In a country where diversity is the key to success and freedom of speech and religion is seen as a motto, it is hard to believe that many Americans don’t follow what they preach. If America is the land of opportunity and diversity then why are so many same sex couples being shunned? If Americans support religious freedom, then the act of shunning same sex couples because their religious views don’t follow what most people believe should be put to an end. Based on this logic, society should accept these same sex couples instead of turning their backs on them in affairs dealing with adoption and marriage.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. This is one of the most famous quotes in the Declaration of Independence, but what happens when the government begins to decide who is eligible for these rights? An example of what happens is same sex couples struggling to find approval across America for same sex marriages. Despite the fact that the Declaration of Independence states that every citizen has the right for the pursuit of happiness, the government and a vast majority of the citizens of the United States don’t seem to comprehend that happiness is different for different individuals. Much of this controversy can be blamed on the bias of government officials being mostly Christians whose teachings see same sex marriage as wrong. In the case of trying to incorporate prayer into the begging of government meetings, “U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled that… public prayer amounted to an endorsement of Christianity.” This proves that the laws allowing gay marriag...
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...ng same sex marriages opens doors to absurd ideas on who and what can be legally married. Many people make the claim that same sex marriages will lead to polygamy, incest and bestiality. The truth in this myth is that the likelihood of the first two happening is very unlikely. Studies from countries that have already legalized same sex relationships show that the demand of polygamous and incestual marriages has not risen. Also the idea of same sex relationships leading to bestiality is completely absurd. First off marriage is defined as a bond between to consenting adults, so if a person tries to marry their dog they wouldn’t have a definite way of knowing that their dog wants to marry them. Secondly homosexual marriages are no more likely as heterosexual marriages to make people want to marry an animal. With such an irrational argument it can be safely dismissed.
Same-sex marriage has been one of the most controversial topics in the United States, and gay couples have been facing harsh judges by others. Gay marriage is very important because it challenges our values on freedom, and this will affect the next generation’s understanding of marriage. In “The Conservative Case for Gay Marriage,” the author uses historical facts trying to convince his audience that same-sex marriage should be protected under laws and granted respect by people. On the other hand, the author of “Prop 8 Hurts My Family-ask Me How” uses incidences of how homosexual couples are being harassed and discriminated by others to show how they were unequally treated after prop 8 was passed. They both use the rhetorical strategies effectively
Originally colonizing for religious reasons in the 17th century, the United States of America has evolved since then into a nation that separates government and personal beliefs. Although the U.S claims that their church and state is separated, the issue of gay marriage is still a relevant issue today. Thoughts on same-sex marriage are primarily based off of religious beliefs, yet the U.S. government still believes it should control whether gays should be married or not. The U.S. should make gay marriage legal, because it is unconstitutional not to do so.
As a United States citizen who was born in the new millennium, I was brought up with the idea that, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This statement was one of the main sources of fuel for the Civil Rights Movements in the mid 1950’s/60’s in the United States. Minority groups have often been mistreated in the United States culminating in movements much like that of the women’s suffrage movement, civil rights movements and now a movement toward equality for the LGBTQIA. In the last few decades a new minority group, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and allies, and their struggle to attain their right to the pursuit of happiness. This small makes up roughly 4 percent of the US population. Though many say that gay marriage will weaken the moral foundation of our country, it should be legalized, not only because banning it is unconstitutional, but also because strips people of their human rights
The United States is a country built on a number of ideals and institutions. The moral structure of many Americans today was developed by our ancestors and the founders of this nation through the institutions that were a part of their lives. Family, religion, marriage, equality, and justice are just a few examples of the important components that provide a moral basis for our country. If any of these elements were to become too mutated, the effects on society could be devastating. Right now in the United States, one of these building blocks of society is being threatened by the possibility of a negative transformation. The building block of marriage as the sacred joining of one man and one woman is under attack and is at risk of being destroyed. People in favor of gay marriage want to change marriage to the joining of two people of either sex, which goes against what the purpose of marriage has been and why it is important to society and religion. People who are in opposition to same-sex marriage are eagerly expressing their opinions with religious and cultural reasons that show how this change could impact our society forever.
Marriage as generally define is the union between one man and one woman. However a recent debate over same-sex marriage has stirred a nationwide debate reverberating in the halls of Congress, at the White House, in dozens of state courtrooms and legislatures, and is also becoming a speech-making topic for election campaigns at both the national and state levels. As the debate for this controversial topic rages on, the American religious community view on the topic remains deeply divided over the matter and over the morality of homosexuality in general. Granting legal marriage right to gays and lesbians would primarily alter the idea of marriage, ignore a child’s right to a mother and father, and expands government control of marriage.
Other counterclaims state that same-sex marriage is unnatural, and allowing them to marry may lead to other people/animals in unnatural relationships feeling that they have the right to marry too, such as bestialists and incestists. (procon; page 1) As Glen Lavy, a member of the Alliance Defense Fund, stated in a Los Angeles Times Op-Ed “...marriage between two consenting adults is not inherently more or less ‘correct’ than marriage among three (or four, or six) consenting adults.” He said this whilst comparing the marriage of homosexuals to the marriage of polygamists.
The institution of marriage has traditionally been defined as between a man and a woman. In the Oct. 15, 1971 decision Baker v. Nelson, the Supreme Court of Minnesota found that "The institution of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the procreation(reproduction) and rearing(raising) of children within a family, is as old as the book of Genesis.” The idea that same-sex marriage is a civil rights issue is very misleading to many because technically it is far from it. The unifying characteristics of the protected classes within the Civil Rights Act of 1964 include (1) a history of longstanding, widespread discrimination, (2) economic disadvantage, and (3) unchangeable characteristics... 'Sexual orientation' does not meet any of the three objective criteria shared by the historically protected civil rights categories although the opinion that homosexuality is choice rather than a born trait is heavily debated. In recent decades, marriage has been weakened by a liberal view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs. Allowing gay marriage would only further shift the purpose of marriage from producing and raising children to adult gratification. Traditional marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates (between 40% and 50%) and with 40.6% of babies being born to unmarried mothers in 2008 according to National Statistics and the preliminary data for births in 2008. Allowing same-sex couples to marry would further weaken the institution. Sweden began offering same-sex couples benefits in 1987, followed by Denmark in 1989 and Norway in 1993. According to a Feb. 29, 2004 report by Stanley Kurtz, PhD, from 1990 to 2000, Norway's out-of-wedlock birthrate rose from 39% to 50% and Sweden's rose fro...
In some of the research I have done on the AIDS epidemic stirred up many questions and brought public attention on a range of issues surrounding gay and lesbian rights. Legalizing same-sex marriages may help prevent aids. If two people are in a marriage then they are less apt to have many sexual partners and will help stop the spread of AIDS. Other people feel that same-sex marriages are not a proper place to raise children. This is a truly false statement because there are many people who have children and procreate that should not have that right. For instance, murderers, child molesters, drug and alcohol addicts are all free to procreate and raise children and homosexuals are not. This does not make sense. If a person can raise a child and give them love, shelter, food and other necessary resources to raise a child, then they should be given the right to raise a child. Just because a child has more than one mother or father does not mean that they are going to grow up gay or have emotional problems. They may in fact be a better person because of this. Is it not true that two parents are better to have than one?
Every little girl dreams of the day they will get married and live happily ever after. What if the little girl grows up and wants to marry a woman instead of man? Traditional marriage consist of a union between man and woman, but the LGBT community wants marriage legalized for same-sex couples now more than ever. The pressing question is whether or not same-sex marriage is ethical. It is a controversial topic that often fuels heated debates that range from the well-being of kids, religion, AIDS, and long lived family values (Thrioux & Krasemann, 282). Homosexual marriage is an evolutionary process and the views of society are evolving constantly (Von Drehle). Homosexual marriage is ethically correct because of the support from numerous ethical theories like utilitarianism, prima facie duties, and virtue ethics.
... Top Ten Harms of Same-sex Marriage” by Peter Sprigg “religious freedom not only applies to formal houses of worship of worship, but at home, in their neighborhoods, and in the workplace”(2). With same-sex marriage being legalized there is no more religious freedom. Catholic schools that are completely against welcoming same-sex couples in their schools will no longer have a choice. Churches where same-sex couples are not welcome, no longer have a choice but to welcome them. Employers that are religiously against same-sex couples can no longer discriminate them for their sexual orientation but instead for their work ethics. Same-sex marriage being legalized is unconstitutional, it completely conflicts with the first amendment which gives people the right to exercise their religion freely. But with same-sex marriage being legalize their religious freedom is limited.
Gay marriage has been a controversial issue for over half a century; one of the issues is where gays aren’t allowed to marry another individual of the same sex. There have been propositions, bans and legalizations on same-sex marriage that differ from state to state. Some states for example such as California and New York allow gay marriage and the remaining states disagree with that decision. The thoughts and beliefs of citizens of different states also have conflict, especially in the southeastern region of the United States as they are anti-gay. Some individuals feel that in the traditional definition that marriage is usually between one man and one woman. However, there are others who believe that true love does not have a gender and everyone has the right to marry whomever the want. Even if the whole nation decided to officially prohibit gay marriage, or legalize it, there will always be people with logical and moral conflicting opinions and judgments on same-sex marriage. The main argument is to analyze what actually determines a marriage to be acceptable or unacceptable to society.
Everyone one deserves the chance to be loved, no matter what gender he/she is. Try being in someone else's shoes. It is not as easy as you think! There are millions of people that wish they had the opportunity you do, marry the person they love, but theres laws that don't allow same sex couples to marry. How happy do you think you would make gay married couples if you let them have the same benefits? They wouldnt fel so discriminated if they had the same rights as you! Try being a little more open minded and think about others.
Same sex marriage is a very controversial topic in today’s society. We live in a society filled with ignorance. The ignorance that poisons the minds of people that oppose same sex marriage blinds them from the reality of the “problem”. People argue that same sex marriage should be illegal for reasons that will have no negative impact on their lives. The reality of this topic is that legalizing same sex marriage promotes the increase of adoption, human rights and equality, as well as the separation of the church and state.
Same-sex marriage is a broad and current controversy in the United States today. The movement to legalize same-sex marriage started in the 1970; however, it is still not legal in all fifty states yet (“Same-sex marriage in the United States”). Legalizing same-sex marriage should not be a debate. People should be able to marry who they love regardless of sexual orientation. Same-sex marriage should be legal because it is a human right, religion should not interfere with state laws, it does not adversely affect the heterosexual community in any way, and same-sex marriage can actually benefit our society.
In conclusion I argue that banning same-sex marriage is discriminatory. It is discriminatory because it denies homosexuals the many benefits received by heterosexual couples. The right to marriage in the United States has little to do with the religious and spiritual meaning of marriage. It has a lot to do with social justice, extending a civil right to a minority group. This is why I argue for same-sex marriage. The freedom to marry regardless of gender preference should be allowed.