I am a Marriage and Family Studies Professional/ Clinical major. Because of this and other things I have strong family values. I am also a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and have very strong religious views. I also believe that people should be accepted for who they are, just the way they are. Each to his own. But when a persons individuality threatens my religious believes, I struggle with that. Let me explain.
I am not against homosexuality. That is not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is the legalization of Gay/Lesbian marriage and the effect it will have on one of the main reasons that this country was formed: Religious Freedom. We cannot give the government control over this. Gay marriage activist are fighting that this is their right as Americans, that it is unconstitutional. The constitution was written primarily for religious freedom, the legalization of gay marriage takes that away. In 2008 when prop 8 first came out the Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints made a stand on their view of prop 8. The article is entitled "The Divine Institution of Marriage." This article is part of the reason why I am bringing up this issue and why I take the stand that I take.
This debate brings up so many questions! What is marriage? Why is it so important? Why do we need to fight to protect marriage between one man and one woman? I study these questions and others of the like on a daily basis. In the articles below they answer these questions. In the CNN article a quote that I think perfectly defines marriage would be "The act that makes marital love, makes new life." Marriage it not just about laws and making it known that you are married, it is about new life. It also brings up the point that if you just make it into a statement of who your companion is then why not allow groups of people to marry? Marriage is more than a contract, it is a covenant to become better and to bring new life into the world.
In the second link it says "Government recognizes marriage because it is an institution that benefits society in a way that no other relationship does." The paragraph under this talks about how marriage between man and woman produce new human life. It is a relationship of one of a kind. Jame Q. Wilson is quoted in this paragraph and he brings up a very good point; "Marriage is a socially arranged solution for the problem of getting people to stay together and care for children that the mere desire for children, and the sex that makes children possible, does not solve." Redefining marriage is a hinder to the already suffering family.
There are so many articles and so many resources to read from on this topic. Today the supreme court with decide weather they are going to pass prop 8 or not. I hope that as they make this decision you to will also be able to make a educated decision on your thoughts on this topic. I know there is so much I could cover in this, but I have tried to keep it vague for many reasons. I hope you find these articles interesting and I hope your pray for the supreme court to make the best decision possible.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/20/opinion/george-gay-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
http://s3.amazonaws.com/thf_media/2013/pdf/bg2775.pdf?utm_source=RTA+Heritage+Marriage&utm_campaign=winstorg&utm_medium=email
