TemplarKormac
Political Atheist
Again, definitions do not change,.No, words are not that as we may choose to define them to be in order to fit that which we wish.First, according to Johnson's dictionary of the English language (1755 edition) a marriage is very simply defined as ....
"A contract between a man and a woman"
And according to the dictionary today it is;
Marriage:
1. (broadly) any of the diverse forms of interpersonal union established invarious parts of the world to form a familial bond that is recognizedlegally, religiously, or socially, granting the participating partners mutual conjugal rights and responsibilities and including, for example,opposite-sex marriage, same-sex marriage, plural marriage, and arranged marriage:
Marriage Define Marriage at Dictionary.com
Marriage is our invention. It is whatever we say it is. We say it includes same sex couples. And our assessment is as authoritative in our era as the assessment of those in the past was in theirs.
In 37 of 50 States, marriage includes same sex couples. With that number likely to increase to 50 of 50 in June. Progress is a wonderful thing.
Actually, that's exactly what words are. They change as their meaning and usage change. That's why we keep printing new editions of dictionaries every year. Because the meaning and usage of words change over time. This is especially true of legal definitions, which change with any statutory adjustment.
You can ignore the dictionary if you wish. You can ignore the courts if you wish. You can ignore the law if you wish. But your willful ignorance doesn't change a thing. Marriage still includes same sex couples. Its still recognized in 37 of 50 States. And its still likely to be recognized in 50 of 50 States by June.
Get used to the idea.
Definitions change all of the time.
Look at the definition of 'Truck'
A truck is a truck. It isn't a car, it isn't a bicycle, it is a truck. It can have 18 wheels or four.