Nice way for everyone to miss RedMule's point -
But what I REALLY don't understand is why the religious ideas of any one group of people should have any impact on our country's secular laws at all?
We didn't allow Mormons to have plural wives. If muslims pushed for multiple wives based on their religion, we wouldn't allow it.
While I agree the goat can't actually consent - RedMule did specify the participants were all consenting, so focusing on that point is fairly stupid.
You don't want to marry someone of the same gender? don't do it. Your religion doesn't want to recognize same sex couples? it doesn't have to.
As with RedMule, I don't care about the biblical definition of marriage. If you all are blind to the inconsistencies and flaws of the bible and you still keep insisting that it contains your truth - that's your problem. It should not affect the laws of our country.
The rest of us who aren't brainwashed by religion - and that includes many religious people, although not all the ones on this board - can see the difference between the marriages the state recognizes and those the religion recognizes. And we also understand this is a civil rights issue, a 14th amendment equal protection issue, and actually in keeping with our country's overall values. Besides, in general most of us think it's good for society to have stable married couples who have responsibilities to each other and to their children.
In these days of high divorce rates, while there is no guarantee the marriage will last, the legal responsibilities to the children do last.
So... religious people who can't get your nose out of the highly flawed biblical texts (or torah or talmud or koran/qur'an) - so what? interpret them as you will. But don't try to set our legal system based on your interpretation of your religious text