Here is a thing that I discovered at Townhall.
In his seminal work, After Virtue, philosopher Alisdair MacIntyre argues
Townhall also publishes Chuck Norris. Skip ahead.
Nowhere is the truth of MacIntyre's observation more readily apparent, perhaps, than in the precipitous decline of marriage. What was once venerated as a holy, sacramental institution is now considered an optional, if slightly outmoded social convention, a stultifying but necessary financial convenience.
That's precisely why gays want to get married. Steve says to Bill, "before all our loved ones, please let's together forever participate in what was once venerated as a holy, sacramental institution that is now considered an optional, if slightly outmoded social convention, a stultifying but necessary financial convenience, you sweet bitch you."
Anyway, I'm straight, and not religious, and I'm pretty sure I got married because of the love thing, and also because I was pretty sure I would like being married and having kids. And thanks to the magic combination of Pedialyte and vodka, I was ultimately proved insensible!
Anyhoo, I wasn't much concerned with providing the Bedrock Cornerstones of Western Civilization, and I'm mostly sure MollyI wasn't either. This sort of bullshit isn't anything I recall getting on board with, definitely:
Traditional marriage (specifically, Christian marriage) has through the centuries served as a critical civilizing force in society. It has been, quite literally, the glue that holds communities and peoples together. As traditionally understood, the bonds of marriage are forged not by man, but by God. They are not merely legal, physical, or emotional, they are spiritual and sacred.
Honey, God wants us to fuck! But not for fun, only babies. Honey? Sweetums?
The Elmer's...? Pass it over...
Dear? My sweet? God quite literally wants us to stick together with glue?
This may make going wee a bit awkward henceforth, but Jesus says -- OW! HOLY SHIT! THAT'S MY TAINT HAIR! AND YOURS! Love... please... if we move together delicately, we can locate the cell phone and contact 911... NOT THAT WAY! AIEEEEEEE! STICKY NIPPLES! [Ripping noises, screams. Soft, gentle sobbing.]
Shazam.
There's no mystery as to why God-botherers want us all to hold to 14th century social norms: it's good to be the priest.
But as for me -- stop bugging me. I'm a straight married guy. Whatever. Stop trying to call what I have some sort of Spiritual and Sacred hot-shit win for Mankind. It's not. It's just what I am.
It is a symptom of the malady of this modern age that influential figures within our popular culture have fallen subject to this degraded notion of marriage. Only recently, Rock singer Jack White and his wife announced that they will celebrate their sixth anniversary of marriage . . . by getting divorced. The soon-to-be separated couple is hosting party in Nashville, Tenn., to mark the auspicious occasion.
Yeah. Dude. Newt Gingrich wrote a tune about it.
Trying to force everyone by means of guilt into this one mode of being has produced appallingly depressing results. That it has also produced "Irish Literature" is its only excuse.
I recommend instead that "feed the poor" shit. How's that going?
MAS. This:
However, when you view marriage as nothing more than the mutual stirring of emotion accompanied by a few lines of poetry, or as the mere "making it official" formality that comes after years of cohabitation, or even as an excuse to have a good party with great friends, you are depriving it of it's full force and power as a foundational social and cultural institution. Try as you might to spin this shortchanging as an "enlightened" understanding of human relationships, you are tearing at the fabric of God's design.
I guess MollyI&I aren't tearing that fabric. But maybe we left a wet spot. Send the dry cleaning bill to Ba'al?
Besides, it's as it happens misused apostrophes that truly make me say, O! Western Civilization! We're assfucked!
Mas. Commenters rock.