Marriage is an institution just as governments and religions are institutions; however, in each case their real purpose transcends the rules, dogma, and traditions of their respective institutions.  At their heart, religion is about faith and hope, government is about justice and equality, and marriage is about love and commitment.

Without love or commitment, marriage would be an empty and shallow institution whereas a marriage that is based on love and commitment cannot be defined or confined by the constraints of a mere institution.  Why are these distinctions important?   Because, it has become fashionable to argue against same sex marriages based on the fact that they do not conform to our notion of what the institution of marriage is, by tradition, intended to mean.

I suggest that if two consenting adults truly love and respect each other and want to commit their lives to each other that is a better definition of what a marriage should mean than any guidance the traditions of an institution can offer us on the subject.   This, of course, is a hotly debated issue in our society with many political and religious overtones that also calls into question our ideas about families, adoption, and the rearing of children.

I agree that same sex marriages will change the landscape of the traditional family unit and will bring a new era of parent-child relationships and dynamics.   None of that needs to be looked upon as having a negative impact on our familiar family ideals.  To me, any family unit that has a high level of concern for one another and that strives to nurture, support, and love one another is an asset to our society and will build new traditions that can become part of a broader and more inclusive institution of marriage.

Love and respect are universally accepted values and any marriage that is built on such clearly commendable ideals should also be legal regardless of the gender of the participants.  In the final analysis, a marriage should not be judged by how well it conforms to the institution of marriage but by how strong the love and commitment is of the people involved.

On Wednesday, Joe offers some information about the dangers of harassment in the workplace in “Harassment Can Kill A Business”.