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New Zealand votes to legalise same-sex marriage

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I recommend watching this - from the New Zealand Herald. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCDEiaoEP2U

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@BurakuminDes 1893 - New Zealand - With the extension of voting rights to women in 1893, the self-governing British colony became first permanently-constituted jurisdiction in the world to grant universal adult suffrage. Suffrage previously having been universal for Māori men over 21 from 1867, and for European males from 1879.

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A sad day, when a country like New Zealand decides to re define marriage. I support the rights of homosexuals to live in freedom without harrassment, and to have "civil partnerships" if they so wish, but marriage for ever will be the union of one man and one woman. Anything outside of that is against the laws of God. Marriage was in the beginning, from ancient times, been a divinely - appointed union, between a man and a woman. Children are conceived through this sacred union. Children can never be conceived in a marital union between two men or two women. It is impossible, because it is in contradiction to the basic natural order of the universe. We were created in families. A man, the husband, and a woman, his wife. That is the natural way for the procreation of mankind. Therefore, the true definition of "marriage" can only ever be between one man and one woman. Of course, two men and two women can love each other, and form a loving relationship with each other, but their relationship can never be called "marriage." Such a union is just not possible, no matter what is decided by a crowd of politicians, or society at large. Homosexuals have the right to live with each other in a relationship if they so desire, but I fail to see why they want to call it "marriage," because it can never be that. True marriage is between one man and one woman.

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As a Kiwi, I'm proud of this move. Also of note is that NZ was the first country on the planet to grant voting rights to women, in 1927.

Actually, the first country to do so would be your neighbours over the ditch, mate. We in Australia have always granted universal suffrage for women and men - since we became a nation in 1901. However, you have beaten Aussie on this - good luck to you and all the couples there. I wonder when Australia, Japan etc will follow?

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If NZ isn't smote by God within a week, then I guess this law has the tacit approval of the big man.

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KiwiJP - agreed. That waiata after the vote result was announced had me in tears. :-)

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? New Zealand and Australia are two seperate sovereign countries.

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WHen I visited australia it looked pretty free over down there. I guess this is not a surprise for aussies at all.

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The scenes in Parliament last night were deeply moving. It's entirely about equality. All people should have the same rights under law regardless of who they love. Thank you to those who have brought hope to many people.

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As a Kiwi, I'm proud of this move. Also of note is that NZ was the first country on the planet to grant voting rights to women, in 1927.

"But Suzy Prime was “totally opposed” to the change, raising concerns about the impact on children raised in same-sex marriages."

This "harm on the children" issue is largely groundless. Research has shown children of gay couples suffer no significant issues as a result of having same sex parents. 

The elephant in the room, of course, in terms of comments like the one above, is the devastating effect that the divorce rate of hetero couples has on children. Many opponents of gay marriage seem to very conveniently overlook this.  To maintain any credible in this debate, heteros need to get their act together and address the divorce rate. If a majority of hetero couples can't even keep their marriages together, what on earth are they doing trying to block others from the same right?

Biology and children? No. Older couples who can never have kids can get married.

I've studied this debate a lot and 2 key issues arise every time:

1/ Religious/Christian conservatives are typically against it, because their Bible tells them homosexuality is a 'sin.' I find hat staggering: their holy book tells what they mist rail against an oppose. (which gives me hope hat a lot of the anti gay mariage protests coming from Christian isn't personal).

2/ It's all about a definition.  Again, religious/Christian conservatives are very uptight about expanding the definition of the (translated) word 'marriage' to include unions of gay couples. I've even read that gay marriage will 'destroy' and 'weaken' marriage as we know it.  Both claims are simply ludicrous. It may 'destroy' (actually, more like 'expand') the definition of marriage; who is that going to affect? Only those who let it affect them.  'Weaken' marriage? Again, rubbish. Allowing more people to get married strengthens the institution of marriage. There's nothing good at all about children with same sex parents who legally can't marry. 

“I don’t think there’s a need for marriage," she said. “We already have a law that they can be together with their civil rights. I don’t have a problem with that but I don’t think it’s right to go beyond that and allow marriage.”

The smell of bigotry in that statement is terrible. 

MP Maurice Williamson nailed the religious "argument" well last night in Parliament in a speech that went global:

"I've had a reverend in my local electorate say, 'The gay onslaught will start the day this law is passed.'

"Well, we are struggling to know what the gay onslaught will look like," he joked.

"We don't know if it will come down the Pakuranga highway as a series of troops or whether it will be a gas that flows over the electorate that blocks us all in."

The Pakuranga MP concluded by noting that, contrary to claims that the marriage equality bill was responsible for New Zealand's drought, it was actually "pouring with rain" in his electorate.

And after the rain stopped, "we had the most enormous big gay rainbow across my electorate," Williamson said.

"It has to be a sign."

I'm glad New Zealand has grown up in this regard.

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Although it should be noted that reliable polling of the public showed that a majority were against this move.

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