Dear Sir,

Please humour me in assuming that there are three primary schools of thought as to the origin of life:

1, Special Creation, which by default assumes a Creator;

2, Atheistic Evolution, we’re all here by chance;

3, Theistic Evolution, or some other similar middle-of-the-road theory, which in essence is nonsensible.

No option can be proved (scientifically) and all require a leap of faith that is based on certain evidence.

However, I will hasten to add the theistic evolution makes about as much sense as a skilled watchmaker fabricating all of the intricate parts of a Rolex watch, then leaving them in a pile on his workbench with the hope that given the passage of enough time, all of the parts will assemble themselves into a working timepiece. Not a very likely occurrence.

This then leaves us with two remaining “viable” options. One basic premise of atheistic evolution is survival of the fittest. That being so, there would be then be no rationale for marriage, and neither would marriage have any foundation or meaning.

Some may argue that marriage provides certain rights to the surviving spouse in the sad event of the death of the other, and this it does. While not meaning to in any way sound callous, a will provides the same — but that’s beside the point of this letter.

On a related note, if we believe in survival of the fittest, then why would the death of someone be a sad event? We are born, we live, we die — there would be no eternal purpose for our existence.

If we accept special creation, then we likewise must assume an intelligent Creator (there are many names for this being, but that is a moot point at this juncture). If we were created, and there is a Creator, shouldn’t the Creator be the one to determine what defines marriage?

The first two chapters of the Bible describe the creation of our solar system, as well as all that is required to support life on this planet. Chapter one of Genesis offers a basic outline of the daily events of creation, then chapter two provides additional insight.

We discover that after Adam named all the creatures he realised he had no complementary partner (perhaps this was the creator’s plan).

If I may paraphrase the last few verses of Genesis chapter 2. The Creator anaesthetised the male and removed a rib, and from rib that created the female. Adam said of the female: “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his parents and cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.”

Genesis 2:25: “The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.”

Therefore, from the standpoint of the Creator (and dare I say the design), is for the partners in a marriage to be one male and one female in a monogamous relationship until death separates them.

ROSS NEARON