I’m sorry, what is the point you are trying to make here? If you are calling me a homophobe, I’m afraid you are mistaken. I live and work in a city and neighborhood that is very progressive. I have no problem interacting with men and women who live the “gay” lifestyle. (And it is a choice, even if one’s same-sex attraction is genetic or not. We all have choices over how we act in life.) I believe that there should be no harassment or stigmatizing of people because of their sexual orientation. I have represented clients who are gay. So, to suggest that I’m some sort of homophobe, or one who just doesn’t understand the complexity of the situation is a complete misunderstanding of me personally, and (more importantly) my position. Your comment is the quintessential response by those who are trying to squelch a reasoned debate. Debate the issue. Please don’t attack me personally.
For the record, I think that it’s not “love” that is the “major test” for marriage these days. Love is an active choice. It is not governed by emotion, or sentiment, or feeling.
In today’s world, marriage is defined by the intensity of the emotional connection. “Strong feeling” is the test. Thus, if two people “really love each other” they get married. But, if a married man finds that his young female secretary understands him much better than his wife, and the two “fall in love” after working closely together for several years, then why shouldn’t the man leave his wife, and marry this new woman who he feels passionately about? After all, they really “love” each other, right? No one can deny their “feelings” for each other, correct? This is the way society has viewed marriage for the past 40 years. Films and TV portray marriage over and over as this shallow connection. The spouse locked in a “loveless” marriage is the beginning of every third Lifetime Channel movie. But it’s not true. Marriage is so much more than this. Most of us know this, but many are too afraid to state it openly, because we know too many people that have lived a scenario similar to what I described. And that’s one reason why we find ourselves in the current situation. If marriage is nothing but the public acknowledgement of two people who “really love each other” then why not extend that to two people of the same sex, right? Is this your point?, I need to just get on the bandwagon, and abandon my out-dated thinking that marriage is a lifetime commitment to family? Because if that’s what you are asking, My family and I respectfully decline the invitation.
Peace,
Robert