In New Zealand the issue of same sex marriages has been discussed with a view to changing the law to recognise two people of the same sex as being ‘married’. In this article my friend Rod Bent discusses the redefinition of the word ‘marriage’ in the light of this and shares his conclusions. Words do change their meanings over time. In some cases this is a neutral and understandable phenomenon, at other times the motive may be something we should reflect on and consider carefully -particularly when it affects issues we may feel have deep moral significance for ourselves, our society and our nation. Thank you Rod, for sharing this helpful article.
Rod’s article…
History tends to be re-interpreted or re-written by succeeding generations. Often this happens though bias, and sometimes by ignorance of past events. Occasionally it is re-written in the light of new discoveries of archaeology or the like. The worst kind of re-interpretation is when political leaders deliberately set out to twist history to suit their agenda. Notable examples in the past are Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It seems to me that in New Zealand we are witnessing a re-interpretation of several words that have been used for centuries in interpersonal relationships. The two words I want to focus on in this essay are “gay” and “marriage”.
In my 1981 World Book dictionary the word “gay” has seven meanings. They are;
- Happy and full of fun (the only meaning I knew as a child).
- Bright coloured, showy.
- Richly or showily dressed.
- Fond of pleasure, lively.
- Dissipated, immoral.
- Impertinent, fresh (slang)
- Of, or having to do with homosexual or lesbian.
I can safely say that the only meaning understood and allowed today is the seventh definition. Surely it is a word whose innocent meaning has been stolen. I wonder why?
In the same dictionary the word “marriage” has six definitions. They are;
- The act or fact of living together as husband and wife.
- The condition of being a husband or wife.
- The ceremony of being married, a wedding.
- Figurative, a close union, e.g. the marriage or music and drama in opera.
- The king and queen of the same suit in some card games.
- The merger of two business firms.
Clearly in interpersonal relationships the first three definitions apply. In a mere thirty years since this dictionary was published a new definition is being pushed in NZ to be accepted, namely marriage as being between two same sex adults as well as between a husband and wife…
To continue reading Rod’s thought provoking article click here… “Gay marriage”- more than a change in word meanings.
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