Gay Marriage
Approving Views on Gay Marriage:
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Many people believe that gay marriage should be accepted and be permitted to marry someone of the same gender. “Denying them is a violation of religious freedom [civil and religious marriages are two separate institutions]”, as said by Balanced Politics. “The main reason for denying marriage to gay couples is that all major religions consider homosexuality a sin; however, the First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states that a person's religious views or lack thereof must be protected.” Another reason why people believe gay marriage should be accepted is that “Marriage benefits [such as joint ownership, medical decision-making capacity] should be available to all couples. Marriage is more than a legal status. It affects many things in society such as tax filing status, joint ownership of property, insurance benefits, and agency law.” Consequently, “Gay marriage affects critical medical decisions. For example, if one member of a gay couple that has been together for 20 years gets critically ill, visitation may not even be allowed since the other isn't considered a "spouse or immediate family member". Finally, many believe that gay marriage should be allowed, since “It doesn't hurt society or anyone in particular. A marriage is a relationship between two people. How does it hurt society or people not involved in the marriage? It is a personal commitment that really is no one else's business. Society shouldn't be dictating what two people can or can't do when no one else is hurt in the process. If the church or certain groups disapprove, that's their right, but it isn't their right to stop it.” These are some of the many views from different people and websites, all supporting gay marriage, and protecting rights for 2 people of the same gender marrying.
Disapproving Views on Gay Marriage:
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Another way to view the controversy of gay marriage is against it. Some people believe most religions consider homosexuality a sin. Virtually every religion in the world, including the major ones in this country, considers homosexuality unacceptable. A different website believes “It is offensive and a swipe to the religious freedom of the majority to have to recognize a relationship they consider sinful.” “The legal system in the United States evolved out of the laws contained in the Bible. We shouldn't go even farther to tear down those laws.” As said by a group of young women, “It confuses children about gender roles and expectations of society, and only a man & woman can pro-create. Children learn about expectations and gender roles from society.” A website agrees by adding on, “It's difficult to teach the importance and traditions of the family when such confusion is thrust upon them. Only a man and woman can bear children, and for thousands of years, a man & woman headed household has carried generations of people through life.” Finally an encyclopedia has the same opinion on gay marriage, no. They believe, “It would weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The 50 percent divorce rate has already weakened the definition of marriage. We shouldn't be taking further steps to define what marriage is.” A law allowing gay marriage would increase the number of joke or non-serious marriages, such as a couple of friends who want to save on taxes. Marriage is the most sacred institution in this country, and every society considers it the joining of a man and a woman.
My Opinion:
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I personally believe that gay marriage should be allowed and be legal to marry. I based this opinion on the above facts, after reading and considering both points of view. One reason why it should be accepted is denying gay marriage is a violation of their rights and beliefs, and it is a personal choice. Maybe if this choice was hurting or affecting other it would be a different story, however in this case it is just a personal decision of how to spend your life only affecting you and your partner. Also, when people do choose to marry someone of the same gender, they do not have the same rights of a couple consisting of 2 different genders. For example, "if one member of a gay couple that has been together for 20 years gets critically ill, visitation may not even be allowed since the other isn't considered a "spouse or immediate family member". Also gay marriage may affect many things in society such as tax filing status, joint ownership of property, insurance benefits, and agency law. Once again I believe gay marriage should be allowed, and should be accepted as a "proper" marriage and legalized in all states and around the world.