In the recent firestorm that has erupted over the topic of gay marriage, one facet has been seriously overlooked. The topic of gay marriage would not have been an issue one hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago, but now it is a real and viable issue. Why? Because we, as a society, have degraded the meaning of marriage. Marriage essentially means nothing to pop culture today. It is something to be entered into lightly – a weekend activity. Divorce rates are appalling; affairs are commonplace and practically expected. People simply do not take marriage seriously anymore.
In the eyes of the world it is just a piece of paper – it has no real meaning. Between celebrity marriages lasting on average less than a year and the lighthearted attitude towards marriage on TV it’s no wonder that this sacred institution is under attack. We have let it happen. Now that the norms of marriage are being challenged we are scrambling back to our roots with claims that marriage is sacred, it’s only for men and women, etc. and we are looking like a bunch of hypocrites. If marriage was so important to us then why haven’t we been treating it as such all along? We are the ones that have let this become an issue. Now is the time for us as a school, religion and nation to stand up for the sanctity of marriage and to start treating it with the respect it deserves.
Jake Stone
Salt Lake City
