Relationship Between Support Of Same Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage, a controversial social issue in the U.S. for several decades, is constantly evolving. When viewed historically, great change has happened in a short period of time, in the movement for same-sex marriage, given that until recently, no society in thousands of years has ever allowed it.

As noted, the technical legal question to be addressed is whether the federal government or individual states have the right to legalize or prohibit same-sex marriage. To claim that this exact question is increasingly a public concern is to understate the issue. It may be ironic but, as the controversy has grown in recent years, there seems to be more of a demand from the society that the issue be settled once and for all, and for that eyes turn to federal authority. This came to a head in the presidential campaigns of 2013, as same-sex marriage became a “hot button” issue actually defining voter sympathies as either liberal or conservative (Levendusky 42). In plain terms, the Mitt Romney campaign directly appealed to conservative populations opposed to, or perceived as opposed to, gay marriage; the Obama reelection efforts not unexpectedly countered this with an appeal to more liberal factions, which typically favor same-sex unions. The differences in approach aside, the clear fact remains that the nation was emphatically looking to its highest leadership to make a decision, which in turn would lead to federal recognition or denial of same-sex marriage.

Gay marriage is not the only issue that is being discussed throughout America involving the gay community. In a particular study done by USA Today, results showed that when Americans were asked if they think homosexual relationships between consenting adults should be legal, 46% answered yes (“USA Today” 6). However, when asked if they would then favor a law that would allow homosexuals to get married, only 24% were in favor (6). This survey also showed the differences of peoples’ ideas based on if they attended church or not (6). The results showed that 73% of Americans who attend church weekly oppose the legalization of gay marriage and only 38% of those who don’t attend church oppose legalization (6). These results show that for many Americans, marriage is a religious agreement, but for many others, marriage is a right that should be given to all who want to partake in it.

For the past 3 decades the views surrounding marriage has undergone a great deal of change (Lennox, 2015, p. 1101). This shift is due to the continual discussion of gay marriage. The interplay of religion and politics has led for much controversy. In the United States, the use of Christian and Jewish biblical texts are the main sources drawn upon for opposition, but have also been used as a supportive means of equality. Beyond the religious there are also psychological and physical health arguments, as well as civil rights arguments. Same sex marriage is examined through different paradigms, thus giving rise to religious, political/legal, and religious arguments surrounding the legalization of this institution for gay and lesbian couples.

In recent years, the debate over same-sex marriage has grown into a nationwide controversy, reverberating into the halls of congress, at the white house, in dozens of state and legislature and courtrooms, and in the rhetoric of election campaigns at both the national and state levels. As the debate rages on, the American religious community remains deeply divided over the issue, and over the morality of homosexuality. The debate has grown from an issue that occasionally arose in a few states to a national and even worldwide controversy.

Same-sex couples are becoming increasingly popular in our society and advocates have been pushing for social justice to abolish sexual discrimination. America has been misled by opponents of the Religious Freedom Restoration Acts who claim a business' right to religious freedom to turn away gay customers is discrimination and bigotry, and we need to return to the biblical view of homosexuality as what it really is: sin. This paper will cover religious freedom and the advancement of gay rights in society today as it pertains to the opposing arguments of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed recently in Indiana.

There are roughly 313,900,000 people living in the United States and within those people roughly 9,000,000 people categorize as either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (gates). This statistic was calculated throughout many surveys issued in 2010 throughout all states in the United States. These statistics were presented in an article written by Gary J. Gates in April of 2011. Now that it is currently almost the year 2014 the number of homosexuals have only risen in the past few years due to the legalization of same sex marriage throughout some states. Same sex marriage is becoming a well-known controversy in the United States due to complete opposite opinions. Society often examines the changes throughout the years in terms of consequences rather than in benefits. The legalization of same sex marriage is often portrayed as consequential to society however when examined more closely there would be more benefits to society if this controversy was viewed in terms of positive change. Benefits society could achieve from legalization of same sex marriage are providing new economic and business opportunities, and encouraging equal opportunity and a non-discriminatory society.

Same sex- marriage is still the topic of many peoples conversation across the country. Citizens, divided by politic party, are very passionate about how they feel about it. The president didn’t approve of it at first, but now he finally accepts same- sex marriage, the Judicial System uses its power to dictate to the States, forcing them to accept same- sex marriage. Both houses of Congress continue to debate what marriage means.

Several factors play an important role in the hypothesis that Christians would disagree with same-sex marriage. Regarding the poll, respondents were asked to pick the choice that best represented their stance on the legality of same-sex marriage. Respondents could choose from the following answers: “strongly disagree”, “somewhat disagree”, “indifferent”, “somewhat agree”, “strongly agree”, and “undecided”. The group the hypothesis pertains to are the people who said “strongly disagree” or “disagree”. The first piece of evidence that would lead one to believe that Christians would show, to a certain degree, disagreement with legalizing same-sex marriage involves important passages in their holy book, the Bible. The Bible contains passages that both deem homosexuality as sinful, as well as affirm only marriage between man and woman. One passage that does an adequate job of displaying a view that homosexuality is sinful is located in Leviticus, which reads, “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is

There are many controversies surrounding today's world, such as abortion, animal testing, and social reform issues. It seems that no one can come to a common agreement on the legitimacy of these topics. Personal characteristics, such as upbringing, culture, religion and ethnicity, all play a role in determining one's feelings on a given controversial issue. However, one of the most protested and discussed issues in current political debate is same-sex marriage. There is no right or wrong answer to this question, only hard pressed arguments expressing speculation regarding supposed outcomes, benefits and possible tribulations that would come along with the endorsement of gay marriage. Such ideas are shown

Another such recent test to the separation of church and state was President Bush’s public definition of marriage and attack on homosexual relationships. Under the code of unethical, Mr. Bush attempted to ban the union of two same sex members from joining as married. Although no Biblical scripture has been presented as support for the proposed constitutional amendment, the disagreement with same sex marriage can primarily be found in the religious fields or in area’s traditionally known as religiously dominant areas. Marriage is both an emotional as well as contractual union of individuals. To prevent the union should require the backing of evidence that appeals to more than the fickle nature of the public.

Sullivan (2002) and Bennett (2002) both use religious assertions to explain their views on same-sex marriages. Sullivan (2002) says that

The controversy between same sex marriage and religious beliefs has been a reoccurring issue in the United States over the past few years. Not only are religion and same sex marriage controversial issues alone, but there is a direct correlation between the two that makes the situation even stickier than before.

Gay marriages have received criticism from all sectors of the society. Most people have alienated all facts that relate to this issue and acknowledged the gloom and doom that may be associated with it. The United States ranks top of the most mature democracies, and not even its occupants have managed to establish a consensus regarding the issue of gay relationships. Many researchers have worked together towards deciphering the facts and logistics that revolve around the controversial issue. The outcomes of these endeavors have indicated that these relationships may have more positive effects and influence in the society as opposed to the negative aspects that most people recognize. According to America Institute of psychology, the society needs to stop prejudice, and only then will the people appreciate and understand the importance of establishing and supporting gay marriages across the country (Wight, LeBlanc, & Lee Badgett, 2013). Humans have a right to hold varying opinions regarding prevailing issues in the society, but it has become clear that most of their sentiments have taken a wrong course regarding the issue of gay marriages. The positivity of these relationships to the society outplays the general notion of doom and gloom that most people associate with gay marriages.

One of the most controversial topics in the world to date is that of same sex marriage. It is no surprise to anyone that eventually society would evolve to accept this social change phenomenon. The United States can be seen as being amongst the top two most powerful countries in the world, but if we were to look solely at a countries sphere of influence, there is no doubt USA would come out on top every time. Due to this we can assume that a major decision such as that of legalizing same-sex marriage will have a huge impact on a global level. Besides looking at this topic from an international perspective, this essay will mainly focus on the internal social turmoil that legalization of same sex marriage has had on the political, religious and social aspects due to the previous conservative atmosphere which clouded American judgment in the past. Same-sex marriage has now been legitimized in the USA, but there are still groups that are against it and continue to deny the rights of the gay community (Baunach, 2011).