[Colonel]

Originally Posted by ninty9

I suppose you could equate this to religion seemingly becoming more popular in the US, while religion is being rooted out in other countries.

ninty9, you have hit on what is leading to the religious backlash in this country. The pendulum has been swinging towards the attitude that we have freedom of speech as long as you don't talk about God, or that the founding fathers really meant that we should have freedom from religion, not freedom of religion. The silent majority has finally stood up and taken a stand. This will swing the pendulum back...until they get complacent again (which they will) and the pendulum will swing again.

As for homosexuality. I don't believe it is "normal". (assuming what is normal will always be in the majority) If homosexuality was the norm we would have trouble fighting off extinction. That doesn't mean that gays should be persecuted. (sp?)

It's probably only a matter of semantics but I think "marriage" as a term and an institution should be reserved for a union between a man and a woman. I agree with Stackem that some type of Civil Union could be established to help protect gay partners from loss of property in the event one of them dies. (for example)