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...
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...havior. It is a natural occurrence that girls who are raised apart from their fathers are reportedly at higher risk for early sexual activity and teenage pregnancy. Children without a mother are deprived of the emotional security and unique nurturing that mothers find it almost natural to provide. Our society can choose to support certain types of sexual arrangements, such as gay relationships, and give support in the form of benefits to these arrangements, close or equal to those given to people in a traditional marriage. I believe in equality of opportunity and this would give both gay and traditional marriages equal support, treatment, and benefits from our government. However the term marriage, to those who still remain loyal to the teachings of religion, has an unchangeable definition, which is the union of man and women in matrimony to become husband and wife.
Abstract On June 26, 2015 a divided Supreme Court ruled in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples could now marry nationwide. At the time of the split ruling there were 9 supreme court justices, 5 of the justices were Republicans, and the remaining 4 were Democrats. In high profile cases it is except that the justices will vote along party lines. When the 5-4 ruling was reveled by the following statement. “It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization’s oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right (Corn,2015).” written by
During the fight against slavery and segregation, America realized that public opinion can be wrong. The movement for women’s rights brought about the knowledge that the government has had more control over civil rights than previously believed. Both historical movements arose from a common belief: despite public opinion, the government should protect the freedoms outlined in the constitution. Current societal issues related to marriage reflect this principle; however, authors Cherlin and Bennett would disagree on the connection being made. Cherlin acknowledges that momentum in the fight for homosexual equality has been attained by the degradation of the marital structure. As family structure among heterosexual couples is more often dysfunctional and more commonly broken down, a question arises of whether or not homosexual marriages radically affect society any more than this. Cherlin makes the implication that, if no compelling state interest can be found against gay marriage legalization, keeping it illegal would be a civil inequity. Bennett would contend that with this momentum, society may be blindly crossing a line. Divorce rates and out of wedlock births have skyrocketed due to legal changes in the availability of marriage and divorce documents. He points out that these negative effects will only increase with further law changes. “Indeed,
There is no such thing as a same-sex marriage. In the beginning, God created Adam and Eve so it does not make sense that two men or two women are getting married. “The LORD God then built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman. When he brought her to the man,
A debate is raging in America about who people have a right to marry. In response to lesbians and gays asking for the right to marry, many legislators are writing laws to ban same-sex marriage in their respective states. Even President Bush supports a Constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage (prez.bush.marriage/). Opponents of such legislation do not want discrimination passed into law and are protesting at every opportunity. One must understand the reasons that people want to ban same-sex marriage before he or she can effectively argue about the subject. Many advocates of same-sex marriage bans say that allowing gays and lesbians to marry would degrade the institution of marriage because marriage is only supposed to exist between a man and woman. In addition, allowing same-sex marriage would cause problems for society (Issues and Controversies on File). One theory why opponents may fight against same-sex marriages is that heterosexual marriages have long reinforced traditional gender roles within marriage and that allowing same-sex marriages would cause males to lose their authority to subordinate females as heterosexual couples begin to model same-sex marriage gender equality (Calhoun 157).
Marriage is defined as “(1) 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 (2): the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage ("Marriage," 2003, p. 659). Despite the latter definition’s addition to dictionaries in the past decade, this definition of marriage is still debated. Being a touchy subject in both politics and religion today, it’s been very hard to come to an agreement. There are two main sides to this argument regarding the nature of marriage. Some stick to their conservative and/or religious beliefs, while others state that marriage is a civil right (Kim, 2011, p. [Page 38]). However, same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in North Carolina and thirty-two other states at this time ("Defining Marriage: State Defense," 2014). Homosexuals have been denied many of the rights given to those that are heterosexual. Same-sex couples are not able to receive other benefits as a heterosexual couple would. The lack of benefits is extremely unequal and unfair. This unacceptable treatment is unconstitutional and should not continue.
Many people’s opinion on gay marriage is that same-sex marriage violates the “true” intentions of marriage, which “should” be between a man and a woman, but a more broad definition of marriage would be “(broadly) any of the diverse forms of interpersonal union established in various parts of the world to form a familial bond that is recognized legally, religiously, or socially, granting the participating partners mutual conjugal rights and responsibilities”
The world today is surrounded with many controversial issues. One such issue would be the topic of gay marriage. This country has grown around one major tradition, being the definition of marriage. It’s more-less looked at as a religious or legal commitment between a women and man, to express their love and compassion towards one another, being the last and final step there is to take with that significant other. Homosexual relationships are rapidly gaining acceptance in this country. However, the Defensive of Marriage Act, that former president Clinton signed in 1996, is holding many back from being able to marry what could be the significant other of their dreams. Homosexuality effects from 8% to 15% of all males, as well as females being slightly less than the male population. To put this in a more familiar context, there are as many gays and lesbians in America today as there are unemployed citizens. There are a few states which formed a type of commitment called a "civil union", which basically is marriage without using the word "marriage." Gay couples are denied significant rights when they are not allowed to marry, and these result in injustices within society. Most carry the burden of hiding their sexual identity for fear of being disrespected or mistreated by the general population who remain ignorant to the causes and circumstances of homosexuality. This puzzles many due to the excess amount of investigative work that has been done on the phenomenon, as well as puzzling the church as to who would want to look into the concept in such a sinful matter.
Over the years in our country’s history it has been apparent that the idea of same sex marriages is becoming much more popular, however in most states there is still one thing stopping them. That one thing stopping two people from the pursuit of happiness which they desire is a social injustice. Social injustices are situations where a person or group of people is treated unfairly due to certain factors for example discrimination, prejudice, racism, heterosexism, sexism, and so forth. In the case of same sex marriages, the factor playing a major role in this social injustice is where most people believe that opposite sexes attract, but in the case of a same sex couple wanting to be married, this brings about many topics to be discussed by people, as not everyone thinks the same way. Everyday a same sex couple wants to get married but is either denied their want, or is forced to conform to a civil union. This should not be the case however; people of the same sex should be allowed what every other couple is allowed due to the fact that each and every person has the right to happiness, and the right to marriage despite their sexual orientation.
As a predominately conservative nation, it is ideal that we as a group do not redefine the term marriage under the Constitution of the United States. It is not a question of equality, simply because men and woman will never be equivalent—both parties have different complex qualities from their hormones, genitals, brain functioning, and to their overall genetic make-up. Homosexuality holds about 5% of the population, meaning that the majority would be forced to conform to the minority. It is imperative that we recognize the consequences of gay marriage which include: health risks, redefining sexual morality, reduction of the population, many being affected spiritually, and forcing the government to change laws to accommodate the minority.
Imagine someone telling you that you were not allowed to marry the person you are in love with just because they are the same sex as is. Imagine being harassed and treated completely different just because you are in a relationship with someone of the same gender as you. Now more than ever, same-sex marriage is a topic that is often discussed. In 2010, there were approximately 646,000 same-sex couples in the United States according to the 2010 decennial census, (Lofquist, 2010). As of Jan. 6, 2014, gay marriage has been legalized in 17 of the 50 states, (procon.org, 2014). For a very brief amount of time, Michigan was the 18th state that allowed gay couples to marry, but now it joins Utah, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Texas. These states have had courts overturn gay marriage bans, but they still have pending appeals.
...eferred to as “conscience clauses.” Robin Fretwell Wilson, Matters of Conscience: Lessons for Same-Sex Marriage from the Healthcare Context, in SAMESEX MARRIAGE AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY: EMERGING CONFLICTS (Anthony R. Picarello Jr., Douglas Laycock, and Robin Fretwell Wilson, eds., 2008).
The word ‘marriage’ means a legal union only between one man and one woman as husband and wife. It is noteworthy that this definition has stood the tests of time, Chaucer talked about it in the 14th century, even though equal rights for all has been a value human society has upheld so often because this traditional definition of marriage undercuts the axiom of equal rights by debarring homosexuals from being bonded by the institution of marriage. Gay marriage critics argue that a major reason for discouraging same-sex marriage is to protect the rights of children. They claim that homosexual couples cannot naturally have children and, therefore, they should not be allowed to legally marry. While on the other hand, supporters claim that homosexual couples can have and nurture children, even if they cannot have their own biological children. The critics of gay marriage are wrong and in what follows I will show how their arguments fail.
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.
... 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.
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.