Same Sex Marriage Paper

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UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX

SAME SEX MARRIAGE THE CONTROVERSAL ISSUE V
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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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,

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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

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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