Anonymous asked: Do you believe in the institution of marriage?

Believe in it? Well, it’s no Tooth Fairy. I recognize its existence. I believe it’s an empty ritual with real legal implications. Because of that, and all the notional cytoplasm surrounding it, I can see its appeal. I believe all people should be permitted to consensually marry, not just some in particular configurations. If you’re asking if I believe in the sanctity of holy matrimony, decidedly no. Some people think gay marriage disrupts that sanctity. I think if there is a god, it’s not necessarily engaged in human rituals just because we summon it there, and even if it was, I doubt it would discriminate against non-baptized or homosexual persons as participants. But that’s just because I can’t imagine God being less kind, loving, and accepting than humans can fathom. I believe on the contrary, he’d have to be more loving than humans have the cognitive language or emotional capacity to experience. Maybe that love is all “God” is. But ultimately, I think all human activity is a charade. We carry a lot of ammunition to combat the meaninglessness of life which is a cold and frightening concept. I think about Martians a lot. If there were Martians who could come down and observe us carrying on ceremoniously in uniforms, having fashion shows and electing officials and attending church, I think they’d laugh. Particularly at the Catholic church. But it’s perfectly understandable that we should carry on this way. So much structure and dogma. Pretending to be anything other than exceptionally clever animals. I don’t think there’s anything wrong about it, as long as no one gets hurt. For some reason, despite all the apparent meaninglessness of life, I still think love and acceptance are fundamentally sound, and are the most important matters in the history of the universe. Nothing is more important, not justice, not truth, nothing. To judge is errant. To punish is errant. To curse is errant. To sin is errant. In a way, asking if I believe in the institution of marriage is like asking if I believe in the institution of professional basketball. I believe some people would like to play basketball professionally. As such, I believe those people ought to have every right to. Its worth is totally subjective, and like everything, is a matter of perception and intention. Since love is generally the compelling force of marriage, its function is inherently good. So I support it in relation to interested parties. As for myself, using basketball as a metaphor for love, I’m still an amateur. And that’s if I even dress out.