What "Tradition" of Marriage are they talking about?

Republicans like to say they are defending marriage when they oppose giving gay and lesbians the same civil rights as everyone else. Looking at a history of marriage which “traditional” marriage are they defending?

The Hebrews believed in Polygamy and according to the bible King Solomon had hundreds of wives and hundreds of concubines. Polygamy was practiced in Africa, China, America and is still practiced in some Muslim cultures.

The First Marriages where over 4,000 years ago and where a way for the rich to keep their power or grow their empire. They would marry off daughters to forge alliances, acquire land. Even with the poor class women where not allowed to marry for love but where traded as property.

The church was not involved in marriage until they made et one of the seven sacraments and that wasn’t until 1215. It wasn’t until the 16^th century that weddings involved a priest and witnesses. Even at this point marriage had nothing to do with love but as an exchange of property and to protect the ruling class.

It wasn’t till about 300 years ago that people started marrying for love and with the rise of unions based on love and not property divorce became common. Still Wives where considered property and not as equals and only people of the same race could marry.

If they are defending the Bible versions of marriage then why haven’t Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh been stoned to death yet since both have been married multiple times? How many are willing to marry their brothers widow and raise his kids as their own?

Here is a fact you won’t hear from republicans, Gay Marriage dates back to before the 13^th century when two men could go though the same bonding ceremony as a man and a women. It wasn’t until 1306 when these unions where considered “unchristian” that they stopped.

Marriage has changed hundreds of times over the last couple centuries but they are refusing to change it back to the 13^th century version where 2 people in love could get married no matter the sex. Next time a republican tells you he’s defending the tradition of marriage by refusing to allow gays to get married ask him which tradition, then offer him two pieces of silver and a goat for his daughter.