... now that I have your attention, I would like to ask that you hold off on lauding or hating me, throwing sticks or throwing bouquets, until you read to the end.
I do not believe in gay marriage.
What I believe in is this: the abiding, unconditional love two people must have for one another to want to share a commitment - a legal commitment - that will last for the whole of their lives. A man and a woman, a man and a man, a woman and a woman - we're all just humans. We all just want to love and be loved in return.
I do not believe that marriage should be labelled gay or straight.
Just because I would select a different mate doesn't mean I'm any better - or worse - than you. If we limit the right of those around us to share their lives with the person they most love, based solely on gender... where does it end? Will we next be determining the legality of a marriage based on the level of attractiveness of the partners? What about intelligence?
If I see a bride and groom and deem that the groom is far too handsome to be burdened by his homely bride, do I have the right to protest their wedding? If I see a woman with an IQ off the charts wishing to marry a man with an average or below-average IQ, is it within my right to ridicule both parties?
After all, we've already done the "marriage selection by skin colour" thing. That worked so well.
Marriage is sacred and should not be entered into lightly. When two people are ready, willing, and eager to make a commitment to one another, why on earth would we stand in their way?
Don't we have enough - real - problems to contend with? Do we really need to make a big, disgusting, demoralizing deal out of what should be viewed with awe and wonder?
There is so much hatred and vitriol already in the world. There's so much ugliness and pain, greed and dishonesty, we don't need any more. We don't need to sit and decide for someone whether or not the partner they have chosen is right for them. Rather than encourage judgement and discord, take comfort in the fact that there is still hope for the future. Hope that we, as human beings - as we all are - can still act selflessly enough to make someone happy for the rest of our lives, while being enriched by the happiness of another.
If your partner makes you happy, and if the vice is versa, then I say Congratulations. I may look on enviously, but don't mind me... I've been single for far too long. *wink*
The beauty of love is love itself.
And the awesome wonder of marriage is that two people are willing and wanting to make a lifelong commitment - gay, straight, or otherwise.
Well you got my attention. Nicely played. ;) And a fantastic post. I haven't heard the "Objection to marriage depending on IQ" argument yet, but shh... you'll give them ideas.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the push to allow gay marriage has not dissolved the importance of any other type of marriage. In fact, for most of my life I did not want to get married, and it was only after the changes to marriage laws because of gay marriage that I was able to sign into that agreement and feel like I was agreeing to a type of marriage that meant something important to me, rather than an archaic religious and legal contract.
Now if only everyone in the world could experience the same right.
Thanks, Jen ~ it's nice to hear others' point of view on the subject.
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