California gay marriage ban - not necessarily a bad thing.

I actually don't think this is a big deal, and I think people who are outraged should get over it, and need to look at it from a different perspective.

First, yes it is a civil right violation - but there are FAR more serious violations of civil rights that are going on in the US, and I understand that minority groups are concerned with rights for their group - but there are bigger issues.

Now, equal legal rights for same sex couples is important. But marriage isn't. Here's why:

Marriage is basically a religious institution. The legal part of marriage is just about the legal rights of couples (which need to be available to same sex couples). Marriage is a symbolic thing that might be important to some people - but it shouldn't be. Putting the focus on demanding gay marriage be recognized is based on the assumption that the church and state have the authority to recognize and sanction their relationship. They don't.

I don't recognize that the church or the state have the authority or the right to 'recognize' my relationships. Legal rights, yes.

The actual marriage part is not important - I can understand how some people see it as an important symbol of human rights. But it isn't.

The biggest argument ignorant people have about same sex marriage is that it will "undermine the institution of marriage." That's ridiculous because by changing marriage to allow same sex couples it is actually reinforcing and strengthening the institution of marriage. Same sex couples have the opportunity to undermine marriage by not recognizing the external authority to institutionalize a relationship.

Take the basic legal rights that need to be available to everyone. Empower yourself by not recognizing unnecessary impositions of external authority.