Abstract
Marriage is an agreement and contract between a man and a woman. Can one call a union between two men or two women marriage? Just calling a relation by the name marriage doesn’t make it marriage. After all there are biological, physiological, and psychological distinctions between men and women that make them complement each other in marriage. The purpose of this essay is to look into same-sex “marriage” and how can it be harmful to the society?
Introduction
The institution of marriage was evolving at its pace, but things changed ounce the same-sex marriage came on the scene. Generally speaking, marriage is defined as the union of a man and a woman of and is promoted as a male-dominated unequal relationship. However, the gender roles are blurring fast.
We heard the term ‘homosexuality’ for the first time in the late 19th century, when it was coined by Karoly Maria Benkert, a German psychologist (Homosexuality, 2011). The term relates to same-sex attraction in particular. Since then, there have been contemporary debates about homosexuality in religion, politics, and courtrooms.
Even in America, the mandate seems uncertain related to same-sex marriage. There is a major segment of the society that thinks that alternative sexualities and lifestyles are harmful to the communities and must be rejected as a social standard (Farrow, 2012). The redefinition of marriage as a meeting of two individuals, instead of one man and one woman, clearly offends the norms.
Marriage and Same sex Marriage
Marriage is understood as a basic determinant of the health of adults and their children and is linked to a greater life satisfaction. In the United States, the same sex couples have been omitted from legally recognized marriages. Opponents of same sex marriage look at it as an “assault” on the society, and anti-same sex marriage advocates have raised concerns over the social impacts if these marriages are legalized (Dinno & Whitney, 2013). This shift in the definition of marriage would certainly damage the perception of the importance of entering into marriage to have children. This would increase the chances that couples would select to cohabitate rather than get married or have children. It would also weaken the respect for the unique status a traditional marriage enjoys.
Marriage is recognized as an institution that benefits society and ensures the well-being of children. It commits two individuals of opposite sex towards each other and take charge for their children. Marriage as the model institution for childbearing and childrearing. However, in the recent years, the institution of marriage has been weakened by same-sex relationships (Anderson, 2013). Redefining marriage in these terms would distance marriage from the needs of children. Decades of social science and research shows that children do best when raised by a mother and a father. Same sex marriages would only bring confusion and delink childbearing from marriage. There are important questions here that exclude sexual complementarity completely in marriage.
Law and same sex marriage
The subject of same sex marriage has become a global issue. Netherlands was the first nation to legalize same sex marriage. There are still lack of clear laws related to same sex marriages, and the US is becoming increasingly isolated in these matters. In recent years, Norway, Iceland. Sweden and France have recognized same sex marriages by different names. In fact, US has gone in the opposite direction, as the Defense of Marriage Act passed by the congress in1996 (Gerstmann, 2004)prevents the same sex marriage couple to enjoy an Federal rights like any other normal couple, even if the same sex marriage is allowed by the state. Regards of what one thinks about the same sex marriages, this is too important an issue to ignore. After all, it is the right of every human being to marry, and marry the person he or she loves. In fact, an individual’s longevity and happiness is strongly tied to marriage.
The desires of gays and lesbians to enter this relationship has obviously raised eyebrows. A poll conducted by The Advocate in 1994, on the topic revealed that more than two thirds of the gay men wanted to marry someone of the same sex. Another poll done on lesbians in another survey in 1995 also point to the same results (Gerstmann, 2004). The cases related to same sex marriages reaching the courts have been on the rise.
Conflicts between legal, moral and religious viewpoints about the same-sex marriage
It is seen that same-sex marriage activists and supported often exclude certain moral and religious viewpoints in the discussions pertaining to same sex. The activists draw the attention away from religion and morality in order to shape the legal definition of marriage. Some gay-rights activists mix religion with law and politics to support same-sex marriage. Still, the question remains as to what definition should marriage hold in law is order to avoid any inescapable moral considerations. It is suggested that religion is the main hurdle in the homosexual unions. That God doesn’t like it is the primary opposition to same-sex marriage that is theologically based (Messner, 2010). One of the fundamentals of a society is that the product of marriage is a family and every child needs a mother and a father. This basic principle in culture and in law gets nullified when the definition of marriage is changed to accommodate same-sex couples Raising up children is primary to the very existence and survival of society.
Conflicts between nondiscrimination laws and religious freedom can occur even in jurisdictions where there are no legal recognition on homosexual unions, and there can be serious concerns related to these cases. There would be some religious and moral objections relating to the nature of marriage, as well as the sexual conduct.
Violating Society and natural Laws
Marriage is a relationship that is deep rooted in human nature and governed by natural laws of the society. Any situation or sexual act that goes against these natural laws violates the norms of the society. For example, under the same sex marriage, the child will always be deprived of the influence of a natural father and mother as role models. Same-sex “marriage” is essentially sterile and the union of these kinds is not to create families, and this is anti-social in nature. Moreover, legal recognition of such marriages would and weaken public morality and devalue traditional marriage. Same-sex “marriage” opposes nature and there cannot be any similarity between the interracial marriage of a man and a woman to that of same sex marriage.
One of the prime reason why people marry is for making a stable and moral atmosphere that can prove to be beneficial for the upbringing of children. One cannot expect such conditions in same sex marriage. By legalizing such marriages, the State becomes its official and active promoter .Today, the society is being asked to accept same-sex marriages and these marriages are looked upon as sexual freedom. These could encourage other forms of unnatural expression of sexual freedom such as incest or bestiality.
The natural law argument believes that marriage is an intrinsic human good that cannot be achieved by the same sex marriages. The capacity of biological parenthood cannot be fulfilled by the act of genital union. As gays and lesbians cannot have children from each other, their union is not productive. Many doubt if gays and lesbians are able to achieve the kind of intimacy that is associated with romantic love (Gerstmann, 2004). The kind of union partners have is important to the how they raise children. Mothering and fathering are two essential components of parenting that is essentially missing in same sex marriages. The men and women in same sex marriages may be competent of providing their children with a good upbringing, but there would be major differences in such families and the functional roles of mother and father, as well as how they interact with their children.
Same sex marriage is seen as an opposition to the traditional marriage as it is a sterile union that is a marriage without children. The couples in same sex marriages have to violate nature laws to have children. It naturally tends to create families by unnaturally and the children in such families do not get a normal atmosphere or upbringing, as compared to other traditional families. How their psyche gets impacted living in the families with mother and father belonging to the same gender can be another topic of research.
For a long time now, marriage has been acknowledged as a legal contract between a man and a woman throughout history. It carries emotional and sexual fidelity along with the responsibility of childrearing. However, same-sex marriage will change the complete meaning and foundation of traditional marriage. Moreover, marriage is a moral issue and redefining it would also mean redefining morals. Polus, there are many legal and moral issues attached to sex marriages, even in the countries and states where they are recognized. The society will get affected dramatically if the meaning of marriage is redefined. Legalizing sex marriages will only lead to an unstable society.
Conclusion
In recent decades, the definition of marriage has deteriorated by the view that it is much more than raising a family and looking after children’s needs. The focus seems to have shifted to adults’ sexual desires. Redefining marriage reduces marriage to legal privileges and emotional bonds. In society, marriage means ensuring the well-being of children as well as build emotional stability and commitment between the two adults. Law recognizes marriage and incentivizes men and women to take responsibility for their children (Anderson, 2013). Social science authorizes the significance of marriage for children, and children of wedded biological parents are seen as good indicator of the emotional and moral health of the society. However, same sex marriages tend to break those norms of the society.
Religion and morality carry an important place in the public life. Same sex marriages attack on the very roots of the society as well as are not supported from the aspects of Religion and morality. Same-sex marriage is expected to activate a number of conflicts between laws and religious freedom. There are many jurisdictions that do not identify homosexual unions legally as marriages. The scholars and analysts now acknowledge that same-sex marriages threaten the free exercise of moral conscience.
The erosion of marriage and its redefinition will not only harm the immediate victims, but the whole society. The individuals in the society have liberty to live as they choose, but they do not have the authority to change the meaning of marriage or give it another definition. If the law recognized same-sex marriages, the next argument would be to recognize multiple-partner relationships. It is not right to recognize such consensual romantic bonds, plus, there is always the risk of their children getting “stigmatized” in the society. What these would lead to is further chaos in the society. It has been argued that legalizing lesbian and gay marriage will undermine the gendered definition of marriage, and thus blurring the link between gender and marriage. Same-sex marriage will disrupt gender-based power differentials.
References
Anderson, R. (2013). Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It. Family and Marriage.
Farrow, D. (2012). Why Fight Same-Sex Marriage?
Gerstmann, E. (2004). Same-sex Marriage and the Constitution. Cambridge University Press.
Homosexuality. (2011). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Dinno A, Whitney C (2013) Same Sex Marriage and the Perceived Assault on Opposite Sex Marriage. PLoS ONE 8(6): e65730. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0065730Messner, H. (2010). Religion and Morality in the Same-Sex Marriage Debate. Family and Marriage.
