Protecting marriage?

Very interesting article..

I know that many people are deeply saddened by the fact that Proposition 8 in California was passed, but I don’t see this as the only issue. Proposition 8 demonstrates that some attacks on marriage are being ignored while their focus is on issues such as gay marriage. Where have the days gone where it was special to marry someone? To know that you will spend the rest of your life with that person? Where is the commitment to making it work for better or for worse? Instead, some of these “defenders of marriage” go out and commit adultery, get divorced, and some even take on another wife. Marriage is not what it once was…

If we are looking at a traditional sense of what marriage means, between a man and a woman, then why is adultery taken so lightly? People go out and commit, not only a sin, but an act that is also against the law. In biblical times if you committed adultery you were killed. In Roman times if you committed adultery you were killed. We have taken that same act and desensitized ourselves to thinking that “it’s okay”. Even though states such as Michigan have a life sentence for convicted adulterers, they hardly prosecute it. If these “defenders” are serious about protecting marriage, how can we let these offenders run free? At a minimum they should lose their ability to receive a license for marriage again. A person can lose their drivers license over serious offenses, wouldn’t the “defenders” want at least this punishment?

If marriage is as threatened as some would have us believe, then why are we not prosecuting these offenders? Perhaps it’s time to really rise up and protect marriage. Perhaps it is time to start punishing those that go out and violate their “licensed” marriage.

Divorce is another threat to “licensed” marriages, and something that is abused everyday! People get married, start building a life together, and then decide to get divorced. Why did they get married in the first place? If they weren’t absolutely 100% sure that they would be with that person for the rest of their lives, then why would they apply for a license to marry? If people want to get divorced then let’s make it tough. Wouldn’t that be the goal for those who want to protect marriage? Let’s make sure that the licensee really thinks it through before they decide to take that walk down the aisle. Perhaps the process to get divorced should include mandated counseling, separation periods, mediation, and hefty fees. If divorce wasn’t so easy I doubt many people would do it. If protecting marriage is the supposed goal, then why isn’t society protecting current marriages.

Over two million weddings happen every year, and over one million divorces are finalized. That is basically saying that everyone has a 50/50 chance of having a successful marriage. Those odds are not in favor and the older you get the worse your odds are according to these statistics HERE! It would appear that divorce is the leading threat to current marriages. Californians have started a petition and you can watch the video HERE!

Another threat to traditional marriage, that seems to be ignored, is polygamy. Being raised LDS this was a questions that was always around. People would ask, “How many mom’s do you have?” and other questions of that nature. The Mormon church no longer condones polygamy or practices it, but they aren’t doing anything to soften that image. All polygamists should be prosecuted because it is against the law to take more than one wife. Even in some states it is illegal to live a polygamous lifestyle, you don’t even have to be legally married to your spouse. The sad part is that hardly any of these people are ever prosecuted. Over 80,000 polygamists live in the US, with about 60,000 of them in the state of Utah. Those numbers are just a ballpark figure because most people will not admit to being in an illegal polygamous relationship.

Another attack on traditional marriage is known as a common law marriage. These people may not even want to be married, but after living together for so many years their state may grant them the vestiges of a marriage. However if two men live together, they will be classified as roommates for eternity. There are no special rights being magically granted for same-sex couples. Two men who love each other, live together, built their lives together, and have created a home are not considered equals to these “defenders” of marriage. Yet the man and woman living, in sin, down the hall doing the exact same thing are simply handed a magical license telling them they are married. Does this seem fair?

So why are the “defenders” of marriage not addressing these issues? If protecting marriage was truly the goal, then why aren’t the greater threats receiving as much attention? If there are two million marriages a year and only 18,000 gays and lesbians were added to that number, then it would appear they are a miniscule number. I cannot see how this addition to the club poses as much threat as those attacks I mentioned above.

For some people obtaining a marriage license, a gun permit, a dog license, or a building permit is as simple as walking into their local city hall and filling out a government form. Even people on death row are able to obtain a marriage license. Yet gays and lesbians are still prohibited from this service of city hall. Why? Because the “defenders” of marriage consider gay marriages as the bigger threat to their little club. I am an LDS man and I have heard many views. But I cannot understand how some threats to marriage are ignored or accepted, but gay marriage has selectively been considered the bigger threat. I will leave it up to you to tell me how that is defined.