Rebekah Bridges

ENG102D
Salyers
04 Sept 2014
Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage
The word marriage can be defined in a number of different ways. Some people view it as
a government-recognized relationship between two people who love each other and receive
associated benefits. Others however, believe it as a government-recognized relationship between
one man and one woman who receive the associated benefits. Because I believe that the love
between two people of the same sex is as valid as that between two people of different sexes, I
think that same sex marriage should be legalized and that bans on it are unconstitutional.
One common argument that I hear against same-sex marriage is that it does not align with
the biblical, one man and one woman meaning of marriage. In my personal experience, Ive
found this argument to be a bit faulty. The Bible does mention monogamous relationships in the
verses Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib

he had taken out of the man, and he
brought her to the man. The man said, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she
shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man. That is why a man leaves his father and
mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. describing Adam and Eve in the
creation story found in the second chapter Genesis. (Genesis) One problematic thing about this
proof is that the Bible also mentions several marriages and relationships that do not fit the one
man, one woman mold. The revered and wise King Solomon was mentioned to have seven
hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines. (1 Kings) 1000 women for one man
seems a lot different than one wife for one man. This discrepancy between peoples
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acknowledgement for one kind of marriage in the Bible and not another are one reason that
marriage between the same-sex should be legally recognized.
Ignoring the fact that the Bible has more than one definition of what marriage truly is and
assuming that it does specifically endorse one man and one woman as the only kind of real
marriage, there are still problems that arise in the typical arguments put forth. Many of these
oppositions cite Leviticus and Deuteronomy, two books that are found in the Old Testament.
While there are some Old Testament principles that Christians generally attempt to follow, The
Ten Commandments for instance, a lot of Old Testament teachings are tossed aside due to
Christs new covenant of the New Testament. Many Christians do not enforce verses and rules
such as Do not wear clothes of wool and linen mixed together (Deuteronomy 22:11) and If a
man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are
discovered, he shall pay her father 50 shekels of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he
has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) that
states a virgin who is raped should then marry her rapist. If Christians believe that these laws of
Deuteronomy are not important because they are Old Testament laws and Jesus brought along
the new covenant, then why does their rebuttal of same-sex marriage include other verses from
Deuteronomy and some from Leviticus? It seems to me that they are picking and choosing the
parts of the Bible that they like to support their claim. This selective attitude supports the
statement that same-sex marriages should be seen as valid as their heterosexual counterparts and
therefore legalized.
Edith Windsor was engaged for forty years before getting married in Canada in 2007 to
the love of her life. Her love died two years later in 2009 of a heart condition after suffering from
multiple sclerosis. As upsetting as the death of her wife Thea was, even more bad news hit when
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she was charged $600,000 in estate taxes that wouldnt have been charged to a heterosexual
married couple. The Defense of Marriage act of 1996 prohibits the federal government from
recognizing same-sex marriages, even if those marriages were performed in a state or location
that allows them. (Jost) Because same-sex couples are getting treated unfairly in comparison to
different-sex couples, government bans and prohibitions on same-sex marriage are
unconstitutional in that they violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The basic principles of the right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness as mentioned in the
Declaration of Independence are also being contradicted, despite it not being a constitutional
document in the US. Since it is unfair that same-sex couples get mistreated in comparison to
opposite-sex couples and unconstitutional on the basis of the Equal Protection Clause that the
government try to prohibit same-sex marriages, marriages between people of the same sex
should be legalized.
In conclusion, same-sex marriage should be legally recognized by both the federal and
state governments and be given the same rights as separate-sex marriages because most
arguments against the legalization of same-sex marriage are faulty and the laws and bans placed
against it are unconstitutional.


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Works Cited
"1 Kings 11:3." The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old Testament and
the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. N. pag. Print.
"Deuteronomy 22:11." The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old
Testament and the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. N. pag. Print.
"Deuteronomy 22:28-29." The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the Old
Testament and the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. N. pag. Print.
"Genesis Chapter 2 Verses 22-24." The Holy Bible: New International Version, Containing the
Old Testament and the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Bible, 1978. N. pag. Print.
Jost, Kenneth. "Will the Supreme Court End Curbs on Same-sex Unions?" CQ Researcher
Online. CQ Press, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 4 Sept. 2014.