gay marriage

Someone just asked me what I thought of gay marriage. This is what I replied:


Politically, gay marriage would not be the first thing for me to deal with.

One the one hand, I think people should be allowed to do what they please as long as it's not hurting someone else or lying (British Common Law), even though I beleive that gay marriage, adultery, and other stuff is morally wrong, psychologically damaging, and practically stupid.

On the other hand, religion has given us even the most fundamental laws. We shouldn't kill eachother becase all people are made in Gods image, and we shouldn't destroy Gods image or his artwork. So I don't know if restricting laws to the simple 'don't hurt and don't lie' is legitimate.

This is what I would do. If deciding the laws of America, I would take away any laws that made mention of religious issues. (pro/anit gay marriage, national prayer day, changing the national anthem, giving tax benefits to churches, maybe even marriage)

However, I would strongly encourage areas that have high concentrations (say 80%)of people who beleive a certain moral thing beyond normal law to make it into law for that area. Different areas (like states and counties) will then become different. The differentiation of areas under different laws will, over time, give information as to whether or not those are laws that make an area more prosperous or not. So, in my belief, an area that allows gay marriage will get messed up faster than an area that outlaws it. Then people will see what is best and what isn't.

I call it 'free market laws' or something like that. States and counties, like companies, offer a certain product (the laws, the environment, the services) for a certain price (taxes and other inconveniences). The states compete for the best product, and through market forces find the best product, which I hope is ethical.
P.S. the same principle applies to countries.

Knowing sinful people, this might not happen, I guess. But at least this way one or two states, or even counties, can stand out as being super-religious, and these will be a haven for righteous people to flee to. Back in the days of expansion (1700s), you could just take your religious movement to the wide 'new world', now, most of it's occupied (unless you want to move the the desert/mountains/tundra), so we have to rely on other forms of migration.