Introduction 1
Recently, the House of Commons in the United Kingdom voted to allow same sex marriage in Wales and England. The bill, known as the Same Sex Couples Bill will now be tabled before the House of Lords, with the hope that it will soon become law. This same year has seen France legalize same-sex marriage amidst various protests and even the committing of suicide of its opponents. It is not only in France, Wales and England that pressure has been mounting to legalize same-sex marriages. In various countries, gay rights activists have continued in their attempts to demand for equal rights. However, conservatives and many mainstream churches such as the Roman Catholic Church have warned against the allowing of same-sex marriages as this would erode the moral fabric of the society. As events unfold, indications show that same-sex couples will seek to gain acceptance in more and more countries.
Introduction 2
Are there any good reasons why same-sex couples should be allowed to marry? As same-sex couples struggle to gain acceptance in many societies, this is the question that lingers on the minds of critics. How can same-sex marriage be justified when it contradicts the very principles of nature such as male-female relations, procreation as well as the teachings of the Holy Books such as The Bible? Usually, those who oppose the legalization of gay marriages are seen as basing their arguments on homophobia, hate, and other negative emotions. They are seen as people who are resistance to the issue of equality and equal rights. However, equal rights in marriage can be quite ambiguous. For example, does a person have a right to marry his sister? Or does a person have the right to marry an animal? Usually, proponents of the legalization of same-sex marriage base their arguments on the failure of the traditional marriage institution. But can these claims be validated?
