Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric
We ... as in individuals, governments, churches ... do not, and cannot redefine marriage. It redifines itself in order to become compatible with human society which, like certain viruses, continually mutates and evolves. Problem seems to be that certain attitudes don't change at the same rate; or, in some societies, extreme Islamic ones come to mind, don't change at all.
Maybe one could, if one is interested, try to come to some understanding of why the definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman came to be. I would start off, and this is a personal, maybe idiot-syncratic notion,  that it's all about sex, and the male fear of, or discomfort with female sexuality. This shows itself in female circumcision, sharia law, Pauline injunctions ... I think it was in one of his e-mails to the Corinthians, but I'm still not using google ... on the line of it is better to marry than to burn. Throw in the economic and political needs of a ruling class based on inheritance, and voila! We have the beginning of marriage as we know it.
"The Family, Sex, and Marriage in England, 1500-1800" by Lawrence Stone is, though a little dated, still a good background read for anyone interested in exploring the topic. If not, it makes a good solid coaster for a pint of beer. |
I agree with all that's said here Eric. I drank far too much at university (who am I kidding I still do!) to remember all I read regards marriage, but the basics I concluded-you're pretty much right.
I am interested, but not enough-if you get me. If I was actually going to get married sometime soon, or thinking about it-or going to pursue a career related to marriage, I would.
I am also one of those caustic annoying people who always notes that everything comes down to sex when all's said and done-that marriage does, is one of the more obvious ones. It does go back further than any noted church, marriage is as old as civilisation from what I understand.
I may have a quick flick through google.
Regards this discussion, I've said pretty much what I want to say. I think it would be a better option to have an alternative to marriage for gay couples than to have them as one and the same as straight couples, but again, I can be a bit nostalgic-times change, things change.
I am not married, nor interested in marriage at the moment so my bum isn't hurting so much from sitting on the fence regards it all. I want society to accept gay people as equal in their human rights to straight people-but I don't think 'Equal To' means 'The Same As', and I don't think it has to in this case.