Nebraska Man Faces Excommunication for Speaking Out Against Marriage Ban

Marriage is a human right, not just a civil right. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states: (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution. (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses. (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations, which included the United States as a signatory, on December 10, 1948. (60 years ago!) And note that it says "men and women", not "a man and a woman".

In response D Lounsbury's remarks concerning marriage as a human right, I might point out that black slaves were denied the right to marry and form families because they were considered less than human and unable to have deep familial attachments that white families had. This is the logic that is used the deny civil marriage to same sex couples. Marriage conveys a certain status to a relationship that is recognized by both civil, governmental and religious groups. Most antigay marrige groups feel that giving marriage rights to same sex couples "cheapens and devalues" marriage for heterosexuals, because same sex couples can't possibly feel the same depth of feeling for one another as heterosexuals can. The Supreme Court of the US gave marriage rights to convicted murderers on death row because denying them the right to marry violated the most human of relationships- that of marriage. If that's not a "human right" I don't know what is.

Mr. or Ms. Lounsbury, You are wrong. Marriage is in fact a fundamental right of US citizens according to the US Supreme Court. Quoting their decision from the 1967 case of Loving v. Virginia: "Marriage is one of the "basic civil rights of man," fundamental to our very existence and survival." So you're wrong on that point. Denying marriage to same-sex couples is in fact quite similar to denying interracial couples the rights and responsibilities of marriage. The denial is based on animus directed towards the individuals attempting to make the union, because you have a problem with their lifestyle. So you would agree that "your gay friends" should be free from discrimination in housing and public services, but you would still deny them the basic civil right of marriage? You may not think that equates to racial bigotry, but I certainly do. Sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable with your position on the issue, but maybe you should be uncomfortable.

To equate opposition to gay marriage with racism violates every principle of basic logic taught in every freshman philosophy class at college. Racism is a belief that someone's ethnicity or race makes them subhuman or less human than yourself and that such status is a legitimate reason to deny thid other group basic human rights. Marriage is not a human right under any definition of human rights. It is at a minimum a civil contract, at most a sacred union before God, angels and witnesses. To deny or oppose the extension of marriage to same sex partners is not a human rights volation. My gay friends are obviously not less than human if unmarried and are still entitled to be free from discrimination in housing, college admissions, public services, etc. One may certainly disgree with those who oppose same sex marriage. However, to equate the Mormon church's stand against marriage to racism is feebleminded and emotion driven.

CONGRATULATIONS! Now if he'd just denounce the whole "religion" thing as one giant made-up stuperstition (yes, I wanted it to be spelled that way), then I'd congratulate him even more.

Thank you for your incredible courage, Mr. Callahan. I will be praying for you, and I will be praying for the LDS to see the truth of your words.

Thank you for your courage, Mr. Callahan. Though I do not share your denomination (I'm a United Methodist), I greatly appreciate your principled stand against the hierarchy of your church, something that I'm sure you have not undertaken lightly. You will have my prayers on Friday night as you face the disciplinary council.

Apostasy! Isn't that what happened on the Golden Girls when Dorothy got kicked out of the Elvis "Hunka Hunka Burning Love" fan club? Those silly silly (and stupid stupid) Mormon morons.