LP gave me an interesting link. I figured I could post it here or social sciences, I'll post it here and move it, depending on where the conversation goes:

Thoughts?

This is ridiculous... Marriage is merely a formality. It means a lot when it comes to laws, but still, I don't understand why it bothers anyone if unmarried parents live together. It seems like a very conservative law.

Its not just that, its zoneing laws. A large group of people can't live together, you can't have 15 random people living in an apartment. Unfortunaly, without a marriage lisence, partners who have been together their entire lives are considered "random people."

Completely ridiculous. How idiotic will the US become? Gosh. I'd hate to see the US when I'm 21, if it continues at this rate. You shouldn't be forced to move out if you're not married with kids. That contradicts America's all-so-famous-freedom. In my opinion, at the least. That is all. I'm off to bed now.

Wow! That is idiotic!

First off, it seems to make no since... People say they support "Family Values" and keeping the family together. But yet, when the parents of children want to live together with the children they deny it! I mean what could tear the family apart more!?! By forcing the parents to live seperately the children have to live as if they have divorced parents when they really don't. How dumb.

Second, it does go against our freedoms. People should never be forced to marry and it is people's right to chose whether they want it or not. It is not someone elses right to make that decision for them.

This is so insanely idiotic and I hope this changes soon.

Its interesting. A "simple" change in the definition of family would do.

What is wrong with caring about family values? Why must the church be entirely seperate from the state? America was built by Christians and Christians make up the vast majority of their population. I went to a Catholic highschool (they are publically funded in Canada) and the Protestants and even the Muslims, Hindus, Sihks, Jews, etc. all liked it there. We prayed every day and had a religion course but the religious minorities liked the highschool because it was safe and provided a friendly and spiritual atmosphere. Those of religious minorities also did their own prayers while we had mass. We also had evolution taught in the sciences just like the regular secularist public schools and we had Creationism in religion class. We also had a world religions course where we learned about other faiths.

I don't understand this hostility towards Christianity. It has become cool to hate Christianity but the minute someone draws a cartoon of Muhammad everyone of the new leftists are all up in arms. I'm certaintly not religious but I grew up in a Catholic household and do not understand this religious double-standard. Religious freedom doesn't mean that a state has to seperate itself from its religious roots. Religion and the culture of a country often have a lot of links. And it's not like religion necessary has to retard science. The Renaissance period saw some very religious countries prosper.

As for the actual case with the couple, having these people marry isn't going to make them any better parents so there is no need to force them to marry. That said I can't stand these liberal couples with kids (married or not) who put their own selfish needs above that of their children and are quick to divorce (if married) or break up (if they are unmarried), leaving their children stuck in the middle. So as long as this couple provides a stable loving family for their kids then I don't care.

Well speaking as an unmarried parent of one...possibly 2 soon(Noooooo!)...and living with the mother of my children...
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Well to be honest I don't really know what to say. This is obviously a bad thing. From a legal aspect this is a clear violation of the 9th amendment, but since when has the government paid any attention to that.

Lessee... the solution to this problem is either change the zoning laws... or... get married so you can live together. Hmmm. Wonder if there is a exceptionally larger percentage of divource lawyers in St. Louis? Hence... marry, move in, divorce... repeat as needed. As to removing the couple that is "breaking" the law; I'm fairly sure they'll be evicted if someone stands to profit... especially any local housing association or realtor.

Yeah, but its not even that, its the issue as a whole. One should be forced to do that to move into a house.

Not exactly concerning this case, but on the same general trend.

the Church cannot be trusted with the powers of state.

Huh, didn't even see revan's post.

Family values or your faith's family values? Nothing wrong with them, if you care about them apply them to your own life, don't force them on to everyone else, especially legal. For the church and state, I agree with sitegod's answer.

Not sure what you mean here. I am "leftest" according to most, and yeah, I was up in arms over the cartoons. Up in arms over the stupid reaction to freedom of speech, the very idea that you can riot and destroy things over another persons free speech is asine.. Is there a problem with that?

I'd state it as the opposite, personally.

And I'd state that it works both ways.



Anyways, I heard the other day that the couple won their court battle, so yeah, a "redefining" of what family is as far as zoneing laws occured.

Though I don't agree with the parents' choice of living together unmarried, I don't like it when the government gets involved with something like this that should be the choice of the individual(s) involved. Not everyone has the same values so you can't just force people to do things your way.

That's a little much. I mean, what real difference does it make to you whether they're married or not?