What Does "Gay Marriage" Mean?

The New York Times has been reporting on a petition to the Supreme Court supporting gay marriage that has been signed by over 100 Republicans, which has led to speculation of a shift in the party's overall stance. Rather than having a political debate over whether homosexual couples should have the "right to marry" or not, I think a more relevant conversation is to understand exactly what a marriage is. Once we understand that, we are in a better position to evaluate what role the government should play. Maybe a better title would be simply "What Does 'Marriage' Mean?" to better reflect the lack of understanding on this issue!

So, rather than discuss the biblical definition of marriage, I'd like to point out something more subtle. For example, does a Hindu marriage ceremony involving all kinds of idols and other gods fall within the boundaries of a "biblical marriage" if it's between a man and woman? There's a contextual discrepancy in how the word "marriage" is used in our culture, and addressing this issue first will illuminate the subject.

Horsing Around: Why Does the European Meat Scandal Matter?

You may have heard about the big scandal in Europe that began last month when traces of horse DNA were found in hamburgers in the UK. Since the initial report, further investigation has uncovered even more evidence of horse meat being mixed into ground beef. Many consumers are worried that they are unwittingly eating horse - but does it matter? After all, an article in The Week Magazine gives 6 first-hand accounts of what horse meat tastes like, and it sounds, by all reports, pretty tasty.

"Please don't eat me... Please."