Dancing Blissfully Toward Misery

I had a weird assignment today. I had to help a student with some brainstorming for a paper arguing why a certain video presented an effective argument in favor of same-sex marriage. But here's the kicker: It kind of was one.

The video itself didn't really present an argument (at least, not the parts I saw). It presented a man who had practiced very hard to perform a dance for, and then propose to, the man he loved, who was a professional dance instructor. The dance was alright, and the fact that the dancer had practiced that dance, evidently as a surprise performance for his future husband, showed a good deal of devotion. Plus, having a hobby you can pursue together is almost definitely a good thing for any couple. I can imagine those two being very happy together.

In fact, that's what made the video as convincing as it was: happiness. At the moment of the proposal and for several long moments thereafter, everyone in the video seemed so very happy. And, well, I am in favor of happiness.

My only hangup here is that the happiness won't last, and I don't mean that in the same sense that applies to all relationships. The honeymoon phase doesn't last forever. It's as easy to fall out of love as it is to fall into it. That's not what I mean. I expect that that couple could be just as happy as any other couple for about as long as almost any other relationship might last.

But I know that their relationship won't last forever. We are eternal beings, and gender is an essential part of our eternal identities, but same-sex marriages are not part of God's eternal plan. Celestial marriages can last forever; same-sex marriages can't. I expect that the couple in the video did, does, and will enjoy a good deal of happiness, but unless they change their paths drastically, they will not experience lasting joy.

I am in favor of happiness, however one can get it, except at the cost of misery. The couple was happy in the video, and probably for a long time afterward, but I'm afraid that their happiness won't last forever, and I feel bad for them about that. Eventually, they will wish they had made different choices, so I also wish they had.

I don't have anything against same-sex couples any more than I have against other sinners who argue that their brand of sin should be accepted, celebrated, and normalized. I wish that they had made decisions that would have led them to eternal joy. It saddens me that they so blissfully travel down a path that leads to misery and that they seem to be so effective at convincing others to follow them.