Same Sex Marriages – So what?

The Wikipedia defines Marriage as follows:

“Marriage (also called matrimony or wedlock) is a social union or legal contract between people called spouses that establishes rights and obligations between the spouses, between the spouses and their children, and between the spouses and their in-laws.^[1] The definition of marriage varies according to different cultures, but it is principally an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged.”

Webster defines it as follows:

“a (1) : the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (2) : the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage marriage>

b : the mutual relation of married persons : wedlock

c : the institution whereby individuals are joined in a marriage

2

: an act of marrying or the rite by which the married status is effected; especially : the wedding ceremony and attendant festivities or formalities

3

: an intimate or close union 

”

Looking closely at both definitions, the following attributes emerge:

1.    Rights and obligations

2.    Mutual consent

3.    United or union

4.    Other entities like children, in-laws

I think, it is human made boundaries like the “spouses” have to be of opposite sex. The reality is that in a same sex marriage, there is only thing that the couples cannot do i.e. to bear children. However, is that the sole purpose of a marriage? Yes and no!

Yes, because, the human race has to continue. If no one on the earth ever bore a baby, the human race would become extinct.

No, because, it is not mandatory for married couple to have children.

Then why this fuss?

Top 3 Benefits of same sex marriages:

1.    Population Explosion: There is another solid reason to promote same sex marriages. The world population is exploding, whereas resources are not. Mortality rates are going up and will continue to do, as we gain more control on medical sciences. Same sex marriages will help control population explosion

2.    Care for children: The only way, same sex spouses can raise children is by adopting them. This is actually very good for the hundreds of orphans and unwanted children born all over the world. It is best to hand over such children to parents who can care for them and raise them the right way.

3.    World economy: Same sex marriages will provide a boost to the world economy. There will be increased emphasis on new scientific research, social sciences, medical sciences, education, new government and business policies. In short, there will be significant opportunities, if same –sex marriages are legalized

Same-sex Marriages FAQ

1.    Is it unnatural: Absolutely not. In several parts of the world, where same-sex marriages are being discussed, several people are coming out in support. The fact that so many people feel positive about same sex means it is certainly not unnatural

2.    Is it a new fad? No, because, it has been in existence for several years. It is becoming a new discussion point now.  

3.    Does religion support it? Every religion is moulded by an interpretation by its followers. But, there is nothing concrete to prove no religion supports it. Religions are silent about marriages.

4.    Is it criminal? Criminality is something that has to be in accordance with the law. If laws are enacted to support same-sex marriages, they would not be criminal

5.    Is it moral or ethical? Morality is to with proper behaviour. Ethics relate to right and wrong. The society defines moral and ethical based on an accepted framework. The key word here is social acceptance. There is no logical reason why same sex marriages must not be socially acceptable. Unlike acts of terrorism, it doesn’t kill anyone. If it is legalized, sooner or later, people will start socially accepting it

6.    Is it socially harmful? As I pointed out earlier, opposite sex marriages are important for the existence and continuance of the human race. If everyone indulged in same sex marriages, the human race would become extinct. But, as long as we accept same sex marriages as just another marriage, it is not socially harmful

The death of the email

Just a few years ago, we used emails for pretty much everything:

·         Informal communications between friends

·         Formal communications between colleagues working in the same company

·         Formal communications between folks representing different entities (including customer service, sales/marketing, job applicants)

·         Government to Government or citizen to government forums

·         Others

Social media has changed a lot of this and people rarely use emails for informal communications. It is mostly facebook or goople plus for informal communications.

Then came social media adapted by enterprise which is gradually killing any emails communications between employees of the same company, or even multiple companies collaborating on a single project or new product innovation. Companies could use Jive, for example, to communicate internally within.

Even customer service is turning to the social media to address customer redressal or just answer questions or lead them to company ecommerce sites when a consumer can make purchases. No more info@company.com or sales@company.com

We can also a trend when companies are increasingly using social media for attracting talent. LinkedIn has job forums or job openings advertised which lead applicants to company websites where they can upload their CVs. The hire@company.com or recruit@company.com is dying a slow death.

Governments and political formulations are increasingly moving to computer based systems and trending towards twitter or facebook to connect with their supporters. 

Email is dead! Long live social media!!

Predicting the future with the great Indian Epics & Scriptures

 

The debates on whether the stories contained in the Indian epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) are never-ending, Irrespective of what the outcome is, they do provide some very interesting insights into what the future looks like.

 

Communication:

 

Current State

The epics and other ancient scriptures contain several instances where the Gods could communicate with their devotees or others in real-time. The Gods could just appear and disappear at will. Today, we already have skype and google hangout, which makes instant video communications possible.

 

Future State

The future of communications is 3D and 4D distant communications. 3D is already available, but very expensive and needs lot of infrastructure set-up, Future innovations will see 3D and 4D communications being adapted in regular life. We will be able to see the other person in 3D, almost as if they are near us. In a 4D environment, we will be able to feel the things near them thru smart devices. If they spill water, we will be able to feel the water drops on us. And you will be able to do all this sitting in the comfort of home or just anywhere with a smart phone.

It is very interesting to note the story of how the Mahabharata was written. Rishi Vyas, the author of the Mahabharata, spoke while the God Ganesha wrote the epic – very similar to speech-to-text conversion software. The future will see such software becoming more predictable and will change the way authors, writers and journalists interact with the media. Even home-works can just be talked, without the need to type. 

 

Health, Biology & Medicine          

 

Current State

The ancient rishis were healthy and probably never fell sick. They lived long lives and had near control over death. Test tube babies, artificial insemination are fairly recent topics that we have been dealing with. The Mahabharata contains examples of how the concept of  test tube baby was used in the birth of the 100 Kauravas. Also, Draupadi became of the mother of 3 sons, each born from a different father. Artificial insemination and usage of sperm banks are becoming so common today.     

 

Future State

Longevity is going up year by year. The future will see lesser people facing sick due to adopting healthier practices. Medicines will be more natural based, as opposed to over-dosage of chemicals. Artificial insemination and sperm banks will become bigger. More celebrities will take pride in sperm donation and more women will take pride in bearing children of the best in class men – the social stigma would disappear.  

There is an interesting story in the scriptures of how Ganesha’s head was severed from his body and he was killed. He was brought back to life by Lord Shiva by replacing his head with that of an elephant. The future of medicine is that it will be possible to transplant any type of organ from any living being to another living being as long as there is some basic compatibility. All living beings are made of the same 5 elements and have similar functions (e.g. blood circulation, brain functions, etc). Lots of medicines are lab tested on mice before prescribing for humans. There are enough indicators to show similarities in life across humans and other species. Therefore, such transplants would be very much possible in future.      

 

Travel & Mobility

 

Current State

Travel was so easy in the epic world. The gods just had to wish to be somewhere and they could be there in no time. The Ramayana does show  Ravana as owning a plane, which compares to a private jet in today’s world. Also, the Gods and Rishis could travel from place to place (earth and beyond). Humans have already conquered the moon and some of the other planets.

 

Future State

The future will see more mobility solutions, which are much faster. As humans gain more control over speed, you will see travel across continents in less than an hour. Also, inter-planet travels are restricted to astronauts and NASA scientists. The future will see movement of ordinary people with no background is space research, traveling to other planets or moons, for pleasure or other purposes.  

    

Social Issues

 

Current State

The 3^rd sex, same-sex marriages are the hot topics today. Almost every country is facing the pressure to take a decision on such issues. The Mahabharata does give its due importance to the 3^rd sex, in the form of Brihnala, an important character in the story.

 

Future State

The future will not see only see same sex marriages, but also, people maintaining multiple partners at the same time. In the Mahabharata, Draupadi had 5 husbands, while Arjuna, a husband of Draupadi, had multiple wives. The future will see such relationships- same sex marriages, multiple spouses.