Gay Marriage as a Widely Discussed Topic in Religious and Legal Scenes - Research Paper Example

? Gay Marriage In the cotemporary world, gay marriage has become a widely discussed topic in religious and legal scenes. It has generated heated debate over the years between its opponents who are mainly religious conservatives and supporters who are mainly gay rights activists. The argument against gay marriage states that the act is unnatural, violates the traditional marriage perspective and is morally unacceptable. Those who support it assert that is should be legalized since according to the utilitarian view, it makes the affected parties happy and does no harm to others. The relativism principle expresses that gay marriage is right or wrong depending on the situation, culture and ideologies of the individuals. This paper gives an in depth analysis of gay marriage why it should be legalized. Keywords: gay marriage, utilitarianism, relativism Gay Marriage What goes through one’s mind on the sight of two guys walking in the park while holding hands? The contemporary society is founded on recreating and improving itself to reach an ideal status. However, the situation of gay marriage has not been fully accepted in society and most of the people want it to be eliminated. According to the ethical perspective there are two sides that have an equal argument. There are those that favor gay marriage and those that oppose it. Those who support it base their arguments on civil rights, human needs and justice (Stanton, 2009). On the other hand, those who are against it use the deontological view that is not weighty. This paper states that the most ethical decision is to legalize gay marriage. Ethical Problems Facing Gay Marriage The major argument against gay is that marriage goes against the Bible. It violates the natural order that is recognized by God, and is highly sinful. According to the Bible, marriage was a union established by God between our first parents Adam and Eve. In the book of Genesis “God created man in His image; in the Divine image he created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.” (Genesis 1:28-29) (Cline, 2013). The Bible stipulates that marriage should be between man and woman hence gay marriage is considered to be a sin. The Bible goes ahead to demonstrate that it is punishable by God. “The Lord rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil.” (Genesis 19:24-25) (Cline, 2013). There is much controversy surrounding gay marriage due to the fact that there are numerous ethical arguments against it. Gay marriage is not considered to be a genuine marriage regardless of it being referred to as ‘marriage’. Over the years, marriage has always been a convention between man and woman which is ordered by nature towards procreation, bringing up of children and the well being of the partners. Champions of same sex marriage have a different argument. They propose a covenant between two people of the same sex (Cline, 2013). This is because it denies the general purpose of marriage which is perpetuation of the human race and bringing up children. Additionally, it denies the obvious biological and physiological differences between man and woman. It is argued that gay marriage violates natural law since marriage is a relationship that is entrenched in human nature and governed by natural law. The most basic precept of natural law is that good acts should be promoted and evil should be avoided at all costs. Thereby, man can set what is morally acceptable or not (Cline, 2013). Situations that promote unnatural acts are viewed as being morally wrong since they go against natural law and norms of morality. Natural law is universal and deeply rooted in human nature and applies to the entire human race. Gay marriage is wrong according to natural law. Gay marriage denies a child the right to be brought up in the conventional family set up of a father and a mother. This tenet has been long established by the difficulties faced by children that are brought up by foster parents, single parents and relatives. Same sex marriages deprives children the privilege of being raised by a mother and a father and therefore lacks a mother figure (Cline, 2013). In a nutshell, gay marriage totally ignores the best interests of children. Gay marriage validates the homosexual lifestyle in general. Allowing it promotes the homosexual way of life and other bisexual and transgender variants. Civil laws are principles that govern society’s morals and ethics. They also play a decisive role in impacting on society’s pattern of thought and behavior. They shape the attitudes and perceptions of society towards certain forms of behavior. Thereby by legally accepting gay marriage we would obscure some basic moral values, weaken public mortality and devalue the conservative marriage perspective. Gay marriage turns a ‘moral wrong’ into a civil right. Gay rights activists’ state that it is an issue similar to the fight for racial equality in history. This is untrue since sexual behavior and race are basically varying realities (Cline, 2013). This marriage goes against nature. Two people of the same sex in spite of race, stature will never be able to marry due to an overwhelming biological impossibility. Secondly, innate and unchangeable racial characteristics cannot be compared to unnatural behavior. There is no likeness between interracial marriage and gay marriage. Gay marriage does not create a family; it creates a naturally sterile union. Unlike traditional marriage that results in the creation of a family through procreation, gay marriage seeks other costly methods such as adoption or employs surrogates in order to create a family. For that reason, gay marriage cannot be referred to as a real marriage as it lacks the true benefits of the marriage institution. It imposes acceptance across all societies since when gay marriage is legalized, the state automatically becomes an active promoter. Public officials are called upon to solemnize such marriages and public schools are forced to pass on its acceptability to children. Parents are against it since their children are exposed to ‘immorality’ at a tender age. Moreover, the entire society will be force to agree to the terms of gay marriage (Cline, 2013). Gay marriage is regarded as a cutting edge of the sexual revolt. In the past, society was pressured to accept the immoral relationship between man and woman. In the modern world, there is a sexual revolution that is putting pressure on society to accept other forms of sexual immorality. If gay marriage is universally accepted, it will be a hallmark of sexual freedom and other forms of unnatural behavior will soon be allowed in society. The gay movement is not perceived as a civil rights movement, it is not even a sexual freedom movement. It is a moral revolution that seeks to change the peoples’ thoughts on homosexuality. Solutions to These Problems The issue of gay marriage has been accepted by the open- minded contemporary society although religious and traditional conservatives are not willing to let this issue pass. The utilitarian perspective offers a practical solution to this societal problem. Utilitarianism states that an action is right if it is useful for the majority. In other words, an action is morally acceptable if it promotes happiness (Nagle, 2010). This principle can help the gay society if people are willing to open up their thoughts and actions to the happiness of others. The principle focuses on the consequences of the act rather than the motives of the subjects. Therefore, gay marriage is right since it does not impose any consequences on the society at large based on the utilitarian line of thought. Based on religious grounds, gay marriage is wrong since it goes against the Bible therefore it is termed to be sinful. Opponents of gay marriage assert that it offends everything religion stands for. Yet, it can be noted that there are some religious that are comfortable with the idea. For instance, there is a Buddhist sect in Hawaii that supports gay marriage. It is important to bear in mind that today’s society is characterized by cultural and religious diversity. Using the Bible as a yard stick to determine the morality of a specific act is wrong since different people profess varying faith. The utilitarian view explains that religion should not dictate how we act and gay marriage should be accepted as it promotes happiness of the parties involved in the union (Nagle, 2010). Gay marriage is not recognized as a legitimate union by many traditionalists, however all forms domestic partnerships are argued to be valid so long as they are recognized by law. Gay marriage antagonists claim that by legalizing it, the value of traditional marriage will be taken way (Nagle, 2010). In some instances, gay couples are denied their civil rights including making crucial medical decisions for their partners in case of an emergency. Additionally, gay partners can testify against each other in court unlike married couples. Giving gay marriages legitimacy will not harm anyone in society; in fact it will increase happiness of the entire gay society. According to the traditional view, a gay marriage goes against the sole purpose of marriage which is procreation (Soble & Power, 2008). It states that gay couples are not in a position to morally raise children. This is wrong since other delinquents in society including murderers and convicted felons are permitted to marry and raise children. Therefore, the argument based on moral grounds in unfounded. Gay couples can adopt children or hire the services of a surrogate mother to get children. Gay couples have been known to adopt children and make good parents therefore leading to the establishment of a functional family. Although these options are expensive and cumbersome, they have paid off as they advance happiness for the gay couples (Soble & Power, 2008). Most children are adopted from poor families and there should be no objection for trying to improve their lives through adoption. In a nutshell, the modern day society is unprejudiced when it comes to sexual orientation. The gay community has been struggling over the years for acceptance and legalizing of the homosexual partnerships (Soble & Power, 2008). They should be treated with respect as all other citizens. Religion and traditional thinking should not dictate who should be allowed to marry or otherwise. Instead civil liberties should guide our quality of life and where all people are considered equal regardless of their sexual orientation. This will create overall contentment and balance in society. The utilitarian act proposes for that gay marriage should be allowed for the greater happiness of society. Contrast This Response with the Perspective Brought To the Issue by Relativism Relativism is one of the most liberal views in relation to various contentious issues in society. It primarily states that there are no universal requirements determining whether an act is moral or ethical (Sweetman, 2006). This principle is important in with regards to the topic as it states that society is evolving and the necessary changes must be made to suit the circumstances. According to relativism, gay marriage is considered to be right or wrong depending on the perspective that one is viewing it from. For instance, gay marriage is repugnant according to the Christian view. This is because it is prohibited by the Bible which refers to it as a sin. Conversely, gay marriage is considered to be legal from the civil rights perspective (Sweetman, 2006). This is because the law stipulates that all individual should be treated with equality regardless of their sexual orientation. Religious conservatives state that gay marriage is unacceptable and according to relativism, they are right. Alternatively, gay rights activists argue that gay marriage is right and this view is also correct (Sweetman, 2006). In general, there is no right or wrong perspective according to relativism; it all depends on one’s understanding, culture and religion. In retrospect, utilitarianism claims that gay marriage is right on the grounds that it brings happiness to the gay community. On the other hand, relativism maintains that gay marriage is regarded to be right or wrong depending on various circumstances, cultures and perspectives (Soble & Power, 2008). My personal view is that gay marriage should be accepted in society and legalized at all costs. My argument is based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of basic needs that states that individuals need to feel a sense of love and belonging, if one finds this fulfillment in a gay marriage then no one should prevent it. Gay marriages should be treated in the same way as heterosexual marriages by all means (Sweetman, 2006). They should be allowed to wed in legal ceremonies, make important decisions concerning each other’s health and be treated as equals in society. In recent times gay couples have been able to adopt children and raise them in a safe and healthy way. Therefore, gay marriage should be allowed and legalized to ensure establishment of a just and contemporary society. Conclusion The above discussion has clearly explained the different views with regards to gay marriage. The debate over legalizing it should be viewed more than just as status match, it also concerns the future of civil law. Opponents try to base their arguments on a legal and social foundation but it all boils down religion based animosity and prejudice against gay marriage. Those who support use base their arguments on civil rights and ethical relativism. The concept of marriage has changed over the years and the argument that gay marriage undermines the institution of marriage is unfounded. Gay marriages can lead to the establishment of functional families through adoption and by seeking the services of a surrogate mother. They state that society has evolved and so should the civil rights. In conclusion, gay marriage should be legalized in compliance with the current liberal way of life in the current times. References Cline, A. (2009, June 26). Common arguments against gay marriage: Moral and religious arguments. Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/gaymarriage/p/ContraGayMarria.htm Nagle, J. (2010). Same sex marriage: The debate. The Rosen Publishing Group. Soble, A. & Power, P. N. (2008). The philosophy of sex: Contemporary readings. Rowman & Littlefield. Stanton, J. T. (2009). Marriage on trial: The case against same-sex marriage and parenting. ReadHowYouWant.com. Sweetman, B. (2006). Why politics needs religion: The place of religious arguments in the public square. InterVarsity Press. Read More