VinceChan.net

I just finish watching a segment about the difficulties the Canadian government has been in having in passing the same sex marriage bill on the CBC television show, The National. First of all, I heavily recommend the National as a program to watch for any Canadian. It is absolutely the only television news magazine that I will watch whenever I have the opportunity to catch it. The topics presented are always poignant and the point of views offered are diverse as well as informative.

I have always consider myself to be an individual who’s open to opinions, concepts and experiences. I am very much more suited to the liberal thinking and have always sided with Canada’s Liberal political party. The current liberal minority government is facing all sorts of obstacles, and political games being played to delay the passing of the same sex marriage bill. This situation actually serves as another re-inforcement of my beliefs about the institution of marriage.

Know that I do not force my beliefs on anyone out there. But I like to voice my opinion based on my findings and I trust in everybody’s capacity to make their own judgements to be based on what they find for themselves. But what are my beliefs? I generally do not regard marriage to be of much importance. I feel I will live very happily to be in a common-law relationship, and hope to find a partner who shares in that belief. To me, the thrill of a relationship is deaden by the prospect of marriage; it sounds like the end of a joyous ride to me.

How does my not believing in marriage actually relate to the same sex marriage debate then? It certainly sounds ironic that even though I don’t believe in marriage, I absolutely support the gay and lesbian community’s fight to be recognized in such equality.

What I find interesting about the debate is the opposition’s main defending reason, that marriage is a holy and sacred procession/institution. I have never been known to be a religous person. I find peace in separating faith from religion, and have never found comfort in the fact that almost all the religions in the world have the universal concept of inclusion vs exlcusion that is so ingrained in their doctrines that it becomes a fundamental casuality point of conflict. Seem to me that salvation in all its many different incarnations is an exclusive club for the “spiritual rich”, and who/what determines richness is enforced by the religion police with the utmost rigidity to prevent the “unfit” from entering. I’m not enticed to join such a country club. In this metaphor, marriage represents the country club’s golf course.

After watching the TV segment, I feel more conviction in believing that marriage is probably not my cup of tea. I love to play golf, but I’m very content playing on “public” golf courses! I don’t find comfort or glory in such a ceremony, nor do I feel that one such event is adequate in proving my commitment to my partner. And now, my beliefs in this matter also aligns with my other beliefs in matters of faith vs religion.