ENG - Same-sex marriage is a term used to describe a legally or socially recognized marriage between two people of the same sex. Other terms used to describe this type of recognition include gay marriage, gender-neutral marriage, or equal marriage. Same-sex marriage is a political, social, and religious issue in many western nations. Usually, it is closely related to the larger debate over societal acceptance of homosexual relationships. Proponents of same-sex marriage regard it as a human right to be able to enter into marriage regardless of sexual orientation. Those who oppose same-sex marriage often base their opposition on the perceived societal impact of same-sex marriage, concerns about indirect consequences of same-sex marriage, parenting concerns, tradition, or religious grounds. In 16 countries, and specific jurisdictions within 5 others, same-sex couples can join in a civil union but cannot marry. Additionally, Israel, the U.S. - Have you voted in the poll Homosexual marriage ? - state of New York and Washington, D.C. recognize legal same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions but do not perform their own. Political and legal debate continues in over two dozen other countries and multiple U.S. states. The first country to allow same-sex couples to enter into legally recognized marriage was the Netherlands, effective in 2001. Since then, six other countries and seven U.S. states have followed suit, though voters in California revoked it through passage of Proposition 8. Acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage tends to be highest in western Europe and the Americas, while opposition to homosexuality in general is much more prevalent in Africa, the Middle East, and much of the Caribbean.
 
Religious arguments

Arguments both in opposition to and in favor of same-sex marriage are often made on religious grounds and/or formulated in terms of religious doctrine.

Many objections to same-sex marriage are based upon religious grounds. - Has changed the detail your opinion on Homosexual marriage ? - Religious opponents of same-sex marriage sometimes claim that extending marriage rights to same-sex couples could undercut the conventional purpose of marriage, or would be contrary to God's will. Some religious advocates of "traditional marriage" contend that to call same-sex relationships "marriages" is a misnomer, because marriage necessarily involves the uniting of two members of the opposite sex. Other religious opponents argue that same-sex marriage would encourage individuals to act upon homosexual urges, rather than seeking help to overcome same-sex attraction. 

Within the Judeo-Christian tradition, religious objections to same-sex marriage are often based upon biblical passages at Genesis 19:5, Leviticus 18:22, and Leviticus 20:13. Within the Christian tradition, such objections are often based on Romans 1, I Corinthians 6:8-10, and Jude 1:7. Religious organizations that oppose same-sex marriage include the Assemblies of God, Church of God in Christ, Church of Christ, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons), the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference, the Conservative Mennonite Conference, the Convocation of Anglicans in North America, the Hutterite Brethren, the Orthodox Church in America, the Roman Catholic Church, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (OU), and the United Pentecostal Church International.

Some liberal Christians such as the Metropolitan Community Church, the United Church of Christ and progressive congregations within the mainline denominations believe that biblical texts refer only to specific sex acts and idolatrous worship lacking relevance to contemporary same-sex relationships. - Have you read details about support Georgia conflict - ? - Some Christians support religious and legal recognition of same-sex marriage based on a moral commitment to equality, or a belief that "human sexual orientations, whether heterosexual or homosexual, are a gift from God." Several Christian denominations support same-sex marriage and perform same-sex weddings. The three largest are Unitarian Universalists, the United Church of Canada and the United Church of Christ (UCC). 

Judaism, like Christianity, reflects differing views between conservative and liberal adherents. Orthodox Judaism maintains the traditional Jewish bans on both sexual acts and marriage amongst members of the same sex. Orthodox Judaism also refuses to marry even opposite-sex interfaith couples, as in its view a Jew cannot marry a non-Jew. Some Conservative Jews reject recognition of same-sex unions as marriage, but permit celebration of commitment ceremonies, while others recognize same-sex marriage. Members of Reform Judaism support the inclusion of same-sex unions within the definition of marriage. The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation leaves the choice to individual rabbis. 

Due to the ambivalent language about homosexuality in Buddhist teachings, there has been no official stance put forth regarding the issue of same-sex marriage. 

Some same-sex married couples have challenged religious organizations that exclude them from access to public facilities maintained by those organizations, such as schools, health care centers, social service agencies, summer camps, homeless shelters, nursing homes, orphanages, retreat houses, community centers, and athletic programs. - Can Homosexual marriage have an infuence on Georgia conflict ? - Opponents of same-sex marriage have expressed concerns that this limits their religious freedoms. For example, conservatives worry that a Christian college would risk its tax-exempt status by refusing to admit a legally married gay couple to married-student housing. Some legal analysts suggest that failure to reflect gay rights within their organizations may cost some religious groups their tax-exempt status. 

Americans United for Separation of Church and State argue that by defining marriage as an opposite-sex institution, the state infringes upon the constitutional right to freedom of religion.
 
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Ten Arguments Against Gay Marriage

1) Scandanavia allows gay marriage and has a large number of children born out-of-wedlock. Therefore allowing gay marriage will cause children to be born out-of-wedlock (Seriously I’m not joking).

2) Legalizing gay marriage will lead to legalizing polygamy.

3) The creation of gay marriages will make divorce easier.

4) Public schools will be forced to teach that homosexuality is not immoral.

5) Gays will have equal rights in court relating to child care issues such a custody, adoption, or foster care.

6) Straight foster-care parents would be required to undergo homosexual senstitivity training (I swear I didn’t make that one up).

7) Allowing gays to collect Social Security for their deceased husbands/wives will cost the government billions of dollars.

Allowing gay marriage in the US will lead to the legalization of gay marriage in other countries.

9) “Perhaps most important, the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be severely curtailed.”

10) The social conservatives will have lost the culture war. - Did you know that Homosexual marriage is popular at 83% of voters? -

 

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Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage

 

2009-06-25