Current mood:	determined
Entry tags:	homosexuality, marriage

The History of Marriage And What That Means For Same-Sex Couples

Img linked from http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/

Something in this post is bound to piss someone off, but I'm writing it anyway. First off, let us look at the history of marriage. Were marriages always defined as between a man and a woman for the purposes of raising a family? The institution of marriage is a unique blend of law, social customs, and religion. Initially, however, the families (or perhaps just the parties involved) had to simply declare the couple married and they were. Various religions later had various officiating bodies to declare such marriages binding by law, as law and religion were closely tied in most cultures of that era.

In the year 342, the Christian emperors Constantius and Constans declared that same-sex marriage to be illegal.¹ If someone has to declare such an act illegal, doesn't that imply that previously, such marriages were taking place (even if they were not all that common)? So the notion that we are 'preserving the sanctity of marriage' is total bunk when we continue to outlaw same-sex marriages, because a very long time ago they were legally binding, and then same-sex couples lost that right in the time of the early Christian emperors.

Read more on Same-Sex Marriages in Ancient Times

Not so long ago, and in many cultures, your social status and ethnicity were of paramount importance, but no one outside of a skinhead talks much about preserving the sanctity of one's race, either. I truly do believe in the sanctity of marriage, which is why I don't think it's appropriate to have a ridiculous wedding, such as while scuba diving or in a hot air balloon.

On the other hand, I feel it is important to follow the tenets of your chosen religion and respect the rights of the religious. Get married all you want, but don't be in a same-sex marriage and expect to stay Catholic. If you commit a cardinal sin, and continue to commit that sin, you should be excommunicated. That would also apply to other cardinal sins, such as murder or adultery. Until you truly repent, I don't feel you should be allowed back into the fold. If I should suddenly decide to become Catholic or join the FLDS (both highly unlikely prospects) then I don't want to encounter homosexuals within my religious community, because by my adopted faith such acts are spiritually criminal.

REFERENCES:
¹Wikipedia, cited from Theodosian code