Thursday, June 30, 2011

Quote on Marriage

 I've been reading Robert Heinlein's sci-fi novel Time Enough for Love today when I happened to come across this thoughtful quote. And with the recent news of the Marriage Equality Act passing in New York I found it very apropos.
"Companionship, partnership, mutual reassurance, someone to laugh with and grieve with, loyalty that accepts foibles, someone to touch, someone to hold your hand -- these thing are "marriage", and sex is but the icing on the cake." Robert Heinlein
With all the condemnations by God-fearing folks like this guy focusing solely on the "ickyness" on what homosexuals do in the bedroom they never consider that as human beings we all need companionship. We all want to be loved and have someone to share the love we're born with. Does preventing someone's pursuit of companionship really make life better, safer, and more enriching for the rest of us? Or is it because as heterosexuals who have mucked up the institution of marriage **cough, divorce, cough cough** that we want everyone else to be as unhappy as we are?  

(Just a note of clarification before I get into trouble with the Mrs. I am merely speaking in generalities, not from personal experience. Although to be honest, marriage is tough at times, but even the rough times are 1000 times better than one moment of loneliness. And I would never dream of taking those moments of companionship from anyone regardless of sexual orientation.)

3 comments:

captron52 said...

I agree

Paul Sunstone said...

Good post!

I don't see how anyone can disagree with your reasoning. Perhaps, like Jerry Falwell, they could adopt the position that homosexuals do not feel love, but that would render them the village idiot.

Also, the notion that homosexual marriages will harm heterosexual marriages strikes me as like saying that because my neighbor eats zucchini, I am unable to eat tomatoes. Strange world that would be, if it were true!

Sammy said...

I think "ickyness" factor is the main reason that religious believers hate homosexuality. They are just using their beliefs as an excuse. The biggest reason I think this is that there is often a much great condemnation of male homosexuality than there is of female homosexuality. In my experience, male homosexual sex is seen as "icker" than female homosexual sex.

I love Heinlein's quote though. The best long term relationships aren't based on sex. Love is not solely about sex. It's about having someone to live your life with, someone to be with you during the good and bad times. As Heinlein said, "sex is but the icing on the cake".

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