This is a rare post for me. It's not in my nature to post on topics that I feel others are better qualified and better spoken out about than I am. But leave it to me to not follow my own rules.
Joe.My.God. brought to my attention a recent Gallup poll which states that Americans are evenly divided on the morality of homosexuality.
I'm more interested in this:
Can someone please tell me why 70% of the polled think that divorce is morally acceptable?
Isn't marriage supposed to have some "sanctity" about it? Isn't that what I keep hearing as the reason as to why same-sex marriages shouldn't be allowed?
Gawd forbid any Christian use their own theology to guide them. After all, according to Matthew 19:6:
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.
There's also Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9, Mark 10:11, Luke 16:18, and 1 Cor 7:10-11 for extra guidance. I can go on....
This sampling obviously thinks married men and women having an affair is morally wrong (91%). Yet according to their own rule book, God says adultery is wrong. Yet adultery is the only reason God allows for the dissolution of marriage. (Technically there are two other valid reasons in the Big Book: death of a spouse [Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7:39], and if a non-believer leaves a believer [1 Corinthians 7:12-16].)
So... is my logic flawed here? Is the incredibly high divorce rate we see today the result of so many adulterous individuals? If so, how moral can they be? Or is this ANOTHER case of picking and choosing what applies to them versus what applies to everyone else?
As best said by Mrs. Betty Bowers: "Marriages Are Like Lay's Potato Chips to American Christians: They Can't Stop At Just One!"
I personally think we are going about this whole same-sex marriage thing the wrong way!
Instead of pushing to legalize same-sex marriage, we should instead pass laws that forbid divorce. Well, maybe we should allow one reason for the dissolution of a marriage: proven adultery, and that's it. We should also pass laws that state ONCE you are divorced, you are no longer allowed to marry again. EVER! You get just ONE shot at it—then you are out of the marriage pool.
Eventually there would be maybe 10,000 married couples left (half of which are probably cheating on each other anyway). Everyone else would then get screwed on tax breaks, partner benefits, legal protection, etc.—all of the things we are fighting to get for the person we love. Maybe then no one would really give a fuck who marries who.
Just my five cents. I know I'm probably going to get some hate mail about my attitude on this topic. I know it's really about equal rights for our loved ones. I'm just trying to point out the obviously huge flaw in today's "sanctity of marriage" argument that most American's fall for, and why no one ever calls "them" out on it.
Until next time...
Ron commented on June 20, 2008 at 8:49 am:
Or is this ANOTHER case of picking and choosing what applies to them versus what applies to everyone else?
It's absolutely that. My grandparents tell me they'll never acknowledge my "homosexual partner" by so much as having dinner with us, yet they honor and support the marriage of their son to my once-divorced mother. People pick the battles from which it is easiest to distance themselves.
Dead Robot commented on June 20, 2008 at 9:24 am:
Are you upset at what has happened in Mass.?
There were incredibly prohibitive laws in place for divorce. Hence the "trip to Nevada" reference in many 1950s movies. But men found it was expensive for divorce so they changed the law. Morality has caught up in this area of society, it seems.
Romach commented on June 20, 2008 at 10:47 am:
Your not wrong in any way buddy. Like you say people pick and choose what they want! Your logic is not flawed at all, it makes perfect sense. I couldn't believe my eyes when I looked at that poll. F**king typical of people cherry picking again! Makes me so angry. Don't worry about the hate mail. I get some too over views on my blog. They express their views all the time so why shouldn't you? By the way, what ya wearing?
cb commented on June 20, 2008 at 11:14 am:
I'm just as outraged at the death penalty number being at a 62% approval.
moby commented on June 20, 2008 at 11:28 am:
The word you are looking for is "hypocrite".
RG commented on June 20, 2008 at 5:29 pm:
Sweety, religion is NOT logical. What do you think it's so fucked-up?
RG commented on June 20, 2008 at 5:29 pm:
Sorry - WHY do you think it's so fucked-up?
Mike commented on June 20, 2008 at 6:53 pm:
Haters only email you when you've just called them on their bullshit - and they have nothing to back up their fucked up positions.
Thomas commented on June 20, 2008 at 11:21 pm:
98% of all statistics are made up.
Erik Replicant commented on June 21, 2008 at 12:01 pm:
Americans are surprisingly uptight.
Nick-O commented on June 21, 2008 at 6:18 pm:
78% of people think suicide is morally wrong. So, how does that work exactly? If someone commits suicide, do the 78% now view that person as immoral? Does it matter since they are dead? How immoral can a dead person really be? Is the idea immoral, but the reality neutral? I dunno. Just an odd question on the poll. I never thought of suicide as being moral or immoral.
Well, you really can't trust the opinions of the average American. Most of the cretins polled probably think religious belief is required for morality. As an atheist, don't even get me started on THAT bullshit.
Alexander commented on June 22, 2008 at 12:01 am:
I agree 100% with everything you wrote. Outlaw divorce. Period. Then see how quickly laws change.
Greg commented on June 23, 2008 at 1:23 pm:
Personally, I think anything that requires a license (driving, hunting, fishing, marrying) should also need to be renewed each year with a fee. If your marriage isn't working, simply don't pay to renew the license. It expires, the marriage is officially over, no messy lawsuits.
But most people who spout bible versus about the immorality of homosexuality pick and choose the laws from the book. If the Bible is absolute law, what gives them the authority to say this is okay and this isn't? Slavery is permissible in the Bible but is now viewed as morally wrong. So is the printed word in the Bible, maleable or set in stone?