Gay_Marriage

Homosexuality and Marriage Equality Marriage, as defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary is "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. Under the same definition it states marriage can also be defined as “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage”. There has been much argument and speculation over the rights of equality; not for society as whole but singlehandedly equality for gay men and lesbians. Should homosexuals have the same privileges as heterosexuals including accepted committed relationships' And most importantly can that committed relationship be considered sufficient enough to be recognized in holy matrimony' I would argue that marriage should be defined as the union of two individuals who love and respect one another under the union of God, and who are also recognized by government and society, regardless of gender. Most religious individuals have opposed same sex marriage because, according to the article in Britannica “Religious and secular expectations of marriage and sexuality”, "passages in sacred texts condemn homosexual acts; and religious tradition recognizes only the marriage of one man and one woman as valid". In the Bible, which we refer to as the sacred text, are other tidbits on this topic including a verse that says, "If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death ", as well as other passages that depict the same idea. Same sex relationships are “unnatural and wrong” according to an article on current issues and controversies, and “legalizing it would devalue the institution of marriage which was meant to foster the stable, two parent families that form the bedrock of society”. Alternatively, some would argue that passages in this same sacred book can be somewhat misleading and misunderstood. According to what one believes is right or wrong, the Bible also overbites “traditional beliefs” by including such passages as John 1:9 which states that “If we confess our sins, he [Jesus Christ] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”. Additionally, another verse under John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”. In my opinion as a supporter of same sex marriage, whosoever does not exclude anyone, but instead includes everyone. What matters is whether an individual believes in Jesus Christ and has accepted him as their Lord and Savior. If we as society are always sinning, which we do every day including greed, lust, gluttony, and most importantly the cruel speech about those who we differ, then why are only some people ridiculed against' Do we get to choose who in particular can get away with sins no matter how big or small or how much of a sin we think it is' Times are changing, and with that come new traditions and customs. Mindsets of society have evolved overtime and according to the same article on current issues and controversies, “A poll from 1996 showed 27 percent supported gay marriage while 68 percent opposed. In 2012, a Wall Street Journal poll found that 49 percent of Americans supported legalization and 40 percent opposed it”. This proves that, not only are views changing since historical recordings, but that in fact gays and lesbians show no recorded potential threat towards family and social dysfunctions, but instead express how important marriage and commitment actually is to them. Even with more acceptances on domestic relationships, such partnerships raising children are scorn upon. Opponents of same sex marriage stand by their decision that gay and lesbian parents are not properly prepared to raise children due to the inability of providing a stable establishment with both a female and male role model. According to the Britannica article on same sex marriage, "In their view, because male and female are both necessary for procreation and stability, the privileges of marriage should be available only to opposite-sex couples". I can assume by such accusations that people who oppose same sex parenting see them as toxic, believing that since being in a relationship in the first place is immoral, the children will also be exposed to more immoral and selfish acts. However, In the Huffington post an article on “Gay parents being better than straight parents” states that according to Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who researches gay and lesbian parenting, statistics show that gay parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents”. She goes on to include that "that translates to greater commitment on average and more involvement overall”. In the same Huffington Post article, research shows that according to a 2007 report “65,000 kids were living with adoptive gay parents between 2000 and 2002, with another 14,000 in foster homes headed by gays and lesbians”. To me that’s seems like a blessing. People who would take in a child not of their own, and protect them as well as provide structural support and love are no monsters. In fact according to the same article “in a 2010 review, it shows that the kids of same sex couples both adopted and biological, fare no worse than the kids of straight couples on mental health, social functioning, school performance and other life-success measures”. If same sex couples have the same mentality on family desires as heterosexuals, why deny them the ability to share the same aspects' With that said, whether it is in fact two men or two women raising a child, good parenting falls on the morals and integrity of the person raising the child and not by ones sexual orientation. In today’s day and age, gay and lesbians are practically everywhere; television, news, commercials, movies, etc. Celebrities amongst those highly profiled, are people who millions of Americans regardless of religious beliefs, look up to. A perfect example of this would be Ellen DeGeneres. She is a High profile Lesbian celebrity who gives more to others than her heart is big. On “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”, she bends over backwards for families in need and provides support for those individuals going through hard times. With Ben Affleck, DeGeneres launched the "Small Change Campaign" to benefit Feeding America. Ellen also supported the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund through the American Red Cross. It seems that Gay and lesbians themselves don’t seem to discriminate when it comes to donating their time and money, but are yet still discriminated against. Is this right' Can we be blind enough to accept higher roles of homosexuals in society as OK' And deplete those opinions of the non-important' With the viewpoints of the world being constantly changing and society being so vocal, there is no doubt that this discussion will continue to be a hot topic. However, by understanding the true relationship between love and marriage, we as a society will not only be more unified, but our nation will stand taller with a better state of mind, and we will also give the deserved freedom to those who simply want to love, be loved, and be supported by all, regardless of the person they decide to spend their rightful lives with.