People who are anti-gay marriage often use several of these as reasons why they are against gay marriage. Well my personal opinion is that they are ridiculous and here's why. It'll be the arguments first and then my comments.

Traditionally, marriage is between a man and a woman. And traditionally we had slaves. And black people were lynched. And women weren't allowed to vote. And we thought the world was flat. Traditions change when people become more educated about the world around them and the people that live in it with them. When it comes down to basics, are we not all the same? We are all humans who are born, live and will eventually die. Half the wars and arguments that have gone on in the world are people fighting for the right to choose what they do in between. Yet people will not accept that this tradition should change just like the ones before it have.

Many argue that by allowing gay marriage, it is making marriage less sacred. As long as divorce happens, marriage isn't sacred. As long as drunken marriages happen, marriage isn't sacred. How is that someone can stand up and say that by letting a couple in a long-term, committed relationship who just happen to be the same sex get married, the sanctity of marriage is lost? Yet that same person wouldn't say the same of two random strangers who met in Vegas, got drunk, went to get married and divorced a few weeks later. And what about those who get married for green cards or other fraud? To some, marriage is still sacred. To others, it never was. That can't be blamed on the sex of the couple. It is the couple themselves who should be blamed.

What about the argument that involves children? Marriage is for procreation? Children shouldn't grow up with two gay parents? If marriage was only to produce children, then infertile couples should surely not be allowed to marry. Or what about couples who don't want children? Or couples who already have children from a previous marriage but won't be having any in this marriage? Should they have to surrender their right to marry? And it's funny how people are worried about a child being brought up in a loving home with two parents of the same sex and yet they don't mind children being brought up with murderers, child molesters, convicted felons. Surely that's more of an issue?

Now what about the argument that says if we allow gay marriage, we may as well allow incest, bigamy and all of that? Quite frankly, that's ridiculous. Heterosexual marriage consists of two consenting adults wanting to profess their love in front of their family and friends. Homosexual marriage is the same. The only difference is the gender of said adults. People aren't suddenly going to go "Oh two men can marry so two brothers must be able to marry too!" That's ludicrous. And still the murderers, molesters and felons can marry without anyone so much as batting an eye.

If gay marriage was legal, we'd be promoting homosexuality in schools. Now that's bull. What is promoted in school is equality for everyone no matter what colour, religion, gender, orientation or anything like that. If you specifically don't promote homosexuality in schools then you are promoting bigotry. It's not as if people are going to say "Gay marriage is legal therefore I must become gay." Just because skydiving is legal doesn't mean everyone is forever jumping out of planes now does it?

Now what about the whole "Churches would be forced to marry people against their will" argument? That's downright loco. Many churches don't support interracial marriages, interfaith marriages, second marriages, etc. Are they illegal? No. Because the church isn't the only place people can get married. If a church doesn't want to conduct gay marriages, fine. Some may not agree with it but it is still their right to say no to it just like they can say no to any other marriage, heterosexual or not. That still doesn't mean that just because one place won't, thousands of others wouldn't be perfectly fine to marry a same-sex couple.

For the moment, my final argument is the religious argument. "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." All those who are against gay marriage probably know that off by heart. Leviticus 18:22. Did you also know that the Bible says you should be put to death if you work on the Sabbath? "On six days work may be done, but the seventh day shall be sacred to you as the sabbath of complete rest to the Lord. Anyone who does work on that day shall be put to death." Exodus 35:2. And the reason why people don't go round killing everyone they see working on a Sunday? Because the Bible was written a very long time ago and people understand that things have changed now. It's funny how people are so quick to quote the Bible to use as an argument against gay marriage but the minute you bring up anything else, you get all the "Yeah... Well... Urm..." And that's without bringing up all the contradictions in the Bible itself. Ever thought about how the Bible says it's perfectly normally for a man to sell his daughter as a slave (Exodus 21:7) but is an abomination for two men in love to profess that love?