A practice in understanding context: 1. How soon should one marry? Historically: The legal age of marriage in Roman times was 12-25 years of age. Mary, the mother of Jesus was understood to be 14 when she gave birth to Jesus. In those days the oldest age one would live to was on average 30+ and if your were lucky 50+. Is there a normative understanding of this? Maybe, usually rooted in a cultures understanding of puberty. Is there a one in the Bible for the Christian? Nope. The Bible speaks on how a marriage should be, not at what age it starts. How do we come to our present secular practice of folks getting married after 18? Consensus. Once made in light of a religious interpretation as a basis for law then modified to suit our mix of a secular society. Now the cultural agreement is rooted in considerations of opportunity for education, maturity and the means to make a living. So in Singapore we understand the secular space to be occupied by both the religious and non-religious. There will be differing values pushing up against each other. One can be upset about the mix and insist all must believe the same through argument or protest. Or one could understand that our absolutes do not apply until the other submits to the same grand narrative (Eg. The Gospel, The Koran & Gay Rights). In the meantime, cherish the freedom to speak and use it wisely. Speak in love so that one may win another with both the heart and mind. This is democracy at work, forging our consensus whilst choosing our grand narratives.
Posted on: Tue, 24 Jun 2014 07:47:10 +0000
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