Written Analysis Final Project
Getting along with same sex marriage by EYE written Analysts Ms. Bawd I have read a few articles. I have had many discussions with some of the very conservative religious students I work with. I have been trying to figure out if the main front of the opposition to same sex marriage has a logical argument or if it is just a knocker reaction because religious conservatives think everyone that participate or even allows it is going to hell. I had the chance to interview Mr.. James, a student of a local Baptist college on his viewpoint of the subject.
He indicates he eels that it is a sin and against Gods will, but that God gave man free will and he can choose his own fate. And, while he feels the need to try to help and educate homosexuals, if they disagree with those ideas, forcing the issue will only drive them further away. In his words, “forcing the Bible down someone’s’ throat is no way to build a flock”. The impacted population of the opposition to same sex marriage is all of the gays and lesbians of our country, studies estimate around 3. % or roughly 9 million people. Monsoons) Studies suggest lower general health among same sex peoples, one theory is this is due to one partner who has health insurance from their employer that cannot cover the other because they are not married and therefore not legally related. (Miller) Why we have this issue is because many people, notably Christians, feel that homosexuality is a conscious decision rather than an emotional attraction, because God said it was a sin.
Leviticus 20:13, states, “If a man also lie with mankind, as he elite with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death” (KAVA). This was reaffirmed by the Pope, leader of the arrest group of Christians, who ironically dresses like Liberace stunt double. The problem here is 79. 5% of the U. S. Is Christian. Or close to 247 million people. (Fairchild) This seriously outnumbers the numbers of homosexuals looking to marry. Some feel it as a personal attack on their beliefs; others feel the need to save the homosexuals from the impending doom of eternity in hell.
Although they are probably taking things out of context, I feel the bible was written to speak to the people of the day, and customs were different; there was less understanding of the perversity of the world then. Conservative folks back off the legal tactics. Laws that target only one group are unconstitutional. Former President Bill Clinton recently made a statement, “When I signed the bill, I included a statement with the admonition that ‘enactment of this legislation should not, despite the fierce and at times divisive rhetoric surrounding it, be understood to provide an excuse for discrimination. Reading those words today, I know now that, even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, the law is itself discriminatory. It should be overturned. (Weber) Our First Amendment protections on the freedom of speech and religion, apply to all. By all means speak your minds, tell others how you feel about the issue. This is what is so great about this country, you can do that. Realize though, that same law that gives you the right to speak your mind, also give others the right to not listen. Please, the same law that protects you also protects everyone else.
While you have the right to speak your mind, most will agree your rights stop at interfering with others’ rights. Christian conservatives, you are so intent on having our way, but the more you push your views upon everyone the more you push them away! Remember Mr.. James, the Baptist student ministers’ statement about forcing the Bible down someone’s throat is no way to gather a flock. Yes, convey your ideals, but you cannot educate someone if they do not want to listen. And, offending them is a good way to close their ears and minds.
In the argument about everyone’s rights there was a compromise offered of a “civil union”. This gave same sex couples some of the rights they were looking for, becoming a family making health insurance extendable to the partner, child custody between partners, survivorship of property in the event of one partner’s death. This was not upheld at the federal level, only a handful of states accommodated. Somehow this was not enough; you had to have “marriage” and not a “civil union”. (GLAD) Same but separate somehow. It is not so much the word as it is the idea.
I was hung up on why “marriage” was so important; the civil unions were on the right track. But if you were to say to me that Which was not a real religion, I would very likely go off on the discrimination of conservatives. Like many things, though, it takes time. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified December 1865 to abolish slavery. There are still pockets of racists who would chain up blacks if they could. “Only’ two years ago, Which was recognized by the Veterans Administration, then the rest of the government as a legitimate religion.
Still there are evangelical types who still get in my face and try to save me from imaginary (to me) monsters. I was raised in a catholic household. Since the majority against this are Christians and I know what it means to be Christian, I want to know how you can UT this much energy into complaining about same sex marriage when there are still homeless people, starving children, all over our country and the planet to take care of. How can you put complaining about homosexuals on a higher priority than starving children?
I think even Jesus would say homosexuality is wrong, but spend his time feeding the children, preach but not force. Homosexuals, Offer a compromise, take the unions and get your foot in the door. Even though one law wiped out slavery, the civil rights movement took a long time, and it came in stages. Even when other regress was made, interracial marriages still had to be overcome. Get the civil unions, push to get it to the federal level, get more equal footing, then when it is almost the same, push to call it marriage.
I think you have to work on people a few at a time. Pushing against that many people all at once isn’t going to get you far. Logically, why should same sex marriages be outlawed? How many religions are out there, and how many claim to be the one true way to God? There are a few that don’t recognize only one god, then there are the atheists who believe there is no god. If we re not going to dictate a religion, we cannot endorse any religions views on marriage.
If our laws state that government and religion must be separate, why then, are we even debating the notions that the marriage defined in the bible is the only acceptable definition, when marriage is a legal institution? Unfortunately humans are an emotional creature. Some people so believe there is going to be hell to pay for homosexuality, those people have that right. Others believe that first group is out of their minds, they are within their rights. People are beginning to realize the ideals of he past don’t hold up to intellectual scrutiny.
Some, well many, people are trying to hold on to a tradition, one that they have believed in since they can remember. Every step we move away from that as a society, chips away at the foundations of their beliefs. Change is hard for some; they may have to accept the changes reluctantly. We are getting there though, these same people who are trying to hold on to outdated ideas, which are thousands of years old, have accepted women are out of the kitchen and the colored are out of the fields and the earth is round and goes round the sun.
