You know, klinton, I really am trying to understand.

To get back to the issue, setting aside the Christianity aspect for a minute, I understand gays wanting to live together. And while I've met and know many gay men (although only one lesbian) I've never heard them express a desire for gay marriage.
From my own experience, very few gays even want to be part of the Christian church, and are virtually all atheist that I've met.

That's largely why I see gay marriage as a trumped-up gay activist ploy, rather than a legitimate desire for marriage.

Again, if gays want to live together, it's a free country, and many heterosexual couples do the same, and simply live together, bypassing the issue of Christianity and marriage.

The point where I have a problem with HETEROsexual unmarried cohabitation is when children are involved. I really feel sorry for kids who grow up without legitimate parents. Which is the same reason I also oppose gay adoption.

But again if gay men (and women) want to live together, that's their right, and many companies already offer spousal-type benefits to gay couples (Ben & Jerry's in Vermont was the first I heard of). Gays already HAVE the right to cohabitate together, be openly gay, and even show affection and hold hands in public. I fail to see why gay marriage is necessary. Except to piss off Christian conservatives and attempt to change their concept of marriage out from under them, against scripture.

Gays have freedom. If they pushed for no other legal changes, they would find far less resistance. Why does every last institution have to be overturned? And why would you assume that is not threatening to the conservative/traditional mainstream?