A simpleton’s opinion on homosexuality and same sex marriage

I don’t understand homosexuality. I admit it. I cringe at the thought of two men engaging in sexual intercourse; and while I cringe slightly less at the thought of two women sharing that kind of intimacy (likely because society seems to be more accepting of this on account of how widely sex between two women has been eroticised), I find it equally odd imagining a woman being married to a woman as I find it odd imagining a man being married to a man. Does this mean there is something wrong with homosexuality and same sex marriage? Or could it just be that I have grown up believing that love is something to be shared between a man and a woman; that having witnessed only this, I did not know it was possible for love to be shared between a woman and a woman as well as between a man and a man? Could it be that because of my lack of awareness that love could in fact be shared between two people of the same sex, when I discovered that men fall in love with men and women with women it seemed like a strange thing to me simply because I didn’t know such a thing could happen? When you add to that the prevalent attitude of scorn towards homosexuals, there never seemed to be reason for me to alter my perception. The general consensus supported the conclusion that homosexuality was strange, therefore it remained strange to me even after discovering it can and does happen.

I’m not about to attempt the impossible task of trying to convince anyone who is convinced they know what God intended that maybe they no more know what God intended than they know there is even a God. I do find it remarkable that it is easy for people to dismiss as certifiably insane anyone in modern times who goes around claiming God speaks to them, yet they willingly believe that God spoke to the so-called prophets who wrote the bible. Why is it impossible that God can speak to the men and women who, today, claim he speaks to them and tells them the rules by which he wants his world morally governed, but it was not impossible back when the “good book” was written?

Homosexuality is apparently against the will of God. As an atheist this means nothing to me, so what is the problem that I have with homosexuality? Why do I find the idea of a married same sex couple strange? I think, quite possibly, that the reason I find it strange is the same reason I find it strange when I see nineteen year old girls hanging off the arm of eighty-two year old Hugh Hefner. It’s not supposed to happen. We have certain ideas about what’s normal and acceptable in romantic relationships. A nineteen year old girl is not supposed to have a relationship with an eighty-two year old man. An eighty-two year old woman is not supposed to have a relationship with a nineteen year old boy. A Black man is not supposed to have a relationship with a White woman. A White man is not supposed to have a relationship with an Asian woman. Women are not supposed to have relationships with other women; and men are not supposed to have relationships with other men.

When we see two people together who, according to expectation, are not “supposed” to be together, we find it difficult to understand the relationship; but should we go around trying to stop people from being together just because we don’t understand why they are together and because we’re of the opinion that their being together is somehow wrong? I don’t think we should.

People are free to believe what they want to believe. If you don’t believe in same-sex marriage that’s your right. No one can tell you what to believe; but by the same token, you cannot tell someone what to believe. Your belief is just that, a belief. A belief is nothing more than an idea. It is not a fact and no amount of bible quoting is going to make it a fact. If someone not only believes in same sex marriage but wants to be in a same sex marriage, no one should have the right to tell them they can’t simply because that person or group of people is of the belief that same-sex marriage is wrong.

You can’t prove there is a God; and as long as you can’t prove there is a God, you can’t prove that the Bible contains the word of God. That you believe there is a God and that you believe the bible contains the word of God is irrelevant. Your belief, again, is just that: a belief.

So much of what we believe is passed on to us. We don’t challenge the beliefs that are passed on to us. We just accept what we’re told; so when we’re faced with things that go against what we’re taught to believe we automatically conclude these things are wrong without bothering to seek evidence that they are wrong any more than we bothered to seek evidence that the beliefs we embrace are right.

Not being familiar and not understanding something is not a valid reason to try to eradicate it. It’s not okay to try to rob people of their basic human rights just because you don’t share their beliefs or because their beliefs are not in keeping with the opinions of the majority. We’re not talking about people fighting for the right to somehow go out and harm innocent victims. We’re talking about consenting adults who choose to be with each other. Making laws that prevent two people from getting married on the basis of their being of the same sex, places on you the burden of proving that a marriage between two men or a marriage between two women subjects members of their immediate family and/or members of society at large to grave and mortal danger. What other justifiable reason can you give for wanting to stop same sex marriage than that allowing it will somehow put lives at risk en masse in the way allowing drugs, guns and sex to be freely sold on the streets puts lives at risk? You can’t outlaw something on moral grounds because morality is too subjective to be used as a reasonable basis for making something illegal.

Image: Another victory for human rights by bobster1985 via Flickr