Religion, however, is like every other great institution. It is almost never cast in marble. It is almost always poured out as a yeast of beliefs which continue to bubble and grow with time. And so it has been with so many of the religious "deviations." In most societies, they no longer stone adulteresses... burn those charged with witchcraft....bury widows with their deceased husbands...chain the mentally ill to prison walls.
Oh, there are some sins that insist on sticking around. Murder. Incest. Theft. Lying. Makes good sense to condemn them now as well as a hundred generations ago. But there remain some arguable deviations. Perhaps the most arguable is homosexuality, along with its corollary gay marriage. With Argentina's legalization of gay marriage, 250 million people worldwide now live in jurisdictions that recognize the legitimacy and sanctity of these marriages.
This means same-sex couples can marry in Buenos Aires; Mexico City; Pretoria, South Africa; even in small town America like Ames, Iowa. But not in my home city of Chicago. Nor in the gay capitol of the States, San Francisco; and surely not in the anti-gay capitol of the world, Vatican City. This is, we are told, because in these communities there are still enough god-fearing married men and women who are so devoted to the blessings of marriage that they will fight to keep them from the deviant hands of anyone not exactly like them!
Isn't there's something wrong with this theological menu? Oh, it will change some day not far off. It will change, simply because the yeast of good religions eventually yield up good breads. However, time is always required. Sometimes even more time than the time it should take.
Perhaps this will give the dissenters time to re-read their holy books. While looking up a few words here and there to defend their spite, they might also run across the message. The same message of every religion: Try to love one another.........
We seem to have a paradox there. Same sex marriage is allowed in some Countries, and not in others as you point out, Jack. But what is so wrong with 'same sex Marriage' in the first place ? Nothing as far as I can see, but, the 'paradox' comes in, if children are involved. Children need a Mother and a Father figure, if only to 'fit' into their friends home life. I am sure, that by and large, same sex families work out fine, but the problem is on school sports days, or something involving all the parents meeting up together. The children of same sex families, will stand out. Who is in the Mother role, and Who is the Father ? I accept they can be all the same, and no doubt good at it as well, but the 'children' will feel odd. More so, when they see their friends with their parents of mixed sex. A Father playing with his children, and a Mother sitting with the other Mothers. Which one of the 'same sex' family will do which role then ?
ReplyDeleteThis brings pressure on the Children. Maybe when they are young, they wil not notice, but they will when they get older.
A young boy, with same sex parents, brings his Girlfriend home, or a female brings her boyfriend home, just imagine them trying to explain the situation to their prospective boy or girlfriend ?
I can imagine the confusion on all sides, and what these boy or girlfriends will tell their parents when they get back home!.
So, same sex is fine, as long as it does not affect others...but if children are involved, it will do in time.
And will the children of same sex families be able to form a mixed sex relationship ? That is an important question...I feel that same sex families, will result in the same, for their children, as the children will tend to follow their parents...We all do, more or less. Again, if the children want that, then this is fine, but say, a child of a single sex marriage, want's a mixed sex relationship? They do not have a role model to base themselves on, and I feel that all this will lead to great mental confusion, and sadness.
So, though I have no problem with same sex relationships at all, if they remain just the two adults, but if they bring children into this, then I feel its wrong, for the reasons I mentioned above.
The Bible, [or whatever you follow] is right after all, when it states that this is wrong, but not, in my mind, for the two people involved, but for any children that are brought into the relationship, for without doubt, their lives will never be normal, and happy.
Is that not, after all, the original reason for people getting married in the first place ? To bring children into the world, and through them, continue the human race ?
We are free to do what we wish with our lives, but not, if our acts damage other peoples, in this case, the Childrens....
Alfred ~ Again, spoken with the wisdom of years. I believe gay marriages will continue to be accepted. But, yes, the children will continue to be an issue. I have seen some great gay marriages with very healthy kids...but I guess we don't have all the data yet to predict for sure.
ReplyDeleteRemember that ancient Chinese curse -- may you live in interesting times. We sure do!!