Moral Compass

Okay, here are my thoughts on gay marriage, I have none.  I realize that New York’s recent decision has some people happy, others not so much.  As for me I really don’t care because it doesn’t affect me.  Don’t be upset because you’re a staunch Christian who thinks I’m going to Hell or because you are homosexual and think I should have an opinion of some sort.  My policy is simple, I really don’t care what people do with their private lives as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone or affect me in a negative way.  Being straight I find the thought of me being with a man a little icky but the thought of whatever you decide to do is your business.  The marriage thing is tricky because over the centuries it has been turned into a religious institution but it was there before any religion I’m sure.  It was a business arrangement in many ancient cultures, today too.  Even before that there were people who stayed together because they just couldn’t stand the thought of one person being with someone else.  Now is the time to scream about morality but then I bring out the moral compass argument.  Anyone who knows map reading and land navigation understand the compass and the different versions of north.  There is magnetic north (religion), grid north (society), and true north (somewhere in between).  Your moral compass is calibrated by your upbringing.  Some religious people will say that something is wrong because of their religion, a certain society would differ (especially if they never knew that religion), but somewhere in the mix of all this would be where the truth lies.  I think that society and different religions should probably always be pushing each other back and forth.  Without one then the other could completely dominate the ideals.  I am one who believes that arguing and fighting helps to keep us closer to the middle.  If a society becomes too loose and allows their morals to slip into a place where hurting each other could become normal then that is bad.  The reverse is also true though, if religion is allowed free reign over what is moral and good then perhaps we would lose too many freedoms, even the freedom to do things that don’t hurt anyone at all.  One of the worst is when a government, any government decides to take the place of religion or society or both in this natural event because there is almost no way to stop that government from dictating what is good and moral or what is allowed.  So this hasn’t really been about gay marriage, I just needed a good jumping off point.  My main point is that everyone is entitled to their opinion, except the government, they should be forced to reflect the opinions of the people they serve and refrain from dictating morality, let us hash it out ourselves.  We are ultimately smart enough to figure out what is best for ourselves.  Once you realize that your moral compass might need recalibrated.