When State and Church disapprove of my love

Like everybody else, I fell in love. And, like many, the object of my love is of a different faith. So what?

Cogito Ergo Sun, The Rakyat Times

Love conquers all, love is blind and marriages are made in heaven.

I have been told and I have read this a zillion times.

Never believe all that you read or watch in the mainstream media.

My church refused to marry us because she is of a different faith, especially because she is of that one particular faith!

There is no way, in hell, or earth, or heaven, that the State will allow this union… unless I change my faith.

That is really none of the State’s business, I thought, rather ignorantly.

Ok…that’s one door shut.

Fear man?

But why can’t the church marry us?

That’s because, then, the marriage will not be recognised as legitimate…and mainly, the church does not want to run afoul of the State – so said the holy, but uninformed, priest to me.

But, I thought, we have been told to fear God and not man, since Sunday School days?

So now, father, you are saying, I have been told the wrong things all this while.

I need to fear an unreasonable, volte-face, lying, bigoted, racist State?

Err…yes.

So, unless I give up the faith of my forefathers and embrace hers, the marriage is a no-go?

Err…yes.

That is a no-go in my book.

But wait a minute.

Where is this separation of church and state concept that was shoved down our throats in law school?

“The separation of church and state is a metaphorical description for the distance in the relationship between organised religion and the nation state,” says one definition.

As far as I am concerned, it is attempting to separate my love from me!

No faith in the State

The State will not allow her to embrace my faith… and the penalty for her is stoning!

Well…that’s really a conundrum. I certainly will NOT shove my faith onto her.

She is to embrace it of her own free will.

And she feels the same about her faith. She will not insist that I embrace hers.

What about children?

Well, we would bring them up, I suppose, with the faith that we have in each other, and with the best that both our faiths can offer humankind.

So what is wrong with that?

Well, apparently, the state does not approve of that either. Not the children part, but the way they will be brought up.

“They shall be brought up in faith of the State.”

Hogwash!

Both our hard work brought them forth.

Change the devils

Why the devil has the state the right to tell us how they ought to be raised up, which faith they ought to have, or for that matter, which faith we have to follow?

But, that is the state of the State that we are in.

And unless we change the players in the State (and church, I pray), our love will remain forbidden fruit for a while.

Not too long, I hope.

Because, until that happens, we will be living in sin, from both the State’s point of view and that of the church.

We have only one response: they can go to hell.

Meanwhile, we will live in ‘sinful’ but heavenly bliss! Until the State finds out – or our in-laws!

See you at the wedding!