(Meal blessing, check. Steak and side dishes, check. Wine, check.)

You glance across the table. Amie is staring at you intently, quite obviously more preoccupied by your words than the food on the table.

(Pesky android, double-check.)

You cut your steak and take a bite. "You should eat before it gets cold."

"Oh, right..." Amie says, and plunges the tip of her fork into the tender meat. She begins chewing slowly, watching you in the process. Eventually, she swallows, and speaks again. "So, what is your answer to my question, sir?"

"My answer is a very simple one. As I said, the world does not protest because it identifies no discrepancy. If a man 'marries' an android for her to do the laundry and dishes and gratify his passions, the world will say: 'that is a marriage.' That the giving of consent or affection does not exist is not seen as a concern."

"But it is," Amie says, rather emphatically.

"Indeed. So what does that tell you about how the world views marriage?" you ask.

Amie pauses, clearly thinking. "That marriage is an institution that provides sexual intimacy."

"Correct," you say.

"Oh. I... see," she says, apparently somewhat disappointed that her thoughts were so simple.

Holding your wine glass in hand, you regard her with a little smile. "But Amie, aren't we missing something? A man may marry an android for that purpose, but what about a relationship between two humans? Will the world approve of the same dynamic in that?"

"I... don't know, sir," Amie answers, now sporting a rather forlorn expression on her face. "I just thought you objected to what humans do to androids."

You take a bite of steak. "I do. And so does the world." You pause, taking another sip of wine. Amie looks at you with an uncomprehending expression. "If two humans were to marry and mimic the first relationship," you explain, "society would waste no time in decrying it as outrageous and intolerable."

"So..." Amie says, clearly lost. "What are you trying to say?"

You put down your wine glass and look her in the eye. "What I mean, Amie, is that female androids are created by society to be ideal wives. Meek, submissive, obedient, sexually open... you get the picture. And yet, if one were to suggest that human women should act like these 'ideal wives'..." You pause, raising an eyebrow. "Do you think society would find such a description of a wife to be acceptable?"

Amie looks down, seemingly deep in thought. "I suppose not."

You nod solemnly. "People would be up in arms. What! A wife, serving a man as his glorified maid and mistress? That's unacceptable! In an ideal marriage, both partners are equal; it's completely unacceptable for the man to lord it over the woman; and so on and so forth. So we have a society that champions equality in marriage... and yet, when tasked with creating perfect marriage partners, settles on making precisely the opposite. That, my dear android, is an ineluctable contradiction."

Amie remains silent, lost in thought. "So that's the reason why my data is unreliable?" she asks at last.

"That’s right," you confirm. "You've been programmed to be an 'ideal wife' by a society that cannot even agree on what an ideal wife is."

"But your beliefs are acceptable?"

You make a slight shrug. "I am pointing out contradictions. Make of them what you will."

"I just thought..." Amie pauses, as if realizing for the first time that she's been pushing at an invisible wall. She wonders how to break through your defenses and force an open avowal of your views. "I just thought the Church would be different," she says quietly.

You stare at her in silence for a long time. "What do you mean, Amie? Tell me."

"I thought... I thought the Church would be different," she repeats. "That it would lead by example instead of just preaching about worldly things. I thought the Pope would be different. I thought he'd stand up for what's right even if it wasn't popular, but he just lets all these awful things happen.

The wall breaks into a million pieces.

You put down your glass. "You know what my views on the Church are, Amie?"

She shakes her head, curiously enough. "No, but... you've only been discussing society's view of marriage, and... just tell me!" she says anxiously.

Your brow creases in thought. "Very well. This isn't how I thought the conversation would go, but..." You pause. "Let me tell you how I thought the conversation would go. My prediction was that after exposing society's contradictory views, you would press me to justify my own. 'Can every country and government truly be wrong? Do you seriously believe that you alone hold the correct definition of marriage?' Something along those lines."

Amie nods slowly, waiting for you to go on. You continue: "To which objection I would have answered: yes, even if every country in the world is to legalize human-android marriage, which is well on the way to occurring, I alone will be right and the world will be wrong." You pause to allow your words to sink in. "That is how I have always seen the world, Amie. I believe that there are truths existing beyond it, and that we can and must enforce those truths even in the face of overwhelming opposition." Amie remains silent. "So tell me, Amie. Do you believe that machines should have the right to marry humans? Do you believe that marriage is just a state of cohabitation for material benefit? Do you believe that in this world of ours, my country's beliefs on marriage, and by extension those you yourself received, are the only correct ones?"

Amie bites her lip nervously. "I don't know. I just... I want to believe that there is more to life than this."

"Well, if you're asking me what I believe, then..." You pause. "I believe that my beliefs are correct. I believe that marriage cannot be reduced to material considerations. That is not such a grandiose proclamation, however, when one considers that I am merely holding to a definition of marriage given by an authority other than my reason. Speaking of which," you say, appraising your android companion with something akin to grudging admiration, "How did you pick up on the fact that the current hierarchy and I don't see eye to eye on this issue?"

Amie looks down at her plate. "I... thought it was strange," she begins, "that in all our conversations, you've never once mentioned... um... 'the Church' or words to that effect. Instead, you spoke using very abstract terms. Using words like 'truth,' and 'transcendence.' I decided to see if I could reason through the issue myself, and..." She breaks off, ashamed of her lack of original thought.

"And?" you softly encourage her.

"Well...and I did. I think you're right...and I think the Church's right." She exhales, a far-away look in her eyes. "I think the Church should uphold Church teaching. I don't believe the world can survive a relaxation of the Church's doctrine on..." Her voice drops to a whisper. "...on marriage."

"So during your investigation, you came to think it curious that churchmen are so fond of discussing the common good but so loathe to discuss doctrine given by the very same Church on that subject?"

"I...I guess so. I mean...I'm sorry, I really tried to keep an open mind, but..."

"No, no. That's perfectly all right. Your honest thoughts are good."

You contemplate the android. This...is probably the most she's managed to impress you thus far. Truly remarkable. You were sure you had let nothing of your true feelings slip, and yet... frankly, you're not sure what to make of this.