“Historical” Definition of Marriage: Not 1 Man, 1 Woman.

Every single time same sex marriage is discussed in the media, the reporter will find a conservative who will say that we are redefining marriage away from its “historical” definition: one man and one woman. Here’s a quote from an article on same-sex marriage becoming legal in Connecticut:
“The sad day was the state Supreme Court changing the thousands-of-years definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, across cultures, across times,” said Carol Gignac, who wore a sticker on her lapel that read: “Religious Liberty: Our Freedom First.”
This is what I’d like to say to Ms. Gignac and all her ilk:
Stop lying.
You’re either willfully lying, which doesn’t say much about your commitment to your religion, or you’re woefully ignorant. Cultures around the world and across time have defined marriage differently and continue to do so.

Same-sex marriages existed in ancient Rome, medieval Europe, China, Japan, Africa and other places. Polygamy is mentioned in the Bible multiple times, and has been practiced for centuries in many tribal societies, Islamic countries, and lest you forget, the United States. In India, it is currently possible to be ritually married to an animal or a god. Native American tribes recognized various forms of marriage including polygamy and same-sex unions.

Marriage is currently defined as being between a man and *one or more women, usually up to four* in the following countries: (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygamy)
Afghanistan
Algeria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Benin
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Chad
CAR
Comoros
Congo
Djibouti
Egypt
Gabon
The Gambia
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Morocco
Myanmar
Niger
Oman
Pakistan
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
UAE
Yemen
Zambia
In the Arabian peninsula, polygamy of both the polygyny and polyandry types was practiced before the time of Mohammed.
In rural Tibet, marriage is often defined as one woman and several brothers.
So please, all you conservatives, stop claiming marriage has been defined as monogamous and heterosexual since time began. You’re just plain wrong.