Monday, August 27, 2012

Love and Marriage



Why do people get married? I think it would be fair to say that most people in Australia get married because they love their partner, they want to be with them and build a life with them.  Of course there are going to be exceptions to this rule, but for the most part, love is the driving force.

With that in mind, I cannot understand why, in the year 2012, people that love someone who happens to be the same gender as them aren't allowed to get married.  It seems to me to be a pretty basic right, and yet they are being denied this by our government.  I believe in this more strongly than I believe in a lot of things.  I'm not sure why.  I said that to Dr C last week and he said that it seems to have awakened a long hidden social justice part of me.

I've spoken to a few people about this subject and none of the reasons against it I've heard  make ANY sense to me.  Let's see if they make any sense to you...

'But the bible says it is wrong!' Well, the bible also talks a lot about stoning people to death, feeding people to lions, whipping people and having more then one wife, do we have to follow what the bible says exactly?

'Traditionally, marriage is between a man and a woman' If we never challenged tradition women wouldn't even be allowed to vote, let alone be the Prime Minister of Australia.

'They can be together, but the word 'marriage' shouldn't be used, that's OUR word and they can't have it!' Yes, someone actually said this to me. I had no words then and I don't now.

'Australia was founded on Christian values, so we should continue that and gay marriage isn't Christian'. Umm... Excuse me, but I thought the fundamental principles of Christianity were to 'love one another'. How is treating someone differently because of who they love following those principles?

'It will ruin the institute of marriage!'. Sure it will. It will ruin something people like Elizabeth Taylor, the Kardashians and Tom Cruise have been building up for years.

'People choose to be gay' 'Being gay is unnatural' 'Homosexuality is a mental illness'. You don't choose who you love. I'm in love with Dr C, and I would be regardless of his gender. Love is completely natural and as for the mental illness argument, that's complete bullshit.

'But being married is about creating a family, it's about having kids'. There are so many things wrong with this that I don't even know where to start.  Firstly, lots of gay people have kids. I don't have kids, I might never have them, does that mean I'm should never have got married? When is the cut off for me to have them and stay married? 

Convinced? Nah, me neither!

I really think that in twenty years, and in all probability, even sooner we will be looking back on this and feeling a similar shame to what I feel when I read accounts of how white people treated black people, making them sit in the back of the bus, believing they carried different diseases etc.  I really hope that doesn't happen, I really hope common sense prevails and everyone is allowed to be married, regardless of who they want to marry.

Now at this point you might be thinking 'Fair go, Jo, aren't you being a bit hypocritical? You're asking people to change their minds and you don't seem to want to change yours'. And to that I say that yes, I am asking people to change their minds, to a view that won't hurt them one bit.  I respect everyone right to believe whatever they want to believe, but at the end of the day, if you don't like the idea of gay marriage, for whatever reason, then don't have one, but please don't stop someone who does want one from having that option.  



12 comments:

  1. In general, people assume that religion informs there morality and that, as most homosexuals are incredibly promiscuous and therefore immoral, that they have no religious standing. This series of myths are perpetuated in the media on a daily basis in order to allow the majority to feel "safe". This mass religious dogma is allowed to overwhelm basic human nature and reality and results in people like Tony Abbott being considered a possible viable prime ministerial option. Keep fighting the good fight Jo as you clearly have a very good grasp on your understanding of what it is to be human.

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  2. Me love you long time Jo. I'm yet to hear an argument against gay marriage that makes any sort of sense! x

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  3. GOOSEBUMPS! thank you Jo. thank you so much. *bless*
    By the way - "JO FOR PM" :)

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  4. Absolutely brilliant Jo! SO so so well said. It's something I feel really strongly about too x

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  5. I don't believe in gay marriage, so I keep marrying women. If my latest marriage fails I may try men.

    The silliest thing is I really think most people's objection is to the term marriage. Perhaps we could just change the term. Maybe Gayarriage. "WIll you Gayarry Me?" Works for me.

    I agree with most of what you say, and it is well said. I think it will be no more than 5 years (in the US) not twenty before gender is not a restriction to the rights of two people to love each other.

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  6. Fantastic post! Well done on cutting to the chase with all of this. If only the people in power had your common sense

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  7. A great post. I will never understand the argument against, you've crushed them here. I they have a problem with gay people, they should tell straight people(in legal man/woman marriages to stop having them.

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  8. I absolutely agree! 100%
    I can't believe what some people said to you. It's amazing how closed minded and ridiculous some people can be. And don't even get me started on how hypercritical Christianity is!
    Totally well said!

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  9. I agree and I disagree, I'm a christian and believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, when I get married I signed two documents, one through the church and one legally, (I found this on a blog, go to http://letthethistlesgrow.wordpress.com/2012/08/15/coming-out/
    to view a very well written and articulated view of the christian, or what the christian approach should be to gay marriage).
    I believe they should be able to have the same rights as spouses through the legal system, making medical decisions on their behalf etc.
    The word marriage means a different thing to a christian and a non-christian, yes its a commitment and I'm not saying it's any less important to a non-christian. To a christian it's a commitment to God, to love your partner like Jesus loves the church, which was to give his life for his people (everyone no matter what).
    Jesus said the greatest commandment, is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and the second greatest is to love your neighbour like you love yourself.
    I understand that this is a big issue for a lot of Australians, but I would rather have my government focus on refugees and helping them, finding ways to end starvation in third world countries.

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  10. I'll stand up and be counted for equality!

    This should be on billboards: "if you don't like the idea of gay marriage, for whatever reason, then don't have one."

    Also, christians who choose to make judgement calls on others do not realise the damage they do to their god.

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