Gay Marrige- English 99

Principles of Gay Marriage Marriage is the sacred union of a man and a woman. Since creation, it has been the mechanism that has allowed society to sustain generation after generation with new offspring. Now there are laws that defy dogma striking at the vital foundation of functional society. Even in today’s tolerant religions, union of the same sex is an unacceptable practice. Americans are so passionate about preserving the sacredness of marriage that the issue is firmly seated in the President’s agenda along with other pressing conflicts of national importance. With such a strong anti-gay movement, pragmatists beg the question: are gay people worth so much attention as to divert national resources from other potentially more important issues like war and the economy? As long as gay people remain the minority, which they are, their rights can be safely protected without interfering with heterosexual Americans’ beliefs. Many Americans do not realize that they are killing an ant with a sledgehammer. Yet America is a democracy, and the electorate has clearly voted for a conservative agenda that stands against gay marriage. History shows us that the family unit has long been the building block of society. It consists of children, and their respective parents. This is only facilitated by the marriage of a man and a woman as parents. God purposefully created the family unit this way so that the human species can multiply and survive. The improper union of two men or two women constitute a destructive mutation of a building block of society. When a same sex couple cannot conceive offspring to continue the human race, it becomes clear the union is not meant to be. Consider the hypothetical situation wherein a substantial portion of the world is lesbian. This catastrophic situation would amount to the eventual

failure of the human race, because of the population’s inability to reproduce efficiently. Scientific analysis shows that lesbian couples are harmful to society and the human species. Gay marriage offends all major religious institutions in America. It is important for lesbians to recognize the religious sanctity of a union. A gay couple attracted to each other cannot step in front of the altar of God and take to vow of marriage. Rationally speaking, God embodies the ideals that a society shares. Allowing gay couples to stand in front of the altar, the common altar shared among straight couples, is a blatant corruption of society. If two people of the same sex can marry, then the biblical sacredness of “husband and wife” is lost. The church is the glue of society, holding together people with common ideals. Gay marriage dilutes the social glue, because the commitments are not the same. Under the eyes of the church and its congregation, gay couples do not share the commitment of bearing children. A gay couple’s vow of marriage is not as weighty as a straight couple’s. Allowing gays to marry is a breakdown of society and its common church. Despite their general condemnation, it is important to realize that gay people are a protected minority in America. The majority may decide public policy, but not to the extent that it tyrannizes minority rights. Religion is a public institution that ties itself with marriage. However, marriage by itself is a totally private matter. The government does not have the power to invade personal privacy and limit anyone’s selection of their spouse. It is clearly written in the Constitution that the government’s responsibility is to keep religion out of politics, and to defend its citizens’ personal liberty. A ban against gay marriage not only shows unconstitutional support for a religion, but it also tyrannizes

the liberty of the minority. Even if America disregards the fact that it is betraying its own constitutional ideals, it also has to be pragmatic and weigh the importance of gay marriage against other outstanding issues on the national agenda. A quick reality check may reveal that waging war against a tiny minority of lesbian Americans is not as important as solving the economic recession or rebuilding Iraq. Even if gay marriage is an important issue, it is not as eminent or time-critical as, say, national security. Gay people have been around for a long time, and in a few more years they’re not going to turn society upside down. A few more bankrupt multinational corporations, and another fuel-laden jetliner crashing into a federal building, and there will not be a functional society left to even talk about gay marriage. The rights of gay couples are creating a uproar in America. Even deciding whether or not to act on it is a controversial public policy. Proposing legislation in either direction constitutes a major shift in America. Both personal liberties and religion play major roles in American society, despite what the Constitution says about the separation of church and state. Yet the 2004 elections reveal a strong American consensus for conservatism, with an emphasis on ‘moral values’. This is definitely an indication for legislators to act in accordance to the will of the people. The federal government needs to standardize ambiguous state laws defining marriage. Following American values, it is necessary to impose stringent constraints on the conditions of marriage, that is, the couple must be of opposite sex. It is important to identify what is at stake. Here, it is the integrity of society. America is built on a functional, breeding family unit. Different family units bond

together in a society because they share the sacredness of marriage in front of a common altar and a common God. If gay people can marry under the same altar, the rest of society will lose reason to associate with the church, because not every member follows the same tenet of ‘husband and wife’. The social glue is dissolved. Last year, America’s electorate clamored for stricter ‘moral values’. It is time for the elected in office to legislate against gay marriage. Gay couples participate in religious ceremonies of the public, so they cannot be protected by privacy rights. Marriage therefore, is inherently a public affair, and in that case, it must adhere to codes of public decency. A socially acceptable union consists of a man and a woman. If America does not rigorously pursue that ideal, the bastion of a moral and functional, breeding society will crumble.