Something is wrong, here. It’s suddenly become very normal to talk about marriage as a “right” and a “freedom” and that seems to me a rather impoverished way of talking about marriage. And yet, though one side (those opposed to gay marriage) often disagrees on marriage being a “right”, neither side can seem to get past this issue.
The “right” to be self-fulfilled
Let me try to articulate what I’m talking about: by talking about marriage as a freedom and a right, people are essentially drawing on a narrative like the very one I grew up with: when I marry, I want someone to whom I am physically and sexually attracted; I want someone who treats me well (in part because of their attraction to me) and who helps me reach my full potential as a person (can take me to the temple, etc); I want someone who cares for me like I care for them, who I can keep secrets with and who will share my life with me. I want… I want… I want…
Filed under: Politics, Relationships | Tagged: Celestial Kingdom, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, eternal marriage, gay marriage, gay marriage debate, Gender, marriage, marriage fulfillment, Mormons, Proposition 8, right to marriage, same-sex marriage, self-fulfillment, sexuality | 8 Comments »