Cameron: "Let's export gay marriage!"

[MrGongGong]

Actually, what was in my mind was a report I read literally days ago somewhere about some ethnic groups still circumcising women to stop then getting enjoyment from sex. There was an interview with one who had had it done ... very sad and unpleasant.

FGM is a serious issue indeed
as is the treatment of women by the Catholic church
and the role of women in many other sects , not just what YOU term "ethnic"
(what on earth is a "non ethnic" group anyway ? not a very useful term methinks)

so pay attention, Mr GG!

and less of the patronising tone if you don't mind

[Bryn]

This procreational aspect of marriage is such an illusion. Did we really think that Camilla & Chas were going to start having children when they got married at Windsor Registry Office?

The Windsor Guildhall, please, (the finalising of the designs and building of which was overseen by a local chap by the name of Christopher Wren). A certain David Furnish also got hitched to some singer/pianist there.

[scottycelt]

... you admit that things change; and say that you have seen and welcomed changes.

So why are you resisting this particular change?

Are you now advocating that any change, even bad change, should be automatically considered as good change ... ?

[amateur51]

The Windsor Guildhall, please, (the finalising of the designs and building of which was overseen by a local chap by the name of Christopher Wren). A certain David Furnish also got hitched to some singer/pianist there.

And they've had children (two is it?) too.

Apols for misnaming the hitching post.

[KipperKid]

My ability to have children and be a good parent has nothing whatsoever to do with whether I am married or not

But your huge car could mitigate your chances.

[Barbirollians]

As much as I cannot abide Mr Cameron - whose conversion to the equality agenda I find highly expedient and no more - as far as same sex marriage is concerned I cannot help but think " get over it " the legislation is passed , it will not be reversed .

[amateur51]

Are you now advocating that any change, even bad change, should be automatically considered as good change ... ?

There's some mighty wriggling going on in the streets of Alderley Edge tonight.

[Simon]

Millions of children in UK these days are born outside marriage. If that is your intrinsic definition of marriage 9a legally and religously sanctioned relationship within which to have children), the marriage is in a bad state, say I. People have raised two fingers to it and walked the other way.

Sorry

Nothing to say sorry about - it's OK to have different views, as long as we are civil. I understand your point.

I wonder, though, whether those who have stuck two fingers up at it and had miilions of kids outside marriage may bear much of the responsibility for the breakdown in behavior codes of many of those children. Did feral 13 year old kids roam around streets high on drugs or solvents, mugging old people, in the 50s and 60s, when most children were in stable family groups? I wasn't around then, so I don't know.

What I do know is that the idea that we all have the right to have what we want and to do what we want and hang the consequences is the attitude that has caused mopst of the problems. Some blame it on capitalism and greed, largely based on the wideneing access to credit and on the blatant commercialism gone mad, begun in the 60s; some blame it on irresponsible liberalism and unrestricted so-called freedoms of the individual begun in the 60s.

Me, I blame it on both! With rights and freedoms come obligations and responsibilities, whether of those profiting financially from the system or socially within it. Neither group, in my view, has faced up to this aspect, and both are paying the price for greed and irresponsibilty.

[scottycelt]

There's some mighty wriggling going on in the streets of Alderley Edge tonight.

I'll take your word for it ... I don't live there. And in any case I'm not in the slightest interested what weird liberal behaviour goes on in the streets of that creepy pagan village of witches and warlocks.

[Flosshilde]

Because it turns marriage into something else.

No, it adds to marriage; it doesn't change it, or take anything away, or destroy it - it simply adds another layer to something that already means different things to different people

[Simon]

I'll take your word for it ... I don't live there. And in any case I'm not in the slightest interested what weird liberal behaviour goes on in the streets of that creepy pagan village of witches and warlocks.

LOL! It's not that bad, Scotty - but I know what you mean. I and my mates spent some happy times up there when younger - it's only 40 minutes away from here by car. It used to be full of extremely attractive girls, whose dads were stockbrokers and similar. No doubt still is...

[MrGongGong]

I wonder, though, whether those who have stuck two fingers up at it and had miilions of kids outside marriage may bear much of the responsibility for the breakdown in behavior codes of many of those children. .

So do you have some EVIDENCE that children in non married families are more dysfunctional ?
I'm not saying it's not true but there's a lot of received wisdom about these days .............

[Anna]

LOL! it's only 40 minutes away from here by car. It used to be full of extremely attractive girls, Iwhose dads were stockbrokers and similar.

What have I stumbled into ............. ???

[MrGongGong]

What have I stumbled into ............. ???

Are senior academics allowed to use the phrase LOL ?

(I know FF ....... :peace:)

[scottycelt]

No, it adds to marriage; it doesn't change it, or take anything away, or destroy it - it simply adds another layer to something that already means different things to different people

So we can now add the additional layer of an elephant trunk to a giraffe and still call it a giraffe cos it really doesn't change a thing, as a giraffe might already mean different things to different people?

Gotcha, Flossie!