I can't see what all the fuss is about with gay marriage and I don't think it threatens the institution of marriage at all . Marriage , the way it occurs and what happens within it afterwards reflects the type of community the people come from religious or secular. Bahai marriage requires the consent of both sets of parents and if you don't get that you don't  get married. It is rigorously enforced. Consent from parents isn't required for secular marriages . Does that make a religious marriage better than a secular one . Nope.

If Catholics publicy state what is expected for a Catholic marriage i.e. its a heterosexual institution,good for them and the same for Muslim , Bahai or Hindu marriages : organised religions have the human right supported by their adherents to believe in their version of marriage. For them though and only them . They have no right to impose that belief on others . Problems occur when any religion wants to impose its beliefs about marriage on those who do not hold those religious beliefs. That is wrong and can give religion a bad name because religion is about individual choices made freely not coercing people to outwardly comply because one religion is dominant in a country. That type of religious expression was wrong , is wrong ,is dying out and will eventually be no more .

Besides , what is winning all the way,  is marriage itself, a religious institution in the first place and always has been , thats how it developed historically and if I was a person interested in having elements of my religious beliefs getting a wider take up in my country , and I am , equality between the sexes for example , I would and do feel quite happy that people in same sex relationships want to do what I as a Bahai have done but in a religiously specific way : get married! Good for them and it leads to better outcomes for kids in terms of money ,emotional stabilty and life chances .

Secular marriages and religious marriages are good ways to express love and great for kids and last longer than not being married at all!

Weeeeeeel , two nights ago ! downloaded Shelby Footes "The Civil War Volume I: Fort Sumter to Perryville" which has resulted in me reading the night away because it is so brill , consequently I slept in this morning and we didn't get out for a good walk around Richmond until 11AM. Richmond in the ground hugging cloud and mist was gorgeous and down at Round Howe alongside Billy Banks Woods a huge 30 foot chunk of the river bank had been undercut by the recent floods and had slipped down into the Swale taking half the path and three trees with it . Glad I wasn't walking along there when that happened. Its never boring .

We had a good look at the Yoredale series of rocks within the cliffs in Billy Banks Woods and for the first time I realised that they had a lot of small faults in them which get widened by frost and water erosion. At least I think that's right because its difficult to interpret the rocks quite often . Good fun and we had Latte Coffee and Scone break sat on a bench right next to the River Swale with the high running water sounding very soothing and a bit menacing at the same time . Taking coffee and scones in my rucksack  makes me feel very highbrow and its great just being able to plonk ourselves anywhere we like . Unchain yourself from the Cafe folks : freedom! Don't moan on about tax and  Starbucks  just don't buy from them . That is the quickest way for them to get the message!

Just to get some more grit into Fiona's legs we banged up the path from the river to the Castle walk and she looked a bit wasted at the top but is getting stronger no doubt about it . We are doing a long miler around  Keswick in the Lake District soon and are training her up for that. It will be good to see her sister Becky and the boys to see their cousin India. Well back to the Civil War book and I can't wait to read the other two volumes!