. I blame the sympathizers who - without any understanding of real marriage in the first place - suggest that gay and lesbian relationships are equivalent to the one I have with my wife, in spite of the profound moral and logical ignorance of such a position. The debate over marriage has never been about "who people love", but rather, about the role and expectations of marriage in society. From a governmental point of view, marriage is treated differently, and needs special treatment, only because it is the relationship from which new life comes into the world. It is the genesis of the family, which is crucial to the health of our society.
The debate about marriage is not about discriminating against homosexuals, but recognizing the merits of the traditional family. If you chose not to go that route - and many very holy people have - fine. But making that choice doesn't entitle you to the treatment given to those of us who have. Those of us who marry spouses of the opposite sex take on a commitment and role in society that gay and lesbian couples will never do. Again, from a social perspective, there's nothing wrong with not getting married. But we are a people capable of recognizing fine distinctions in relationships, and we must be honest with each other if we expect all people to be treated with dignity and respect. Calling the union of two homosexuals marriage isn't respecting them; rather, it suggests that you really wish they'd married someone of the opposite sex. In other words, you don't understand their relationship, and would rather avoid conflict than come to terms with what their relationship is really about.