Gay Marriage

I believe that gay marriage is about the equality of all people. I believe that the line of equality might as well be drawn here, that nothing exists outside of it. As far as I am concerned, in this moment, equality is the right to marry whomever you choose to marry. Leviticus 20 - 13 states that “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” Religion, and the bible have made it clear their opposition to the idea, and as they continue to march to further the cause that it is an abomination and you will be judged and condemned simply for marrying whomever you choose to marry they have failed to realize that sin is an individuals separation from God, and that it will remain between God and that individual. When you are judged you will not be done so according to the pressure you have or have not placed on another, but rather with your own relationship with God, in consonance with basic christian doctrine. Allow everyone the same freedom to make their own decisions, and to live their own life the same life that they allow you. In doing so you can only gain more favor with God.

At the time the different books of the bible were written and collected science was not yet realized. The books of the bible were written between, about, 2000 years before christ and 200 years after; modern science wasn't realized until around the seventeenth century. What is understood now scientifically could not have been realized at the time the bible was penned, and in recent years attempts have been made to discover a gay gene(s). After analyzing the genetic makeup of 456 men from 146 households, in families with two or more gay bothers, researches have noticed that a cluster of the same genetic pattern formed on the 7, 8, and 10 chromosomes in 60% of gay men. Considering the scientific discovery of a possible gay gene, and the timeline between the writing of the bible and modern science we cannot ignore the ignorance the bible on the subject.

I have heard too that it was simply semantics, that the word "marriage" is sacred, and it implies a religious ceremony and the only disagreement with the union is the term. They say it should instead be considered "civil unions" while maintaining all the legal rights that would be available to anyone who is married. This, however, is a slippery slope, similar to that of the introduction to the idea of building a mosque near ground zero because: A.) There would still be people who would have problems with it. B.) By referring to them as civil unions are they being treated equally? Is making the compromise, in either case, still equality? Well, yes, of course it is. But I believe all religious beliefs should be blind to the issue so there is no problem with the reference to marriage.

There are some who believe that gay marriage would infringe on the sanctity of marriage, however homosexuality cannot abuse the institution of marriage any more than heterosexuals already have. We televise and mock the institution with network reality shows like: the Bachelor, Bridezilla, and the Next Joe Millionaire; and, our ridiculous divorce rate(46%). The government does not question the intent, quality of, or the level of commitment that one might have for another before acquiring a marriage license. I, a man, could feasibly, this evening, both meet and marry a woman having known her only a matter of hours and without being accused of whether this would affect the sanctity of marriage in the eyes of God. We could go to one of the 50+ wedding chapels in Las Vegas, the marriage capitol of the world, and easily get a marriage license, $60 and a photo ID. I believe that the foundation of the sanctity of marriage that is spoken of has long been questionable. The truth, as a result, is that religion has no place in the debate of gay marriage. Granted, religious institutions developed marriage but once it was recognized by the restrictions and the laws of the United States government it can no longer be subject to those of any religious ramifications; congruous to the separation of Church and State. And, therefore all religious complications regarding the matter should be blind to the issue. To deny the legal right of marriage to anyone is to ignore equality of men before the law. Gay marriage is not unconstitutional which means that the United States does not acknowledge a different between a man being married to a woman, or a man being married to a man (or woman to a woman).

What is it that we are afraid of? It is basic human nature to fear what we do not understand but to allow that fear, or misunderstanding to influence how we react to and treat people is unnecessary. Unless we can find a way to accept a person for who they are, regardless of who they are, we will always find ourselves in an internal conflict arguing for the sake of arguing with little reason for our words or actions. Accepting someone free of religious, political, cultural, ethnic or sexual affiliation is the only way any of us will find the freedom that we all seek. And it’s easy all you have to do is try.