This Newsweek article, while perhaps not the most objective piece of journalism I've read, raises a few really good points about the rights of gays. It also highlights the fact that the bible is open for interpretation - one passage can be used to support opposing views. I agree with the author that it is pretty hypocritical to strictly follow some of the "rules" laid out in the bible (no gay marriage) and decide others don't apply anymore (divorce, ritual slaughters, having the townspeople stone your son to death if he misbehaves). Not to mention these two interesting tidbits: first, the bible never spells out marriage as for a man and a woman only - it speaks out against a man "laying" with another man. Second, the apostle Paul actually speaks out against marriage itself, saying that it is a last resort for men who just can't help it.
What I know is this:
We are all sinners.
No one can claim that one sin is greater than another. A man who lays with another man is no worse than the Sunday school teacher who gossips.
Above all, the bible teaches love. We should love, not judge or condemn, our fellow man.
What I believe is this:
A church has the right to choose who they perform a marriage ceremony for. Think of it as a private club.
A person does NOT have the right to decide whether two individuals can become legally married. If two people want to be married at a church that accepts the practice, or more importantly, at the courthouse or a country club or Vegas, they should have the same right to do so as anyone else in this world.