Iowa is a surprising place

[toes in the sand]

Lex, it would seem that you disapprove of those who can spend all day here posting and also disapprove of those who can only "pop in" to post their viewpoint. What is the appropriate contribution rate for your authored threads?

I ask this because your reference to trolls and such have appeared twice now following shortly after my contributions to recent off topic forum threads. If your troll comments are directed at another in this thread I appologize for my confusion. If they are directed at me, please don't be afraid to step up and say so.

[cypressgirl]

Lex, it would seem that you disapprove of those who can spend all day here posting and also disapprove of those who can only "pop in" to post their viewpoint. What is the appropriate contribution rate for your authored threads?

I ask this because your reference to trolls and such have appeared twice now following shortly after my contributions to recent off topic forum threads. If your troll comments are directed at another in this thread I appologize for my confusion. If they are directed at me, please don't be afraid to step up and say so.

Toes, I was wondering the same thing. If I'm a troll, I guess it's because I have an opposing viewpoint. I don't think being called a troll is a compliment. BTW, I don't have a job, so if I wanted to post all day long, as some do, it's not on office time.

[Chickadee]

There are some illegal relationships (incestuous, polygamous, adults involved with minors), but homosexual relationships are not illegal (although some people may not approve of them). And as long as homosexuality is legal, why wouldn't a same sex couple be able to marry?

I apologize that I have not read this entire thread and maybe this has been addressed previously... but it's something I have been curious about for a long time. I am not a particularly eloquent person, so please don't read anything into this other than genuine curiosity.

I imagine, in the way back times, people began forming groups and pairs on their own as a matter of survival. Eventually, something came along that defined a man and a woman living together in a committed way as "marriage". Was that religion or governance? I guess I thought it was religion. Then, probably out of record keeping necessity, government stepped in and started keeping track of people in general and of relationships.

When and why, then, did government begin to regulate relationships (ref. Lex's post)? When and why does government have the authority to grant any rights, benefits or restrictions on or to people based on their religiously-defined status (ie, why to married people get tax breaks or health benefits but couples - same sex or otherwise - do not)? Are priests/ministers/rabbis/nuns treated differently by the government? What about adulterers, idolators (is that a word?), saints, martyrs?

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[toes in the sand]

Now we can add the Supreme Court of the state of California as a suprising place.