Marriage "means" one thing to one married couple and something different to another. The "meaning" of anything is determined by the person who holds that meaning, not by outside events. Laws define the legal aspect of marriage and the civil benefits conferred by that civil union. Churches and other spiritual groups provide guidance as to the spiritual meaning of marriage, but ultimately that spiritual meaning is created for themselves by the two people who form each unique union.
If your beliefs are so infirm that they become invalidated by what someone else does or believes then I can only say that I hope that you can someday find a faith that is more robust.
Update: Thursday, 8:30am
I'm also playing around with the new blog template. I wanted to see if I could embed that video at reduced size and positioned on the right, with text wrapped around it. Amazingly, I succeeded on the first try. I did have to fiddle with the margins a little, but that was all. Woo hoo.
I was a little confused as to the point of the ad - was it for or against gay marriage? or intrusion of government into private & workplace rights? Or intrusion of religious groups into private & workplace rights?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, the best solution (IMHO) is to separate the civil and religious aspects of marriage. The government doesn't (or shouldn't) care where or by whom you got married (as long as they have some kind of authority to do so), and you sign a marriage license, which is a contract and legally binding.
If you are of a religious pursuasion (and most people are), you can have a religious authority sign the license as the authority and give a religious blessing and/or sanction.
If you are atheist or agnostic, you can have a justice of the peace do it. Or a JotP if you're in a hurry or don't prefer to conform to arcane religious rules, etc.
Just think of all the business family law attorneys stand to make out of this. Yee Haw...
Besides, at a 50% divorce rate and all the trouble that "normal" marriages have, I really don't think they are in any peril from gay marriage. Maybe the stats would improve?