Ban on Gay Marriages and Irony
Recently, the Howard government "banned gay marriages" (or more accurately, passed a new law refusing the recognize same-sex marriages performed in other countries.) They did this to preserve the sanctity of the traditional meaning of marriage.
While I applaud this step, I think they have not nearly gone far enough. If we are serious about preserving the traditional meaning of marriage, we should follow these arguments to their logical conclusion.
It is clear that the marriage is not traditionally between a man and a man. It is not traditionally between a woman and a woman. It is traditionally between a man and a woman's father, properly arranged between the families before God. We should not let gays reduce the value of marriage; large dowries paid by the women's families should take care of that.
Of course, without a clear grasp of irony, and confidence that the audience understood it, I would never suggest that I have such a view. Using irony as part of my "voice" in a blog would be something that I would avoid without a clear understanding of my blog reader's ability to read behind the lines.
Knowing your audience is important for clear writing with impact.
While I applaud this step, I think they have not nearly gone far enough. If we are serious about preserving the traditional meaning of marriage, we should follow these arguments to their logical conclusion.
It is clear that the marriage is not traditionally between a man and a man. It is not traditionally between a woman and a woman. It is traditionally between a man and a woman's father, properly arranged between the families before God. We should not let gays reduce the value of marriage; large dowries paid by the women's families should take care of that.
Of course, without a clear grasp of irony, and confidence that the audience understood it, I would never suggest that I have such a view. Using irony as part of my "voice" in a blog would be something that I would avoid without a clear understanding of my blog reader's ability to read behind the lines.
Knowing your audience is important for clear writing with impact.