The Institution of Marriage: The Religious and Societal Values - Essay Example

1. Sex outside marriage is always wrong. All religious books forbid sex outside marriage as this is against the wish and will of God. Pre-marital sexprevents one to enjoy the blessings of the wedding night with a virgin bride or bridegroom. Furthermore, sex outside marriage can lead to disease infections like HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex outside marriage also lowers one’s dignity. If one who holds a public office is caught having sex outside marriage, the act lowers his or her reputation. 2. Adultery is morally wrong. Adultery goes against the religious and societal values. Adultery is an act that violates these values is wrong. Moreover, adultery betrays faithfulness in marriages, a core value of the institution. It also goes against the spiritual teachings of purity. Adultery hampers honesty and trustworthiness in relationships. In addition, adultery does not respect the feeling of a partner. Furthermore, it breaks the vows committed during marriage proceedings. This hurts most of the marriage couples and it may result in to breakups. 3. Prostitution is wrong according to religious and societal values. First and foremost, religious books like the bible are against this act of selling the flesh. They describe the body as the temple of God which should be kept clean always. Secondly, all societies do not advocate for prostitution. In most societies, prostitutes are outcasts and are people looked at with very little respect. Finally, prostitutes destroy other people’s marriages. 4. Any society or country is not complete without prostitutes. Prostitution will always manifest itself whether we like it or not. Therefore, prostitution should be made legally permissible and regulated to protect both prostitutes and their customers. Permitting prostitution will help in training the prostitutes on safe sex practices. Also, the prostitutes will not be mistreated by clients. Prostitutes are human beings too. Legal permission of prostitution will ensure respect of their rights and freedoms. In case of any violation, the natural course of justice takes effect immediately. 5. Internet pornography should be forbidden because of its many negative impacts. First of all, it shatters relationships between wives and husbands. Some couples visit the porn websites for self-satisfaction purposes. Consequently, some end up masturbating. When one of the couples realizes, he or she feels betrayed and this destroys the relationship. This has caused a lot of divorce in many families. Secondly, it affects children immensely. Children acquire a negative perception towards sex. Pornography dehumanizes the sanctity of sex. Pornography also cultivates the feelings of guilt in an individual. One will always fear the consequences if his or her close friends or relatives knows that he or she watches pornography. This denies him or her personal freedom. 6. Sex between same sexes is morally wrong. Basically, sex was meant for procreation. Procreation can only take place between a female and male. Same sex relationships cannot lead to procreation of new life. According to religious beliefs, sex sanctifies heterosexual marital relationships. Sex between a man and a woman creates a bond that the divine source proposes in their teachings. Furthermore, societal values do not advocate for sex between same sex individuals. 7. The ban on homosexuals in the military should not be removed. The military is one of the reputable institutions in the country today. Therefore, the military men need to be good role models to young men. As a matter of fact, there are several young men who would like to be in the military. Young men who wish to be military men may start imitating them and this will erode the values of the society. Thus, homosexuality in the military paints a negative image on the institution. 8. The state should not accept the legitimacy of same sex marriages. Acceptance of these marriages will erode the states morals and values. The state will be going against the religious values of her citizens. Legalizing same sex marriages will also paint a negative image on the state. Several states respect hetero-sexual marriages and are against the same sex marriages. Legalizing same sex marriages may break the existing ties. 9. The state should respect the institution of marriage. It should not be in business of creating domestic partnerships rather than marrying people. For any society or state to progress, the family plays a central role. For the continuity of the society, the state needs to marry people. Domestic partnerships are obsolete with time or they can be revoked but marriages are stronger unless there are divorces. 1. There is no stage of development that makes abortion morally acceptable. Basically, life always commences at conception. The foetus acquires a soul that begins to define its emotions. It is this soul that makes the foetus human. Throughout the stages of development, the foetus continues to possess this soul. Therefore, the foetus is human. Killing it through abortion is committing a sin and violating its fundamental right to life. 2. A foetus has a right to life. Any woman who violates this right makes an illegal act. It is better for a woman to protect the right to life of the foetus and give up the unwanted infant for adoption. It is true that abortion is morally wrong except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. There are instances when the mother suffers from chronic illnesses that may endanger her life. It is better for the mother to abort to protect her life and continue to fend for her family dependents. Actually, who knows whether the foetus and the mother will die during the process of delivery? Therefore, it is better to save the existing life (the mother). 3. A high demand for white babes for adoption and a low demand for nonwhite babies will lead to high abortion rates among the nonwhite population. For instance, if a nonwhite gets an unwanted child, she may have problems to give up the child. She will be compelled to stay with the infant. To avoid all these, she may resolve to abort during pregnancy. Therefore, this will increase abortions among the nonwhite population. 4. Conception stage is when life of a person begins. According to religious groups, this is when God implants the human soul into the foetus. This soul contains human emotions that make a person a human being. Therefore, it is wrong to abort immediately after the conception period and through the entire pregnancy period. Apparently, the foetus also has a right a right to life. It has a soul implanted into it by God. This soul gives the foetus a human nature. Aborting the foetus at any stage is compared to killing a human being. Hence, this makes the act of abortion wrong. 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