But the first step toward making
his home such a rampart is marriage. Thus, whoever destroys human marriage
destroys the home, the city, and the whole human race. For it would not last if
there were no procreation of children, and there would be no just and lawful
procreation of children without marriage.
That the home or the city does
not depend upon women alone or upon men alone, but upon their union with each
other is evident. One
could find no other association more necessary nor more pleasant than that of
men and women.
For what man is so devoted to his
friend as a loving wife is to her husband? What brother to a brother? What son
to his parents? Who is so longed for when absent as a husband by his wife, or a
wife by her husband? Whose presence would do more to lighten grief or increase
joy or remedy misfortune? To whom is everything judged to be common, body,
soul, and possessions, except man and wife?
Many people would like to design a society from the
top down. “If we pass this new legislation, we will finally have decent wages,
and fair housing, and we will abolish all prejudice!”
I deeply admire the enthusiasm, but it will do
nothing of the sort. It will only give people new hoops to jump through, and
they will still pursue their own values, for good or for evil, working their
way around your elaborate dictates.
If they want to treat other people like garbage,
your fancy directives won’t change that. They will continue to live like
beasts, while you praise yourself on a podium for having fixed the world.
I can’t fix anyone, and you can’t fix anyone. The
politicians and priests don’t like it, but people can only fix themselves.
God runs the Universe from the top down, and yet I
suspect people think that they can somehow be like God. The irony is that Providence
made it such that we humans can rule from the bottom up, by starting with
ourselves.
It burns, doesn’t it? How dare God be so cruel!
The association between man and woman is the most
basic of all, and if I can’t get that right, I’ll never get anything else
right. If I can’t love her with the deepest respect she deserves, how can I
expect to love anyone else with even the faintest of sincerity?
“Yes, I have been married three times now, but I am
your best choice for governor, because I believe in the American will to
succeed!”
No, clearly you don’t. Your version of success
involves the using and the disposing of people.
I make no claims about how to “correct” society. I
can only offer a love for my wife. Anything else to follow will depend upon that.
Written in 1/2000
No comments:
Post a Comment