Good day readers, today we bring you a massively interesting debate on whether or not to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I know that many of you are reading on to justify receiving gifts (women) or to get out of buying them (men)! Other may stay tuned for a myriad of reasons but whatever the reason may be, you might just learn some interesting things.
We have three speakers on each side and will be starting with those “For” the motion! Just as a reminder this is Ghana and as such homosexual activities are prohibited by law and as such are BANNED from discussion in this debate. Also the Bible clearly informs us that homosexuality is unnatural and sinful, Romans 1:26-27, Leviticus 20:13, Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, I’m sure there are more but that is a talk for another day...
For speaker 1
Good day judges, ladies and gentlemen, I am here representing those who are for the motion that Ghanaians should celebrate Valentine’s Day. I honestly believe that we are the majority, and will now explain why.
One may ask, what is Valentine’s Day? Let me enlighten you. Valentine’s Day falls on the 14th of February and is a celebration of love and affection between couples. It was named after one or more Christian martyrs by the name of Valentine or Valentinus. The most interesting of which was a priest who ignored a marriage ban and wedded young couples, he was caught and executed and the couples he had wedded wrote him letters about their love and how it was better than war (which was going on at the time). Thus the celebration and the giving of cards started!
It has so many benefits, including, strengthening relationships between couples and acting as an avenue for expressing ones feelings. But one important thing is that Valentine’s Day allows people who are busy all the year through to set some time aside and spend it with the person they ‘love’.
The celebration of Valentine’s Day is a good thing and should be promoted.
Against speaker 1
My good friends and moderators, greetings. I am here to represent the majority of people who find that Valentine’s Day is just not necessary, even troublesome perhaps.
Just in case you do not know the first celebrations that take place on February the 14th were pagan in origin. There was the Roman pagan festival of Lupercalia which was associated with purification and fertility rituals. There was also another pagan festival of the Greeks, celebrating the marriage of Zeus and Hera. Yet another was based on the worship of the roman queen god Juno. Even Val’s days favorite mascot, Cupid, is a Greco-Roman god who also goes by the name “EROS” (sound familiar?). If you read Deuteronomy 12:29-31 you may find something very interesting about adopting or “overtaking” customs other people use to worship their foreign gods and not the true God of Heaven (whose kid is Jesus Christ).
Even from the so-called Christian background, a renegade priest marrying couples against the law? Was he the inspiration for Las Vegas? The Church does not even recognize Valentine's Day as a Church holiday anymore.
Let’s move from its origin to its practice. Valentine’s Day is miserable for single people. If you are not involved in a romantic relationship during that season, contemporary Ghanaian society makes you feel ‘unlucky’. Even the term ‘gnashing’ when one does not receive a gift on Val’s Day is derogatory. What good is a public celebration if it causes others to feel left out?
It is a hard day for poor Ghanaian men who are pressured to perform, and/or to give gifts. Already Atta’s 30% is still hurting us, and now we must buy girls gifts? Chale!
Also for those in “complex” relationships (i.e. more than one), Val’s day can be the day that finished them off completely. How can one man juggle 3-12 girls if they all want attention on the same day? It is virtually impossible and only the best of “bad” men will escape with their lives. We should consider them small. They are human too.
Then there is the generation of massive post-valentine’s day waste. The day itself is wasteful enough, all the diabetes-inducing chocolates, drinks, paper greeting cards, most of which are discarded within the week. Hmmm.
For Speaker 2: Rebuttals
Judges, audience; I think the “against” speaker is vehement because he does not want to spend his meager salary on women. Please my friend; let us not be so cheap!
First of all the day of February 14th was chosen to overcome those so called pagan rituals and not because that was its origin. The early Christians made it a celebration of romantic love instead of eroticism and sexuality. So your argument holds no water, or chocolate for the matter... In fact it is so porous one might think that it was a sieve.
Valentine’s Day’s love is not limited to romantic love, it is about the expression of true love, which the bible graciously defines for us in 1 Corinthians 4-8a. Who would not want to celebrate such a wonderful thing?
Now, no one forces men to do anything. Is anyone holding a gun to a man’s head, making him buy jewelry, candies, clothes, cars… ahem, or anything else for the lady he likes? The answer is NO! Valentine ’s Day is a day for expressing feelings, if you have none, then no need for expression! After all is the ONLY way to express ones feelings through gifts and money spending? Of course not, our venerable Ghanaian ladies are more caring and considerate than that!
People who are in "complex" relationships are not in the right so any exposure would be good. In fact if that was the only factor in this celebration it should be celebrated 12 times a year!
Just because other holidays are wasteful does not mean that the fact that Valentine ’s Day MIGHT be wasteful is not an argument worth considering, the same level of “commercialization” is done during Christmas, so please, some things are from the exuberance of business men and cannot be avoided.
Against Speaker 2: Rebuttals
Greetings Judges, fellow contestants and the general public; my opponents saying that Valentine’s Day is about true love might be true but the only publicized part of Valentine’s Day is for romantic relationships between men and women. That is the case. Need I continue?
And on behalf of men, there is MASSIVE emotional pressure by women to receive something on Valentine’s Day. In fact, even if they do not say a word, they may be intimidated by all their friends who have received “showers of blessings” and then look at their “chisel” man in a new light.
Val’s day is one sided. In many cases it is just about men doing something for women and hardly ever vice-versa, at least the women should participate small.
For Speaker 3: Closing Remarks
My good friends, let us do what is right and pure and consider Valentine’s Day for what it is, a day from expressing true and unfiltered “authentic” love to all. May you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and may love be with you.
Do not be poisoned by those who are against Val’s, they are boring and dry and broke to boot!
My love goes out to all of you. Thank you
Against Speaker 3: Closing Remarks
I feel that the “for” speakers closing remarks are very insulting. The only reason why he is talking like that is because he is too black to have a girl and as such is free to do what he pleases today!
Let us consider the dubious roots of Valentine’s Day and how it has been reduced to a glorified erotic holiday. Let us boycott the celebration of this unnecessary time and money waster and focus on more important things. Like world peace. Thank you.
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Anyhow, this is just a small debate to get people’s minds working. As for me “NO COMMENT”.
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