c

UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

THE CONTROVERSAL ISSUE

V
V


 

 ÷
÷
 
c
3 Introduction

A3 Same-sex marriage will probably be a controversial issue for some time to come3

13 History of same sex marriage

23 The issues of same sex marriage

B3 Churches and Christians everywhere will be confronted by this issue3

13 how churches feel about the issue

23 What would Christians in our family think?

II3 Biblical Arguments against same sex marriage

A3 What the Bible states

13 Religious factors

23 Christian supporters

B3 sodomy

13 What is sodomy?

III3 The current status of same sex marriage

A3 Which states allow it?

13 The current states that allow gay marriage

23 The current states that is in the process of making a decision about gay marriage

B3 what states ban it?

13 Which states do not allow gay marriage?

IV3 Children and Family issues

A3 Parenting
 ÷
÷
 
c
13 Ways homosexuality affects kids

23 Ways homosexuality does not affect kids

B3 Education Controversy

13 How will kids of the same sex family act at school?

 ÷
÷
 
c
Same Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage will probably be a controversial issue for some time to come3

Currently in the United States there has been much debate over the controversy surrounding the

legalization of same-sex marriages3 The 8th Amendment talks about freedom of speech and

freedom of living life3

There are many people who are opposed and feel it is morally and ethically wrong and

others who feel that same-sex marriages are acceptable3 Prior to writing about this topic I had no

strong feelings toward or against the issue on same-sex marriages3 After researching and finding

out more information on the topic, I became in favor of allowing those of the same-sex to have

their marriages legalized3

The history of same sex marriage stems from our background culture and beyond3

Although state-recognized same-sex unions are becoming more accepted, there is a long history

of same-sex unions around the world3 Homosexuality has been around for many years3 Various

types of same-sex unions have existed, ranging from informal, unsanctioned, and temporary

relationships to highly ritualized unions that have included marriage3 Many people ask

themselves why gays and lesbians even want to attempt to get laws past to be allowed to get

married3 Is it that they are unhappy with the partners they are currently with at the time? That is a

question that will have various answers3 Many people feel that the actions of gays is caused by a

relationship gone bad3 Homosexuals feel that everyone has the right to be happy even them3 In

love happiness is the only thing that matter3 No one can tell anyone who to love because their

hearts may not be in the same place3

 ÷
÷
 
c
Churches and Christians everywhere will be confronted by this issue of same sex

marriage3 "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and

female He created them3" Genesis 1:273 Christians or so called Christians abide by the bible and

what it says3 Some churches feel that although the bible say it¶s a sin it is also a sin to judge

someone based on their sexuality3 Sin is defined as doing things that are not supported by the

bible3 Just as homosexuality is a sin anything that is ungodly is a sin3 There is no sin bigger than

any other sin they are all ungodly3

According to the ³Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality´ By nearly

two-to-one, more Americans oppose (59%) than favor (32%) legalizing gay marriage3 This

reflects something of a backlash from polls conducted earlier in the year, before the Supreme

Court's ruling in June that struck down state laws against sodomy3 In a July survey shortly after

that decision, the public opposed gay marriage by a smaller margin (53%-38%)3 Many

religionists privately oppose gay marriage because it would undermine the legal basis for the

sodomy law3

Strong opposition to the idea of gay marriage is the plurality position3 Among those who oppose

the idea, nearly six-in-ten say they feel strongly about it (35% of the total population express this

view3) Among those who favor gay marriage, fewer than three-in-ten say they strongly support

the proposal (9% of the total3)

The survey also finds that most who are opposed to gay marriage believe that it would be enough

to prohibit it by law, and that a constitutional amendment is not necessary3 While 59% oppose

gay marriage, just 10% say the Constitution should "be amended to ban gay marriage" in a
 ÷
÷
 
c
follow-up question3 Instead, 42% say it is "enough to prohibit gay marriage by law without

changing the Constitution3"

This is notably different from a number of recent surveys which have found majorities

supporting such an amendment when no alternative of a legal prohibition is offered3 For

example, a July CNN/USA Today/Gallup survey found 50% favoring, and 45% opposing, "a

constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman, thus

barring marriages between gay or lesbian couples3" This now leads to sodomy3

What is Sodomy is a term used in the law to describe the act of "unnatural"] sex, which

depending on jurisdiction can consist of oral sex or anal sex or any non-genital to genital

congress, whether heterosexual, or homosexual, or with human or animal3

There are many states that ban same sex marriage as well as there are many who allow it3

There are five states that allow same sex marriage and they are Massachusetts, Connecticut,

Iowa, Vermont and New Hampshire3 Although California allow same sex marriage Arnold

Schwarzenegger vetoed the bill3 The remaining states are still undergoing the issue and trying to

settle the issue3 The question now is how does homosexuality affects kids or does it affect kids3

Many kids from the ages of eight to eighteen understand what homosexuality is3 They also know

that it is a choice and they do not have to become that3 Although this is not a big issue, other

individuals think and say differently3

Another issue to be addressed is how kids of same sex families act in school3 Kids of

same sex marriages do not act any differently than any other student3 Many kids of a homosexual

family are mistreated by the kids at school3 By the kids mistreating them at school it start a
 ÷
÷
 
c
problem between the child from the homosexual family and the child of the heterosexual family3

This then cause many problems as if the problems persist within the other child3 With children of

a homosexual family there are many things to look at besides judging who they are and who their

parents are3 What is the current status in the United States? The United States have many

communities3

The current status of same sex marriage is changing frequently as legislation and legal

action takes place around the world3 There are many communities across the nation who have

legislated same-sex domestic partner ordinances3 Throughout the nineties same-sex marriages

were in fact being considered in many states3 Since gay and lesbian marriages are not accepted

by the law then there are many rights that are not given to them3 Though it was being considered

in the United States many of them where continuously fighting against it3 Gays and lesbians

want more than just having their marriages accepted by the law, there are many benefits that

marriage allows3 If two people are legally married then they are allowed with their spouse,

health insurance benefits, tax exemptions, home ownership, child custody, insurance benefits,

medical decisions and much more3 Vermont guarantees such rights as allowing homosexuals just

as much rights anyone else3 What would it hurt to treat homosexuals as you would treat anyone

else? Sometimes you can never distinguish homosexuals from any other person that you see

every day3

Homosexuals are guaranteed to be considered as heterosexuals once they are legally married in a

state that allows same sex marriage3 Since gay and lesbian marriages are accepted by the law

there are many rights that are not given to them3 Visiting a loved one in the hospital, applying for

immigration, social security benefits, death benefits if a life partner dies, joint parenting,
 ÷
÷
 
c
adoption, foster care, custody and child visitations are just a few of the rights that are not given

to gays and lesbians3 These rights are being worked on in the United States as of today3

The constitution states that "All men are created equal3" If this were true then this would not be a

debate, and gay and lesbian marriages would be recognized by the law3 There are those who feel

that by allowing same-sex marriages then the government would eventually allow incest3 The

government knows what they are doing and they would never allow something as extraordinarily

wrong as incest to take place3 The government as a whole knows when to draw the line and when

to stop3 I am for happiness and if marrying someone of the same sex make you happy then so am

I3 You cannot help who you love so follow your heart3 There are often times where people do

things to please others and not themselves3 We are all one family under the same sky whether

young, old, homosexual or heterosexual3 The bible says judge yet not who am I to judge3 No one

is perfect and everyone have their faults3 This issue will continue to be an ongoing issue for

many years to come3

Although same sex marriage is a controversial issue it cannot determine the way you feel

inside3 Neither can it determine whether or not you can raise kids or not3 The question is what

makes a family3 What makes a family is the question that everyone should ask themselves3 A

family may be described as a unit of interdependent and interacting persons, related together

over time by strong social and emotional bonds; this is what makes a family3 I am happy and

have been for years3 Many individuals thought of m as a heterosexual person but the truth is I am

homosexual with a big family whom I love and cherish3 I know what it takes to make a family

because I have a big family3 I love who I am and I would not change it for nothing3 Be who you

are and love who you love because love does not have a name on it3
 ÷
÷
 
c
References

Carpenter, D33 (1 October)3 Bad Arguments Against Gay Marriage3 SSRN Working Paper Series
Retrieved August 25, 2010, from ProQuest Central3 (Document ID: 1451409181)3

Letters / Gay marriage, school cuts, state budget, plague, egg recall3 (2010, August 24)3 The
Sacramento Bee,A3163 Retrieved August 25, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand3 (Document
ID: 2119085901)3

Overturned Gay Marriage Ban Is Personal3 (2010, August 23)3 Star - News, Retrieved August 25,
2010, from Business Dateline3 (Document ID: 2118787521)3