WITH all the recent debate on same-sex marriage, I am feeling a little confused.
Firstly, if marriage is a concept created by God (and thereby owned by religion), why are non-religious people allowed to marry?
We are a secular country. Why do we even have a Marriage Act? Why aren’t marriages not blessed by someone of religious authority null and void?
Next, if the primary reason for marriage is to provide a safe and stable structure for the raising of children, why isn’t procreation included in wedding vows?
Why are people who are unable to reproduce allowed to marry? Why aren’t marriages that fail to generate offspring cancelled after a set time?
Thirdly, we are told that marriage is an ancient institution, locked in stone. Does the husband still own the wife?
Why doesn’t he receive a dowry any more for taking on such a liability?
Why doesn’t the wife vow to obey her husband any more? Why do we allow inter-racial marriages?
And why do we allow divorce?
Finally, why are we even fighting about this? Same-sex marriage will happen – all this debate is simply delaying the inevitable.
Haven’t the opponents of same-sex marriage got something more important to fight for or against: something that actually affects them, or causes pain, injury or suffering to others?