Is ending gay marriage ban consistent with Constitution? #tellusatoday

Comments from Facebook are edited for clarity and grammar:

Some Christians will bemoan the decision by the Supreme Court to allow gay marriage, all the while ignoring the failure that is so-called sanctified marriage and its divorce rate. That and broken homes are the true problems. But fixing them is too much work and requires introspection. It's easier and more emotionally satisfying to throw stones and deride others than fix your own house.

— Tim Donovan

I am not a fan of gay marriage. I expect it will have little impact on me. But I am a fan of the Constitution, states' rights and limited government. Unfortunately, those ideals are all but forgotten.

— Gene Stensaker

The day the Constitution is ever used to deny rights arbitrarily against any particular group and legally discriminate without cause or due process is the day the Constitution has lost its entire meaning, purpose and relevance. This Supreme Court decision is consistent with the Constitution.

— Richard Turner

So what's next?

Should society start paving the way to polygamy and other issues bound to surface in the name of dignity?

— Aficianado Smith

We asked what people thought of Friday's 5-4 Supreme Court decision. Comments from Twitter are edited for clarity and grammar:

The Supreme Court ruled that God and civilizations spanning thousands of years are wrong about marriage. Quite presumptuous.

— @HausDetmer

In the past, women and blacks were seen as less than equal, and we evolved beyond those views and beyond the laws that supported those views. I'm glad we did the same here.

— @lcarter031

Do you think this is good for the future generations of America? Children deserve a mother and father.

— @billysturnip

As a heterosexual male, I am very happy that my friends are recognized as equal humans.

— @Sabihondo_

Letters to the editor:

The fact that people define themselves in a significant way through their intimate relationships suggests that in a nation as diverse as ours, there may be many "right" ways of conducting relationships. Freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. The test of freedom is the right to differ about things that touch the heart of the existing order. As President Obama said: "If we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

Robert Sodervick; San Francisco

The Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage is unfortunately a triumph of politics over law. The court's decision lacks constitutional and moral authority. That five members of our highest court totally ignored natural law is shocking. That they ignored the Constitution's delegation of rights to states is beyond belief. This is perhaps the most egregious example of judicial activism to date.

Carl Helfeldt; Rockledge, Fla.