Gay Marriage
A friend asked me to post this. He was a bit surprised that somebody who he sees as conservative as me, held the views I did and wanted to see me say it publically. So why not?
Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with gay marriage. If two people want to get married, that's fine with me. If it was really any of my business anyway.
It's not an issue I'm likely to go to the barricades for. There's a lot of other issues that are far more important to me, personally, and which I'll, personally, expend my energy fighting over. I don't even think I'd really say I'm pro- gay marriage - I'm just not way anti- it.
Do any of the arguments made against it impress me? Not really, but there's a few that make some sort of sense superficially at least.
It's the thin end of the wedge - let gays marry and it opens up the doors to all sorts of other weird arrangements
Yeah - well, if it does, and some of those weird arrangements worry me (and I am, for example, not likely to support polygamy) - then I might stand up and oppose those. But I'm not going to oppose something I don't have any problem with, just in case it leads to things I might have a problem with. I'll save my energy to oppose things later on, thank you very much.
Churches might be forced to marry people who they believe are committing a sin
If anybody is seriously suggesting any religious group that has a problem with homosexuality, should be somehow forced to accept it within the precepts of its own religious practice, then I think they are wrong to do so. But as far as I can see, those who are pushing for gay marriage aren't doing this. The main body of the argument seems to stem around marriage as a civil union, not marriage as a religious union, and, thankfully, while some religions may still see it as a sin, western society in general has stopped seeing it as a crime. And, besides, there are plenty of religious groups who are perfectly willing to accept people regardless of their sexuality, and which would be happy to join two gay people together - and religious freedom means those groups should be just as free to do as they want, as religions that have a problem with the idea are free to refuse. And if you are gay, and you're of a faith which regards your sexuality as problematic - well, that's a matter between you and God. And the state has no place getting between you and God while you're discussing the issue.
Marriage needs to be protected
Yes, I agree - but I don't think a huge public debate on marriage is helping to protect it. It's been around for thousands of years without a great deal of debate which suggests a rigorous debate is unlikely to help it, and is more likely to harm it. Added to that is when you look at the immense amounts of marriages that don't last in the modern world, it's hard to see how the institution can be harmed by letting more loving people choose to experience it. Some marriages don't work out even if they started for the right reasons - but let them start for the right reasons.
You know, that's it, basically. The right reasons. It's about love. Or it should be. Two people wanting to publically proclaim their love in a way that unites them for what they hope will be the rest of their lives, or longer. How can that be wrong?
Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with gay marriage. If two people want to get married, that's fine with me. If it was really any of my business anyway.
It's not an issue I'm likely to go to the barricades for. There's a lot of other issues that are far more important to me, personally, and which I'll, personally, expend my energy fighting over. I don't even think I'd really say I'm pro- gay marriage - I'm just not way anti- it.
Do any of the arguments made against it impress me? Not really, but there's a few that make some sort of sense superficially at least.
It's the thin end of the wedge - let gays marry and it opens up the doors to all sorts of other weird arrangements
Yeah - well, if it does, and some of those weird arrangements worry me (and I am, for example, not likely to support polygamy) - then I might stand up and oppose those. But I'm not going to oppose something I don't have any problem with, just in case it leads to things I might have a problem with. I'll save my energy to oppose things later on, thank you very much.
Churches might be forced to marry people who they believe are committing a sin
If anybody is seriously suggesting any religious group that has a problem with homosexuality, should be somehow forced to accept it within the precepts of its own religious practice, then I think they are wrong to do so. But as far as I can see, those who are pushing for gay marriage aren't doing this. The main body of the argument seems to stem around marriage as a civil union, not marriage as a religious union, and, thankfully, while some religions may still see it as a sin, western society in general has stopped seeing it as a crime. And, besides, there are plenty of religious groups who are perfectly willing to accept people regardless of their sexuality, and which would be happy to join two gay people together - and religious freedom means those groups should be just as free to do as they want, as religions that have a problem with the idea are free to refuse. And if you are gay, and you're of a faith which regards your sexuality as problematic - well, that's a matter between you and God. And the state has no place getting between you and God while you're discussing the issue.
Marriage needs to be protected
Yes, I agree - but I don't think a huge public debate on marriage is helping to protect it. It's been around for thousands of years without a great deal of debate which suggests a rigorous debate is unlikely to help it, and is more likely to harm it. Added to that is when you look at the immense amounts of marriages that don't last in the modern world, it's hard to see how the institution can be harmed by letting more loving people choose to experience it. Some marriages don't work out even if they started for the right reasons - but let them start for the right reasons.
You know, that's it, basically. The right reasons. It's about love. Or it should be. Two people wanting to publically proclaim their love in a way that unites them for what they hope will be the rest of their lives, or longer. How can that be wrong?