Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Remember when that annoying kid from across the street who would threaten to take her toys and go home if you didn't play the way she wanted? Well, here's the adult version of that. Nick and Sarah Jensen just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary. And they love marriage so darn much, they're threatening to divorce if gay marriage is legalized.
And the world replied: "Fine. Get divorced. See if we care."
The Jensens explained their divorce plan in the Canberra City News in Australia, where Parliament is considering a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Polls show a majority of Australians support gay marriage. But not the Jensens.
"As Christians, we believe marriage is not a human invention," Nick Jensen explains in his editorial. "Marriage is the union of a man and a woman before a community in the sight of God. And the marriage of any couple is important to God regardless of whether that couple recognizes God’s involvement or authority in it."
"My wife and I, as a matter of conscience, refuse to recognize the government’s regulation of marriage if its definition includes the solemnization of same sex couples," Jensen declares. He writes that they will still refer to each other as husband and wife, and will continue living together and raising their children together. So, it would be a divorce in the eyes of the law but otherwise business as usual.
The response to the Jensens' threat has been mostly ridicule. "Pathetic, ignorant, plonkers," are among the special words readers have for the couple. There's a Celebrating Nick & Sarah Jensen's Divorce Facebook page. And there's this hilarious headline: Same Sex Couple Threatens Not to Give a Sh*t If Other Couple Divorces.
But wait a minute -- this reminds me of celeb couples like Brad and Angelina Pitt saying a few years ago that the wouldn't marry until same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S. They got their share of ridicule, but most people thought it was a kind gesture. What makes the Jensens different?
More from The Stir: Brad & Angelina's Kids Are Right: It's Time to Get Married
I think it's the spirit of each respective stand. On one side, you have couples choosing not to participate in an institution until its privileges are extended to everyone. They're coming from a spirit of generosity, of embracing others.
On the other side, you have a couple threatening to leave an institution if it becomes more inclusive. It comes from a spirit of exclusion.
I know the Jensens are coming from a religious perspective, but that's also a problem. Who designated them authorities on what God wants marriage laws to look like? No one did. It's a bit arrogant.
Anyway, I wish the Jensens a hearty good-luck-with-that. Enjoy your legal divorce! It's going to be an expensive headache, but if it means that much to you, go for it. The rest of us will continue moving the human race forward.
What do you think of this couples' threat?
Image via Sarah Jensen/Facebook
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
