Should I be allowed to marry?

Just back from a much-needed vacation. And per hearing the Religious Right Wing of the USA voice their reasons for being against gay marriage, per the state government vote in New York state, I have a question for those people:

I'm an Atheist, my husband is an Atheist, and we decided not to have children. Therefore, by your definition of marriage, should we have been allowed to marry?

The answer, based on what I'm hearing from you - that marriage is a sacrament of God and its purpose is to have children - must be a resounding NO. You folks saying gay marriage is impossible cannot believe an Atheist should have the right to get married, nor that someone who has chosen not to have children should have the right to get married, based on your arguments against gay marriage.

So, why did I get married? It wasn't to have any government sanction of my love for the man who is now my husband, and my lifelong commitment to him - I don't need any certificate to show that. I got married because:

• if I'm in the hospital, I want my husband to be able to be with me, and if he's in the hospital, I want full access to him as well. Going with a health care proxy will NOT grant me access to him, or him to me, in all circumstances, unlike being married.
• if I get great health care coverage, I want him to get that coverage as well (and vice versa!)
• if I am unable to make decisions for myself, I want my family - and that's my husband - to make those decisions for me
• if I die, I want him to have all my stuff and do with it what I want, because I know he'll follow my last wishes, because I trust him, because he is my family
• I want to legally be responsible for him, and him for me, in the eyes of the law
• if he wins the lottery, I want half!
  

That's what gay people want as well as married couples. Indeed, many of them also want the right to have or adopt children as well, as married parents - they see marriage as you religious folks do, as something that greatly contributes to the raising of happy, healthy children.

How can a religious person say gays should not be allowed to get married without also saying Atheists who are not going to have children should not be allowed to get married? There's no way to deny it to gays without also denying it to Atheists, based on your own arguments!

And Atheists - that should freakin' scare the hell out of you.

On a final note: why did I not only have the official, secular state marriage procedure, but also have a Godless marriage ceremony for family and friends? Because I wanted to celebrate my marriage with the people I love, to celebrate our friends for loving us and supporting us. And we drank a LOT of wine at our wedding - just like Jesus.

(for those of you looking for marriage vow ideas for your secular wedding ceremony, contact me - I'm happy to share ours)