Gay marriage
I’m in favour of gay marriage, with one caveat – that religious institutions should not be forced into acknowledging it. But if churches positively welcome it, then I don’t see any difficulties with it. Were a law similar to Proposition 8 advocated in the UK, I’d be fiercely against it. That’s because I’m a proper conservative – which might seem a non-sequitor, but as P.J. O’Rourke said:
I'm so conservative that I approve of San Francisco City Hall marriages, adoption by same-sex couples, and New Hampshire's recently ordained Episcopal bishop. Gays want to get married, have children, and go to church. Next they'll be advocating school vouchers, boycotting HBO, and voting Republican.
What’s not to like?
posted by Tim J at
10:38 am
3 Comments:
It depends what you think the purpose of marriage is. Do you think it's a way of shouting out to the world how much you love a particular person at a particular time, as it currently appears to be viewed by an increasing proportion of modern Westerners. Or do you see it as a structure, formed by the union of a man and a woman,for the rearing of children and the reinforcement of societal bonds that peoples in all times, all cultures and all places have coincidently concluded is better than all others.
And if you think you're average anti-Proposition 8 person is a regular conservative then you and I have different dictionaries. You're falling into the classic left-liberal falsehood that intentions always and everywhere trump outcomes.
well that looks to me like a distinction drawn between a civil marriage - essentially acivil contract between two people - and a religious marriage.
I was married in a religious ceremony; I consider it very important for the raising of children; I also believe in it as an imstitution. Further, I get philosophically confused as to what gay marriage means - like Boris Johnson. However, I don't believe that gay civil ceremonies should be made illegal.
Equally I don't believe for a minute that the opponents to proposition 8 were conservatives, merely that there is a good conservative case for opposing it.
I didn't mention religion, but I can see where you're coming from, even if I think it is unhelpful for society to ascribe historically understood marriage into a solely religious box.
Maybe the answer is in the wording. If gay 'marriage' is a contract call it something that reflects that, but don't call it a marriage; because by raising the one you diminish the other.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home