An Essay On Same Sex Marriage

Hello. This is an essay I wrote for a class of mine. I just re-read it and, to me, my argument seems pretty solid. I wanted to post it here to see what you guys thought of it.

There are a few lines in this essay that are pretty bold. Keep in mind that my professor told us to make a strong stand. Try not to get offended.



If all people were to understand that marriage is a sacred union before God, then half of the problem with gay marriage would be solved. Believers of the Christian faith are one of the largest groups against gay marriage. In the Christian religion, it is considered sinful to have an intimate relationship with a person of the same gender and would certainly be out of the question to consider allowing them to marry. Gay sex is considered unforgivable because it is making a promise to continue sinning for the rest of their lives.
Throughout time, and especially in America, a new meaning has come to be affiliated with not just marriage but other religious traditions such as Christmas and Easter. The fact is that marriage has already been redefined. In order to solve the misunderstanding of what marriage is, it either must be returned to its original meaning coupled with the formation of a new marriage that is separate from religion, or, Christians must accept the fact that marriage is more generalized now and may not be a religious ceremony in certain cases.
America is a country founded on freedom and the idea that all people are created equal. Christians are free to believe that gay and lesbian couples should not marry, but their freedom to believe should not tip the scales of equality. Legalization of same sex marriage should most definitely not be determined by religious standards. Religion is based off of faith, it is not based off of fact, rationality or logic, therefore, any argument stemming from religion should be invalid.
A separate union not affiliated with religion but with the same rights of a married couple would solve this problem. This would not mean discrimination through government, it would be discrimination through church allowing a non religious bond. In this solution, the bonding between same sex couples would not be robbing marriage of its sanctity and same sex couples would be able to commit to each other, provide a stable foundation for child raising, and be provided with the equal rights that they deserve.
Why is there not a separation between church and state when it comes to marriage? Why is it not recognized that marriage is a religious ceremony? This should not be a problem that the government has to solve. If religious gay and lesbian couples want to get married in a religious ceremony, then the church should be in charge of the decision. All of the legal ties with marriage is what the government should be in charge of and if that is the case, then not allowing this union is simply intolerance.
Are women still considered property to men? Are there still separate schools, and drinking fountains for blacks and whites? The answer is no because society has built up tolerance. Twenty years ago, the debate to allow same sex marriage was unheard of. It may not happen today but same sex marriage is an inevitable truth.
Families used to have a black and white definition. Family included a husband and a wife of the same race with their own, biological children. This definition of a family has been redefined to accommodate interracial marriages, with adopted children, step parents, and step children. It is a fact that families exist now that have two moms or two dads and the opportunity for them to marry can only make life easier for them and their children. The legalization of same sex marriage will create a stronger family foundation and a stronger sense of family for every member.
America is a very tolerant country with many freedoms and rights. There are some countries, however, that are less fortunate than us who discriminate against gender and class. If America is as tolerant as it is and still cannot completely tolerate gay and lesbian people, then I am sure that there are countries that are completely against gay tolerance. For example, Americans allow women to wear scandalous clothing but some middle eastern countries severely punish women who show anything but their eyes. If women are punished for showing arm skin, then the punishment for two men kissing would be obscene.
I believe that same sex marriage should be legalized ,however, the marriage would not be in the eyes of God. It would be a legal union between two people. Legalizing gay marriage is so important to me because I would like to live in a country that does not discriminate and allows all its people to live in equality.

This is really good. I agree with 100 percent of it.

"Christians are free to believe that gay and lesbian couples should not marry, but their freedom to believe should not tip the scales of equality."

Very nice. This would make a wonderful quote.

I agree with this essay as well It is practicaly flawless with its logic. Were you guys aware that some christian churches though they were ussualy over saw weddings claimed to have no authority over the act of marriage itself because marriage is not strictly a christian system but is universal in all cultures it had been in contact with. with this logic christians of those particular churches should not according to that particular doctrine interfere in the state of union between any one. If any other culture allows or is even indifferent to the issue of gay marriage the christian culture should leave it well enough alone

Agreed nyrlathotep I had written something along these lines earlier but got distracted and was logged off and didn't feel like rewriting. If christians would like to define their own guild lines for marriage and have a strictly christian marriage arranged and recognized by the government or by a christian foundation as being different from just the word marriage (the universal word marriage), I think very little people would have a problem with.