Marriage. We celebrate it, sometimes mourn it, and even argue vehemently over it. Well, that is just what is happening today. No one can agree when it comes to the rights of marriage. Same-sex couples claim it is an unalienable right for them to marry. Opposite-sex couples get married on Friday and divorce on Monday. So what is the big issue? The hot topic these days seems to be the highly controversial issue of same-sex marriage. Should it be legalized? No. Same-sex marriage should not be legalized due to its harmful effects on societal order, the Constitution, and traditional religious values.
Many people think that variety is the spice of life, but that is not always necessarily true. Our society thrives on order, the reassurance that day after day, life will be fundamentally the same. Family life is a part of that. Every child feels a little safer if they know that both mommy and daddy are in the next room while he or she falls asleep each night. The institution of marriage is evident in all cultures regardless of “law or faith to promote it” (Vogt). Even the most primitive cultures believed in the fundamental foundation of family. It is one of the founding values of our country and the cornerstone of society. As well, marriage usually results in children. But this ceremony, regardless of culture, religion, or political views, is “for the sake of generating and raising children” (Vogt). Because the main priority of marriage is to create and rear children, it makes sense that it should be between the only couples that have a glimmer of a possibility of having children. Consequently, that does not include two men or two women. Regardless of the circumstances, same-sex couples are always infertile.
As a society, we also lik...
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...oegel, Ellen K. “Final Appeals”. America Press Inc. American Magazine, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
“Church Instructs Leaders on Same-Sex Marriage”. Mormon Newsroom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
“Should Gay Marriage Be Legal?”. Gaymarriage.procon.org.ProCon.org, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 29 Jan. 2014
Regnerus, Mark. “How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships?”. Social Science Research: Department of Sociology and Population Research Center, University of Texas, 12 March 2012. Web. 31 Jan. 2014.
“Ten Arguments from Social Science Against Same-Sex Marriage”. Hardwired to Connect: Witherspoon Institute, Princeton, n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2014.
Vogt, Brandon. “10 Rebuttals to Arguments for Same-Sex Marriage”. Our Sunday Visitor: Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.
Gay marriage further damages the connection between marriage and parenthood by causing people to not consider marriagement just to be a parent. He later on argues that marriage has been a tradition since the beginning of time and everything supports it. “The family, led by a married mother and father, is the best available structure for both child rearing and cultural health. This is why, although some people will always pair off in unorthodox ways, society as a whole must never legitimize any form of marriage other than that of one man and one woman, united with the intention of permanency and the nurturing of children” (Colson
Thomas B. Stoddard’s “Gay Marriages: Make Them Legal” is a successfully written argument with some minor flaws in technique. Stoddard uses this article to present his major claim, or central thesis, on the reasons gay marriage should be legalized. He presents his argument using minor claims. In a lecture on February 2, 2005, James McFadden stated a minor claim is the secondary claim in an argument. Stoddard uses minor claims in his discussion of homosexual people being denied their rights by the government and by others who discriminate against them. He also discusses how love and the desire for commitment play a big part in the argument for and against gay marriage.
Legalizing gay marriage has been a controversial topic in the past few years. In my opinion, gay people should be allowed to get married because it is a civil right. It shouldn 't matter what gender they prefer because they 're still regular people. Making gay marriage illegal, is the same as taking away someone 's freedom and civil rights. That is unethical and completely awful. There 's no harm being done by letting two people who are in love with each other get married. However, many religious fundamentalists are against this and believe gay marriage is wrong and needs to be stopped. Homosexual couples should have the right to get married because it 's a civil right and their sexual preference doesn 't make them any less human.
Zorn, Eric. "The Top Six Arguments against Gay Marriage (and Why They All Fail).” ChicagoTribune.com. Chicago Tribune, 20 May 2012. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
Newton, D. E. (2010). Same-sex Marriage : A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: Greenwood Publishing Group.
Wolf, Richard. “Timeline: Same-Sex marriage through the years.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 26 June 2015,
Marriage, for years has been argued that the rights to it or strictly only between a man and a women. Both sexes are assumed to marry someone of the opposite sex. What if, however, an individual wanted to marry someone of the same sex? Why is this debate so heavily heated amongst individuals? Is it that religion is a large structure base that those in society are guided by? Or is it that individuals do not understand that marriage is a union between two individuals who are in love? Whatever the case may be, there is always someone who has to argue that homosexual marriage is “wrong.”
Same-sex couples can become parents through means of former relationships, co-parenting, surrogacy, adoption, and donor insemination, although major legal discrimination continues to challenge this process for families. The difficulty faced by many of these couples to have children oftentimes results in even more nurturing environments. This variance in route to parenthood can make same-sex couples that are having children more motivated to be doing so. “Planned families reflect the desire of sexual minorities to have children outside of heteronormative circumstances” (Moore 2013:495). Non-heterosexual parents on average have stronger relationships with their children th...
Legal marriage is the right of all Americans regardless of their sexual orientation. Gay marriage is certainly a hot button issue. It invokes an emotional dialogue filled with passion, rage, hate and fear. However, at the base of it all, are two people who are in a committed relationship living normal and productive lives and contributing to society in a positive manner. This issue is being debated in every state of the union, and will eventually go to the Supreme Court.
Marriage is a “socially recognized and approved union between individuals, who commit to one another with the expectations of a stable and lasting intimate relationship. It begins with a ceremony known as a wedding which formally unites marriage partners. A marital relationship usually involves some kind of contract, either written or specified by tradition, which defines the partners’ rights and obligations to each other, to any children they may have, and to their relatives. In most contemporary industrialized societies, marriage is certified by the government,” (Skolnick, 2005). Marriage is also an important institution because of the impact it has on society. Marriage is the main way that reproduction of human life occurs. In some societies it is tradition for family heirlooms or things of value be passed on through marriage. Marriage also serves as a healthy way to have intimate relationships with an individual. In most places a marriage exists between two people of the opposite sex. However, the legal definition of marriage is currently being challenged by many. According to Skolnick’s article a marriage can be defined by responsibilities that a couple would share, some examples are: living together, having sexual relations, sharing money and financial responsibilities, and having a child together. The issue is that homosexual couples can do these things like heterosexual couples.
For thousands of years until today, the best way to officially be the partner of someone is through marriage. People have practiced marriage for thousands of years. Many cultures see marriage as the best method to celebrate the love of a couple until death tears them apart. “Marriage establishes and maintains family, creates and sustains the ties of kinship, and is the basis of community” (Rowe 2). Marriage is a concept bigger than ones happiness and it is the basic for creating a peaceful home for the family. According to Rowe, “This sense of home requires the dynamic participation of both women and men--the women to mother and the men to father--to fulfill the daily roles of teaching, nurturing and protecting children” ( 2). Parents have an obligation to take care for children, so that when they grow up they are able to become a person who is strong enough to support himself. But there are different opinions whether raising a child should be shared equally between parents. One group thinks that it is essential for a child to grow up with the love and care of both parents. Meanwhile, others believe that child raising should be shared in a way that suits the family. While single parents argue that even without one parent they can give their children the needed love and care.
There indicators of child developmental outcomes were categorized into parent and child relationship quality, children’s cognitive development, children’s gender role behavior, children’s gender identity, children’s sexual preference, and children’s social and emotional development. There analysis showed that children with same-sex parents fared equally to children raised by heterosexual parents when comparing developmental outcomes. Same-sex parents also reported a significantly better relationship with their children than heterosexual parents, which was measured by the parent or child perception of the quality of their relationship. This goes back to the argument that parent sexuality has no impact on the child but rather the relationship between the parent and the child has is the most impactful. In Crowl, Ahn and Baker (2008) meta-analysis study also found that the parent sexual orientation had no effect on gender identity, cognitive development, psychological adjustment, and sexual
... made groups of people have a very hostile attitude toward the subject matter. The traditional view of marriage is also important because it influences future generations and teaches children the meaning of the special union of a man and a woman. Many people also argue that when raising a child he or she should be raised by a father and a mother. Not both of the same sex. Although the debate of same-sex marriage may not affect some people, this is a hot topic that has changed the opinion of many people around the world. The topic of same-sex marriage is a subject that needs to be discusses by individuals who are certain of what they stand for and are capable of providing others with true and convincing arguments.
On June 26, 2015, the US Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution guarantees the right for same-sex couples to marry. Should gay marriages be legal? Clearly we as a nation are undecided on this issue. Thirty-six states have passed legislation banning gay marriages, yet a few states have passed laws that allows homosexual couples the right to participate in civil unions. Several other states are also debating whether or not to allow these couples to marry. Unfortunately, the dispute has left the United States' homosexual community in an awkward position. There are some people who think that gay people have no rights and should never be allowed to marry, and others believe that gay people should enjoy the same rights and privileges as heterosexuals. I think that the United States should allow same-sex couples to marry just like heterosexual couples.
Marriage naturally creates families; it provides the conditions for a healthy environment that is beneficial to the upbringing of children. Opponents of same-sex marriage often ground their arguments on parental and religious concerns. Many argue that sa...