Essay/Term paper: Same sex marriages

Essay, term paper, research paper:  American History

Same Sex Marriages


There are so many factors that may affect one's view of this topic it
becomes easy to see why it is controversial. To list all of the arguments would
be impossible. However, by focusing on the main topics that both that both
defend and disagree with the issue, we are able to get a brief glance at the
enormity that the outcome of a problem like this carries in our society.
Right from the beginning the bible states that it was not good for man
to be alone; "therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall
cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." (God) We can also read
about God's discussion of unlawful marriages: "Thou shalt not lay with mankind,
as with womankind: it is abomination." (God) And to the people who disregarded
this, the punishment was written simply; "they shall be cut off from their among
their people." Is it possible to say that these words that have provided strict
guidelines for all these years no longer have any meaning or promise because we
are no longer a people? Or is it right to think that we are adopted into the
family of God and are now apart of His people? Who decides? What if your
family isn't Christian, does the law of God apply to you? (God)
For years and years these were the words that nearly everyone followed.
Only people who were clearly wrong dared to disobey the word of God. It was
clearly black and white, and often times church leaders were looked to for
advice on what to do when we are faced with a choice. After all, they "
represent" Him, so they must know right from wrong. So what do we say to Bishop
John Shelby Strong who is quoted as saying, "I regard the blessing of gay and
lesbian couples by the church to be inevitable, right, and of a positive good.
We must be willing to relinquish prejudice and turn our attention to loving our
gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, supporting them, and relating them as part
of Gods creation." And how about the Roman Cardinal Basi Hume? He says that
love between people, whether of the same sex or a different sex, is to be
treasured and respected. "To love another person is to have entered the area of
richest human experience." I think that we are getting mixed messages. (Cahoon)
Now entering the picture is mans interpretation of the law. This view
no longer takes into consideration anything based on Christianity, by simply
what has been written by another person. I believe that the reason for this
turn from one written law (the bible) to another is due to the fact that it is
easier to find loop-holes in something that God had little to do with (but this
is only my belief). It is easier to see all the reasons why one can marry a
person of the same sex when you are dealing with a race that wants to be
considered open minded and fair - despite what they may know in their hearts to
be right. In the court case of Loving vs. Virginia, the appellants are fighting
for their civil right to have a (same-sex) marriage. This particular case
points out that the right to marriage occupies an extremely venerated position
in our society. marriage exists as a protected legal institution primarily
because of the societal values associated with the continuation of the human
race. (Dirty) Also, it should be apparent that no same-sex couple offers the
possibility of the birth of children by their union. Many times similar cases
involving female/female marriage or male/male marriages are refused by the
courts for this very reason. The state has the authority to refuse to authorize
a same-sex marriage from the impossibility of reproduction rather than from any
discrimination on the account of sex. It is now apparent how the law defined a
marriage. Legally it is considered the union of one man and one woman. This is
only because of the unique physical characteristics of each sex in being able to
reproduce. Never the less, "discrimination!" is screamed inside the walls of
the court and the issue of homosexual marriage moves from a moral to an ethical
issue. (Brown)

Bibliography

Rotello, Gabriel






/abacus.oxy.edu/QRD/media/print/gabriel.rotello/gay.marriage.the.next.big.battle

Brown, Jennifer G. http://www.outnow.com/67/hawaii.html

Sanders, D. B. Skeeter http://members.aol.com/otlm/julyaug/antimarr.html

Loveline.com http://cemulimedia.com/loveline/loveome/.htm

Lambda Legal Defense & Education Fund
http://www.gaysource.com/gs/ht/oct95/questions.html

Cahoon, Robert E. http://www.bestweb.com/cahoon

Teriaine, J. http://www.buddybuddy.com

Haig, Sir Douglas http://www.demon.co.uk./kdm/haig.html

Dirty Hippies Liberal Christian Home Journal http://student-
-www.uchicago.edu/users/mbaldwin/homo.html

Zingale, Daniel http://www.hrusa.org/feature2/mar16.html

God exerpts from the Bible

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