Difference between revisions of "Same-sex marriage"

From Conservapedia
Jump to: navigation, search
(Some cleanup and removal of liberal edits)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Same-sex "marriage"''' (also called '''sodomite "marriage"''', '''homosexual "marriage"''' or '''"gay 'marriage'"''') is a [[liberal]] attempt to advance the [[homosexual agenda]] and force the public to pay benefits for relationships that are not procreative and typically are not even monogamous. This is contrary to thousands of years of success based on a one-man/one-woman marriage system and in direct violation of the [[Bible]]<ref>It's a direct challenge to and nullification of Genesis 2:24, ''Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife''; of coarse, not every child has a mother and father anyway, so God must be unfair as well, the atheist theorizes. </ref> and most other religious teachings.<ref>"Same-sex marriage uses force of secular law to justify what the scripture of ''most modern religions'' has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., [[homosexual]] relations.  At least one nation that has adopted same-sex marriage now requires the largest Christian church there to perform them also{{Citation needed}}, despite its clear contradiction with the [[Bible]].</ref>
+
'''Same-sex "marriage"''' (also called '''sodomite "marriage"''', '''homosexual "marriage"''' or '''"gay 'marriage'"''') is a [[liberal]] attempt to advance the [[homosexual agenda]] and force the public to pay benefits for relationships that are not procreative and typically are not even monogamous. This is contrary to thousands of years of success based on a one-man/one-woman marriage system and in direct violation of the [[Bible]]<ref>It's a direct challenge to and nullification of Genesis 2:24, ''Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife''; of coarse, not every child has a mother and father anyway, so God must be unfair as well, the atheist theorizes. </ref> and most other religious teachings.<ref>"Same-sex marriage uses force of secular law to justify what the scripture of ''most modern religions'' has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., [[homosexual]] relations.  At least one nation that has adopted same-sex "marriage" now requires the largest Christian church there to perform them also{{Citation needed}}, despite its clear contradiction with the [[Bible]].</ref>
  
In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the adoption of same-sex marriage has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples.{{Citation needed}}  In [[Massachusetts]], the legalization of same-sex marriage led to a decline in property values.{{Citation needed}} Also in response to the introduction of same-sex marriage the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.{{Citation needed}}
+
In [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]], the adoption of same-sex "marriage" has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples.{{Citation needed}}  In [[Massachusetts]], the legalization of same-sex "marriage" led to a decline in property values.{{Citation needed}} Also in response to the introduction of same-sex "marriage" the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.{{Citation needed}}
  
In May 2012, voters in [[North Carolina]] banned both same-sex marriage and gay unions.  North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an [[amendment]] against gay marriage, by a huge 61-39% margin.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY</ref>  [[Barack Obama]] -- heavily dependent on donations from gay persons for his reelection -- rushed to prop up the [[homosexual agenda]] by endorsing same-sex marriage after its stunning defeat in this [[swing state]].
+
In May 2012, voters in [[North Carolina]] banned both same-sex "marriage" and gay unions.  North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an [[amendment]] against same-sex "marriage", by a huge 61-39% margin.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY</ref>  [[Barack Obama]] -- heavily dependent on donations from homosexuals for his reelection -- rushed to prop up the [[homosexual agenda]] by endorsing same-sex "marriage" after its stunning defeat in this [[swing state]].
  
Some studies and polls about same-sex marriage conducted in a few countries generally indicate support for same-sex marriage increases with higher levels of education,<ref>This of course means only stupid people would oppose gay marriage. Rational arguments using this type of "evidence" in public policy debates can also be known as "[[bully|bullying]]".</ref> and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights|url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/08/generations-at-odds/|publisher=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage|url=http://www.pewforum.org/PublicationPage.aspx?id=647|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Poirier|first=Justine|title=Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change|url=http://www.montrealites.ca/justice/same-sex-marriage-lets-make-a-change.html|publisher=Montréalités Justice|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Chart-Support-for-Legal/64683/|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=16 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> Polls show the most right-wing religious people are more likely to oppose it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldman|first=Steven|title=A Common Missed Conception|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2003/11/a_common_missed_conception.html|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)]]|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine voters reject gay-marriage law|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8789627|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=Associated Press via [[The Guardian]]|date=4 November 2009}}</ref> However, In 2012, [[Maine]]. [[Washington]] and [[Maryland]] voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, [[Rhode Island]] became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311</ref> Additionally, recent polls indicate that more than half of Americans support same-sex marriage, approximately 53%.<ref name=Gallup2011>{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx|publisher=[[The Gallup Organization|Gallup]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=ABC2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1137a2GayMarriage.pdf |title=ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=CNN2012>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/06/06/rel5e.pdf |title=CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref>These conclusions indicate young people are less ignorant than their elders.</ref>
+
Some studies and polls about same-sex "marriage" conducted in a few countries generally claim support for same-sex "marriage" increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations due to propaganda campaigns targeting the younger generation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights|url=http://publicreligion.org/research/2011/08/generations-at-odds/|publisher=[[Public Religion Research Institute]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage|url=http://www.pewforum.org/PublicationPage.aspx?id=647|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Poirier|first=Justine|title=Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change|url=http://www.montrealites.ca/justice/same-sex-marriage-lets-make-a-change.html|publisher=Montréalités Justice|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage|url=http://chronicle.com/article/Chart-Support-for-Legal/64683/|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=The Chronicle of Higher Education|date=16 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America|url=http://www.vanderbilt.edu/lapop/insights/I0844.enrevised.pdf|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref> Polls show the most right-wing religious people are more likely to oppose it.<ref>{{cite news|last=Waldman|first=Steven|title=A Common Missed Conception|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/faithbased/2003/11/a_common_missed_conception.html|accessdate=25 September 2012|newspaper=[[Slate (magazine)]]|date=19 November 2003}}</ref> Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.<ref>{{cite news|title=Maine voters reject gay-marriage law|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/8789627|accessdate=20 September 2012|newspaper=Associated Press via [[The Guardian]]|date=4 November 2009}}</ref> However, In 2012, [[Maine]]. [[Washington]] and [[Maryland]] voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, [[Rhode Island]] became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.<ref>http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311</ref> Additionally, recent polls from liberal poll organizations claim to indicate that more than half of Americans "support" same-sex "marriage", approximately 53%.<ref name=Gallup2011>{{cite web|last=Newport|first=Frank|title=For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage|url=http://www.gallup.com/poll/147662/First-Time-Majority-Americans-Favor-Legal-Gay-Marriage.aspx|publisher=[[The Gallup Organization|Gallup]]|accessdate=25 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=ABC2012>{{cite web|url=http://www.langerresearch.com/uploads/1137a2GayMarriage.pdf |title=ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=CNN2012>{{cite web|url=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2012/images/06/06/rel5e.pdf |title=CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=16 September 2012}}</ref>
  
Campaigns advocating same-sex marriage are at the forefront of the [[gay rights movement]]'s attempt to elevate [[homosexuality]] to the same moral plane as [[heterosexuality]], overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals were would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of marriage claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of marriage, the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society.  Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex marriage are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include gay partners, and equal tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.
+
Campaigns advocating same-sex "marriage" are at the forefront of the [[gay rights movement]]'s attempt to elevate [[homosexuality]] to the same moral plane as [[heterosexuality]], overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals were would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of same-sex "marriage", the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society.  Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex "marriage" are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include gay partners, and equal tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.
  
Current [[United States]] [[law]] defines "marriage" as "one man, one woman" for purposes of the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if permitted under state law, and permits a state to disregard a same-sex marriage entered into in another state. However, due to the liberal [[Supreme Court]] overturning section 3 of DOMA as "unconstitutional", the federal goverment currently recognizes homosexual "marriages" as equal to the traditional, correct marriage. An interesting consequence of the federal definition of "marriage" is that it specifically rules out [[polygamy]].  <!-- There are also laws to protect children from being exploited (see [[statutory rape]], incest, [[child molesting]]).  These laws enshrine the scriptural teachings of [[Christianity]] and have the support of [[Judaism]] and [[Islam]]. THESE SENTENCES ARE NON-SEQUITORS BUT SHOULD BE RETAINED FOR FUTURE EDITS BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CHRISTIAN IDEALS OF CONSERVAPEDIA  -->
+
Current [[United States]] [[law]] defines "marriage" as "one man, one woman" for purposes of the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if permitted under state law, and permits a state to disregard a same-sex "marriage" entered into in another state. However, due to the liberal [[Supreme Court]] overturning section 3 of DOMA as "unconstitutional", the federal government currently recognizes homosexual "marriages" as equal to the traditional, correct marriage. An interesting consequence of the federal definition of "marriage" is that it specifically rules out [[polygamy]].  <!-- There are also laws to protect children from being exploited (see [[statutory rape]], incest, [[child molesting]]).  These laws enshrine the scriptural teachings of [[Christianity]] and have the support of [[Judaism]] and [[Islam]]. THESE SENTENCES ARE NON-SEQUITORS BUT SHOULD BE RETAINED FOR FUTURE EDITS BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE CHRISTIAN IDEALS OF CONSERVAPEDIA  -->
  
 
__TOC__
 
__TOC__
 
==Morality==
 
==Morality==
Social [[conservatives]] regard same-sex marriage as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Some social liberals try to use this debate as a excuse to take the socially-conservative view of marriage out of the law. In some Christian marriage ceremonies, the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony,"<ref>''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode01/usc_sec_01_00000007----000-.html US Code - Title 1, section 7]</ref>
+
Social [[conservatives]] regard same-sex "marriage" as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Some social liberals try to use this debate as a excuse to take the socially-conservative view of marriage out of the law. In some Christian marriage ceremonies, the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony,"<ref>''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode01/usc_sec_01_00000007----000-.html US Code - Title 1, section 7]</ref>
  
Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] organization prefers the phrase ''same-sex "marriage,"'' with quotation marks around the word "marriage," to call attention to his belief that marriage&mdash;civil as well as religious&mdash;is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that that same-sex unions are "counterfeits."<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>
+
Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] organization prefers the phrase ''same-sex "marriage,"'' with quotation marks around the word "marriage," to call attention to his belief that marriage&mdash;civil as well as religious&mdash;is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that that same-sex unions are counterfeits.<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>
  
Use of the term "same-sex marriage" was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists. They argue that heterosexual people are allowed to marry and so the homosexual population should be given that right too.
+
Use of the term "same-sex 'marriage'" was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists. They argue that heterosexual people are allowed to marry and so the homosexual population should be given that right too.
  
Some advocates of same-sex marriage view marriage as a purely civil matter, which in the history of the United States is a position taken particularly strongly by Puritan colonists, who viewed the interjection of religion into the franchise of marriage as scandalous to Christ's Church.
+
Some advocates of same-sex "marriage" view marriage as a purely civil matter, which in the history of the United States is a position taken particularly strongly by Puritan colonists, who viewed the interjection of religion into the franchise of marriage as scandalous to Christ's Church.
  
 
== Background ==
 
== Background ==
In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and 37, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[Maryland]], [[Maine]], [[Washington]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Iowa]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Minnesota]], [[New Jersey]], [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[Arizona]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Florida]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Alaska]] and [[New Mexico]], plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]], currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were forced to do so by federal courts. Only in [[Maine]], [[Maryland]], and [[Washington]] has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. [[Minnesota]] was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in [[Alabama]] for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.  
+
In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and 37, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], [[New York]], [[Maryland]], [[Maine]], [[Washington]], [[Rhode Island]], [[Iowa]], [[California]], [[Delaware]], [[Minnesota]], [[New Jersey]], [[Hawaii]], [[Illinois]], [[Oregon]], [[Idaho]], [[Nevada]], [[Utah]], [[Wyoming]], [[Montana]], [[Colorado]], [[Arizona]], [[Kansas]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Florida]], [[North Carolina]], [[South Carolina]], [[Virginia]], [[West Virginia]], [[Alaska]] and [[New Mexico]], plus the [[Washington, D.C.|District of Columbia]], currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were illegally forced to do so by activist federal courts acting outside of their mandate. Only in [[Maine]], [[Maryland]], and [[Washington]] has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. [[Minnesota]] was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in [[Alabama]] for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.  
  
 
In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that [[liberal]] activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to homosexuals. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state&mdash;even though it prohibits same-sex "marriage" itself&mdash;must honor same-sex "marriages" performed in another state pursuant to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.  Its Constitutionality has not yet been tested under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, or the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment.
 
In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that [[liberal]] activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to homosexuals. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state&mdash;even though it prohibits same-sex "marriage" itself&mdash;must honor same-sex "marriages" performed in another state pursuant to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.  Its Constitutionality has not yet been tested under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, or the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment.
  
In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex marriage but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. In 2009, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill allowing same-sex marriage.
+
In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex "marriage" but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. In 2009, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill allowing same-sex "marriage".
  
In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the first state to issue same-sex "marriage" licenses. As of April 2009, same-sex marriage was legal in four states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa.  <ref>''Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal'' [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?_r=1&hp]</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_same_sex_marriage Conn. high court rules gay couples can marry]</ref>
+
In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the first state to issue same-sex "marriage" licenses. As of April 2009, same-sex "marriage" was legal in four states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa.  <ref>''Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal'' [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?_r=1&hp]</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_same_sex_marriage Conn. high court rules gay couples can marry]</ref>
  
Beginning in 2008, the states of [[Washington]], and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex marriage. [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples.  <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref>  The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex marriage <ref>"New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html]</ref> The state will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses in January, 2010.
+
Beginning in 2008, the states of [[Washington]], and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex "marriage". [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples.  <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref>  The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex "marriage" <ref>"New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html]</ref> The state will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses in January, 2010.
  
In the fall of 2009, a same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the [[Washington, D.C.]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly gay.) After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses <ref>''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'' [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html]</ref>, the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>"DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html]</ref> it passed and became law in 2010.
+
In the fall of 2009, a same-sex "marriage" bill was introduced to the [[Washington, D.C.]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly homosexual). After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses <ref>''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'' [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html]</ref>, the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>"DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html]</ref> it passed and became law in 2010.
  
Five years after Hernandez v. Robles, a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex marriage on June 24, 2011.<ref>http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york</ref>
+
Five years after Hernandez v. Robles, a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex "marriage" on June 24, 2011.<ref>http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york</ref>
  
Same-sex "marriages" were legal for a brief period in the state of [[California]], but the people of that state voted to repeal the law in the fall of 2008<ref>"California Votes for Prop 8"[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122586056759900673.html]</ref>, through a ballot initiative known as [[Proposition 8]]. The legislature of [[Maine]] approved a same-sex marriage bill in May of 2009 <ref>"Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in N.H., Maine" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/maine.same.sex.marriage/index.html]</ref> but opponents lobbied to have the bill put up to a popular vote, and it was defeated by the voters in the fall of 2009.<ref>"Maine rejects same-sex marriage law" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/04/maine.same.sex/index.html]</ref> Same-sex "marriage" eventually became legal again in California in 2013 after the United States Supreme Court declined to rule on the case after deciding that those defending it did not have standing to do so, after the gubernatorial administration of California and the attorney general of California had refused to defend the law.
+
Same-sex "marriages" were legal for a brief period in the state of [[California]], but the people of that state voted to repeal the law in the fall of 2008<ref>"California Votes for Prop 8"[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122586056759900673.html]</ref>, through a ballot initiative known as [[Proposition 8]]. The legislature of [[Maine]] approved a same-sex "marriage" bill in May of 2009 <ref>"Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in N.H., Maine" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/maine.same.sex.marriage/index.html]</ref> but opponents lobbied to have the bill put up to a popular vote, and it was defeated by the voters in the fall of 2009.<ref>"Maine rejects same-sex marriage law" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/04/maine.same.sex/index.html]</ref> Same-sex "marriage" eventually became legal again in California in 2013 after the United States Supreme Court declined to rule on the case after deciding that those defending it did not have standing to do so, after the gubernatorial administration of California and the attorney general of California had refused to defend the law.
  
Same-sex marriage is legal in eleven countries: the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Portugal]], [[Iceland]], [[Argentina]], [[Denmark]], [[Uruguay]] and [[New Zealand]]<ref>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200</ref>, [[France]], and the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in [[Mexico]], same-sex marriage is legal in the state of [[Quintana Roo]] and in [[Mexico City]], a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as [[Germany]] and [[Chile]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-05/tasmania-to-back-gay-marriage-intensifying-pressure-on-gillard]</ref>
+
Same-sex "marriage" is legal in eleven countries: the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Brazil]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], [[South Africa]], [[Norway]], [[Sweden]], [[Portugal]], [[Iceland]], [[Argentina]], [[Denmark]], [[Uruguay]] and [[New Zealand]]<ref>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200</ref>, [[France]], and the [[United Kingdom]] (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in [[Mexico]], same-sex "marriage" is legal in the state of [[Quintana Roo]] and in [[Mexico City]], a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as [[Germany]] and [[Chile]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-05/tasmania-to-back-gay-marriage-intensifying-pressure-on-gillard]</ref>
  
 
In Israel, all marriages must be performed by a religious organization - there is no "civil" marriage. Specific religions may determine the definition of marriages that they perform, and none currently recognize same-sex couples. However, a Supreme Court decision determined that Israel must recognize all marriages performed outside the country, same-sex or opposite-sex. In September of 2011, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Israel attempted to marry homosexual males to homosexual females so they could start a conventional family. However, the plan drew criticism both from liberals, who said the plan was meant to discourage homosexuality, and from conservatives, who argued the plan promoted loveless relationships. <ref>"Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians" http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-rabbi-pairs-gays-lesbians-061904417.html</ref>
 
In Israel, all marriages must be performed by a religious organization - there is no "civil" marriage. Specific religions may determine the definition of marriages that they perform, and none currently recognize same-sex couples. However, a Supreme Court decision determined that Israel must recognize all marriages performed outside the country, same-sex or opposite-sex. In September of 2011, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Israel attempted to marry homosexual males to homosexual females so they could start a conventional family. However, the plan drew criticism both from liberals, who said the plan was meant to discourage homosexuality, and from conservatives, who argued the plan promoted loveless relationships. <ref>"Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians" http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-rabbi-pairs-gays-lesbians-061904417.html</ref>
Line 44: Line 44:
 
In the Netherlands overseas territories of [[Aruba]], [[Curacao]], and [[Sint Maarten]], same-sex "marriages" are not performed, but all marriages performed in the mainland portion of the country (including same-sex) are recognized. In [[Brazil]], same-sex civil unions can be converted to marriages by state judges on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the state of [[Rhode Island]] recognizes, but does not perform, same-sex "marriages." Furthermore, [[California]] recognizes all same-sex "marriages" performed in or out of state before the passage of [[Proposition 8]].  
 
In the Netherlands overseas territories of [[Aruba]], [[Curacao]], and [[Sint Maarten]], same-sex "marriages" are not performed, but all marriages performed in the mainland portion of the country (including same-sex) are recognized. In [[Brazil]], same-sex civil unions can be converted to marriages by state judges on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the state of [[Rhode Island]] recognizes, but does not perform, same-sex "marriages." Furthermore, [[California]] recognizes all same-sex "marriages" performed in or out of state before the passage of [[Proposition 8]].  
  
Some opponents of same-sex marriage believe that the religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex marriage is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Massachusetts, however, about 6% of all marriages are same-sex marriages, so this does not appear to be a problem. <ref>[http://www.massequality.org/news/news_story.php?id=273]</ref><ref>http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fnvss%2Fmarriage90_04.pdf&images=yes</ref> In Conservative Judaism (no relation to the political philosophy known as "conservatism"), synagogues and rabbis are allowed, but not required, to recognize and perform same-sex marriages. Reform Judaism also allows rabbis to use "good faith" on this issue, but as the least-religious branch of Judaism, they take this stance on most issues. Additionally, homosexuality (and by extension same-sex "marriage") is forbidden in [[Islam]].  
+
Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" believe that the religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex "marriage" is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Conservative Judaism (no relation to the political philosophy known as "conservatism"), synagogues and rabbis are allowed, but not required, to recognize and perform same-sex "marriages". Reform Judaism also allows rabbis to use "good faith" on this issue, but as the least-religious branch of Judaism, they take this stance on most issues. Additionally, homosexuality (and by extension same-sex "marriage") is forbidden in [[Islam]].  
  
 
Many [[libertarian]]s argue [[marriage privatization|eliminating any legal definition of "marriage"]] and simply granting legal benefits to all couples under a neutral name would solve this problem and satisfy both sides. This is called "marriage privatization". Many religious conservatives still feel this is unacceptable - see that article for more details.
 
Many [[libertarian]]s argue [[marriage privatization|eliminating any legal definition of "marriage"]] and simply granting legal benefits to all couples under a neutral name would solve this problem and satisfy both sides. This is called "marriage privatization". Many religious conservatives still feel this is unacceptable - see that article for more details.
Line 52: Line 52:
 
== Motivation for advocating it==
 
== Motivation for advocating it==
 
[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/2006001/findings/risk.htm Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
 
[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/2006001/findings/risk.htm Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
[[James Dobson]] cites Stanley Kurtz to argue that the motivation of those advocating same-sex marriage is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
+
[[James Dobson]] cites Stanley Kurtz to argue that the motivation of those advocating same-sex "marriage" is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
 
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>Stanley Kurtz, "Beyond Marriage," The Weekly Standard, August 4/August 11, 2003. - cited in [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007. </ref>
 
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>Stanley Kurtz, "Beyond Marriage," The Weekly Standard, August 4/August 11, 2003. - cited in [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007. </ref>
  
Line 59: Line 59:
  
 
==Child-rearing and adoption==
 
==Child-rearing and adoption==
 +
According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples.  The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more homosexual or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>
  
According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples.  The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more gay or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>
+
In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on homosexual adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law.  The  Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules.  The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. <ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>
  
In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on gay adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law.  The  Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules.  The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam.  <ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>
+
Several states, including [[New York]], allow any two adults living together to adopt a child regardless of marital status or sex. This law provided a method for same-sex couples to adopt children even before New York legalized same-sex "marriage".
 
+
Several states, including [[New York]], allow any two adults living together to adopt a child regardless of marital status or sex. This law provided a method for same-sex couples to adopt children even before New York legalized same-sex marriage.
+
  
 
==Homosexual promiscuity==
 
==Homosexual promiscuity==
 
 
''See also:'' [[Homosexuality and promiscuity]]
 
''See also:'' [[Homosexuality and promiscuity]]
  
Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples.<ref>[http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS04C02 Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples]</ref>  Allowing gays to marry would make gays seek more partners.<ref>2004 General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, Canada's National Statistical Agency, July 7, 2005</ref>
+
Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples.<ref>[http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS04C02 Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples]</ref>  Allowing gays to "marry" would make gays seek more partners.<ref>2004 General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, Canada's National Statistical Agency, July 7, 2005</ref>
  
 
==Homosexual violence and abuse==
 
==Homosexual violence and abuse==
 +
In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]]. These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the commonness and brutality of homosexual murders{{fact}} (see [[Homosexuality and Murders]]).  The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in same-sex domestic partnerships. One survey found 53% of homosexuals felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for homosexual rights.
  
In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]]. These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the commonness and brutality of homosexual murders{{fact}} (see [[Homosexuality and Murders]]).  The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in gay domestic partnerships. One survey found 53% of gays felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for gay rights.
+
Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse.  While homosexual domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].
 
+
Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse.  While gay domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].
+
  
 
==Family breakdown ==
 
==Family breakdown ==
 +
Bishop Harry Jackson has shown how same-sex "marriage" is causally linked to the breakdown of the family in recent decades, particularly the black family.<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/harryrjacksonjr/2008/10/13/the_naacp_abandons_the_black_family The NAACP Abandons the Black Family]</ref>  As noted in the 1965 [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan|Moynihan]] Report,<ref>[http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/webid-meynihan.htm The Negro Family: The Case for National Action]</ref> the breakdown of the African-American family is a national concern.  He has attributed support for same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia and Maryland to a demonic force called the [[Queen of Heaven]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GMnaW-0rQ-U Harry Jackson, Cindy Jacobs Rally Against Same-Sex Marriage]</ref>
  
Bishop Harry Jackson has shown how same-sex "marriage" is causally linked to the breakdown of the family in recent decades, particularly the black family.<ref>[http://townhall.com/columnists/harryrjacksonjr/2008/10/13/the_naacp_abandons_the_black_family The NAACP Abandons the Black Family]</ref>  As noted in the 1965 [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan|Moynihan]] Report,<ref>[http://www.dol.gov/oasam/programs/history/webid-meynihan.htm The Negro Family: The Case for National Action]</ref> the breakdown of the African-American family is a national concern.  He has attributed support for same-sex marriage in the District of Columbia and Maryland to a demonic force called the [[Queen of Heaven]].<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GMnaW-0rQ-U Harry Jackson, Cindy Jacobs Rally Against Same-Sex Marriage]</ref>
+
Subsequent to same-sex "marriage" becoming law in [[Massachusetts]], property values declined and many left the State, in contrast to those states that do not recognize it.{{citation needed}}
  
Subsequent to same-sex marriage becoming law in [[Massachusetts]], property values declined and many left the State, in contrast to those states that do not recognize it.{{citation needed}}
+
One study published in liberal magazine ''Time'', however, claims that the children of same-sex couples or homosexual parents have equal or higher scores in psychological evaluations as well as cognitive. Researchers Nanette Gartrell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, led a study focused on planned lesbian families in which a lesbian couple had chosen to adopt children or undergo artificial insemination to start a family. The study claims that these children were shown to have higher self esteems and confidence which in turn enabled them to have higher test results academically than their straight-parent counterparts. <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1994480,00.html],Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers</ref>
 
+
One study, however, claims that the children of same-sex couples or gay parents have equal or higher scores in psychological evaluations as well as cognitive. Researchers Nanette Gartrell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, led a study focused on planned lesbian families in which a lesbian couple had chosen to adopt children or undergo artificial insemination to start a family. These children were shown to have higher self esteems and confidence which in turn enabled them to have higher test results academically than their straight-parent counterparts. <ref>[http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1994480,00.html],Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers</ref>
+
  
 
Same sex union stability has been studied in Norway and Sweden using registered partnerships.  
 
Same sex union stability has been studied in Norway and Sweden using registered partnerships.  
Line 91: Line 87:
  
 
==Social dysfunction==
 
==Social dysfunction==
 
+
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" is correlated with social dysfunctions<ref>[http://www.allaboutlove.org/same-sex-marriage-countries.htm Same Sex Marriage Countries]</ref> that states and countries banning it have avoided.  States and countries legalizing same-sex "marriage" have markedly different levels of quality of life from those that have banned it. For example, 8 of the 10 states with the highest median income have legalized same-sex "marriage" (Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Delaware, and California).
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" is correlated with social dysfunctions<ref>[http://www.allaboutlove.org/same-sex-marriage-countries.htm Same Sex Marriage Countries]</ref> that states and countries banning it have avoided.  States and countries legalizing same-sex "marriage" have markedly different levels of quality of life from those that have banned it. For example, 8 of the 10 states with the highest median income have legalized same-sex marriage (Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Delaware, and California).
+
  
 
==Collapse of civilizations==
 
==Collapse of civilizations==
 
 
Some ancient civilizations that recognized same-sex "marriage" collapsed, while some that refused to recognize it escaped that fate.<ref>[http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Slippery-Slope-Of-Same-Sex-Marriage&id=824855 The Slippery Slope of Same Sex Marriage]</ref> However, [[Correlation is not causation]], and there is not even a large enough data set to get a correlation.
 
Some ancient civilizations that recognized same-sex "marriage" collapsed, while some that refused to recognize it escaped that fate.<ref>[http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Slippery-Slope-Of-Same-Sex-Marriage&id=824855 The Slippery Slope of Same Sex Marriage]</ref> However, [[Correlation is not causation]], and there is not even a large enough data set to get a correlation.
  
 
==Legal disadvantages for heterosexuals==
 
==Legal disadvantages for heterosexuals==
 
 
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" would confer [[special rights]] on homosexuals, thereby placing heterosexuals at a legal disadvantage.<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/December/New-Jersey-Lawmakers-Drop-Same-Sex-Marriage-Bill/ New Jersey Lawmakers Drop Same-Sex Marriage Bill], from [[CBN]]</ref>
 
Legalization of same-sex "marriage" would confer [[special rights]] on homosexuals, thereby placing heterosexuals at a legal disadvantage.<ref>[http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/December/New-Jersey-Lawmakers-Drop-Same-Sex-Marriage-Bill/ New Jersey Lawmakers Drop Same-Sex Marriage Bill], from [[CBN]]</ref>
  

Revision as of 14:46, May 1, 2015

Same-sex "marriage" (also called sodomite "marriage", homosexual "marriage" or "gay 'marriage'") is a liberal attempt to advance the homosexual agenda and force the public to pay benefits for relationships that are not procreative and typically are not even monogamous. This is contrary to thousands of years of success based on a one-man/one-woman marriage system and in direct violation of the Bible[1] and most other religious teachings.[2]

In Norway and Sweden, the adoption of same-sex "marriage" has led to a loss in respect for the marriage institution itself even for traditional couples.[Citation Needed] In Massachusetts, the legalization of same-sex "marriage" led to a decline in property values.[Citation Needed] Also in response to the introduction of same-sex "marriage" the State Department of Public Health changed marriage certificates to read "Party A" and "Party B" instead of husband and wife.[Citation Needed]

In May 2012, voters in North Carolina banned both same-sex "marriage" and gay unions. North Carolina thereby became the 29th state to pass an amendment against same-sex "marriage", by a huge 61-39% margin.[3] Barack Obama -- heavily dependent on donations from homosexuals for his reelection -- rushed to prop up the homosexual agenda by endorsing same-sex "marriage" after its stunning defeat in this swing state.

Some studies and polls about same-sex "marriage" conducted in a few countries generally claim support for same-sex "marriage" increases with higher levels of education, and that younger people are more likely to support the legalization of it than older generations due to propaganda campaigns targeting the younger generation.[4][5][6][7][8] Polls show the most right-wing religious people are more likely to oppose it.[9] Prior to 2012, in each U.S. state to hold a voter referendum on the issue, the public rejected same-sex marriage laws by a small majority.[10] However, In 2012, Maine. Washington and Maryland voted in favor of same-sex marriage. In April 2013, Rhode Island became the tenth state to begin recognizing same-sex marriage.[11] Additionally, recent polls from liberal poll organizations claim to indicate that more than half of Americans "support" same-sex "marriage", approximately 53%.[12][13][14]

Campaigns advocating same-sex "marriage" are at the forefront of the gay rights movement's attempt to elevate homosexuality to the same moral plane as heterosexuality, overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals were would keep their (according to many Christians) sinful acts hidden. Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" claim its purpose is to destroy the family as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for sexual freedom. According to some opponents of same-sex "marriage", the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society. Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex "marriage" are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include gay partners, and equal tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.

Current United States law defines "marriage" as "one man, one woman" for purposes of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if permitted under state law, and permits a state to disregard a same-sex "marriage" entered into in another state. However, due to the liberal Supreme Court overturning section 3 of DOMA as "unconstitutional", the federal government currently recognizes homosexual "marriages" as equal to the traditional, correct marriage. An interesting consequence of the federal definition of "marriage" is that it specifically rules out polygamy.

Morality

Social conservatives regard same-sex "marriage" as immoral, and argue that use of the word "marriage" is a misnomer, because the marriage services of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Some social liberals try to use this debate as a excuse to take the socially-conservative view of marriage out of the law. In some Christian marriage ceremonies, the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony,"[15] a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.[16]

Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization prefers the phrase same-sex "marriage," with quotation marks around the word "marriage," to call attention to his belief that marriage—civil as well as religious—is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that that same-sex unions are counterfeits.[17]

Use of the term "same-sex 'marriage'" was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by liberal activists. They argue that heterosexual people are allowed to marry and so the homosexual population should be given that right too.

Some advocates of same-sex "marriage" view marriage as a purely civil matter, which in the history of the United States is a position taken particularly strongly by Puritan colonists, who viewed the interjection of religion into the franchise of marriage as scandalous to Christ's Church.

Background

In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow civil unions between two people of the same sex, and 37, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Maryland, Maine, Washington, Rhode Island, Iowa, California, Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, Hawaii, Illinois, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Alaska and New Mexico, plus the District of Columbia, currently issue same-sex "marriage" licenses, although most of these states were illegally forced to do so by activist federal courts acting outside of their mandate. Only in Maine, Maryland, and Washington has same-sex "marriage" been approved by popular vote. Minnesota was the first state, in 2012, in which voters voted against a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Same-sex "marriages" were legal in Alabama for one month in 2015 following a federal court decision, but were halted by the Alabama Supreme Court pending the ruling of the United State Supreme Court on the matter. Same-sex "marriages" are recognized by the federal government since the overturning of section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, however, recognition varies between departments of the federal government, with some departments referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" in which the "couple" resides, and others referring to the legality or non-legality of the "marriage" according to where the "marriage" took place.

In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that liberal activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to homosexuals. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state—even though it prohibits same-sex "marriage" itself—must honor same-sex "marriages" performed in another state pursuant to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman. Its Constitutionality has not yet been tested under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, or the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment.

In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex "marriage" but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. In 2009, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill allowing same-sex "marriage".

In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the first state to issue same-sex "marriage" licenses. As of April 2009, same-sex "marriage" was legal in four states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa. [18][19]

Beginning in 2008, the states of Washington, and Oregon also provide for same-sex unions. Washington later legalized same-sex "marriage". Hawaii provides certain benefits to same sex couples. [20] The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex "marriage" [21] The state will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses in January, 2010.

In the fall of 2009, a same-sex "marriage" bill was introduced to the Washington, D.C. city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly homosexual). After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses [22], the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. Once signed by the Mayor, the bill went to Congress for a mandatory 30-day review period. While opponents of the bill vowed to fight it in Congress[23] it passed and became law in 2010.

Five years after Hernandez v. Robles, a New York Court of Appeals case in which the court declined to legalize same-sex "marriage" in New York via judicial fiat, the New York legislature voted for same-sex "marriage" on June 24, 2011.[24]

Same-sex "marriages" were legal for a brief period in the state of California, but the people of that state voted to repeal the law in the fall of 2008[25], through a ballot initiative known as Proposition 8. The legislature of Maine approved a same-sex "marriage" bill in May of 2009 [26] but opponents lobbied to have the bill put up to a popular vote, and it was defeated by the voters in the fall of 2009.[27] Same-sex "marriage" eventually became legal again in California in 2013 after the United States Supreme Court declined to rule on the case after deciding that those defending it did not have standing to do so, after the gubernatorial administration of California and the attorney general of California had refused to defend the law.

Same-sex "marriage" is legal in eleven countries: the Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Argentina, Denmark, Uruguay and New Zealand[28], France, and the United Kingdom (excluding Northern Ireland) Additionally, in Mexico, same-sex "marriage" is legal in the state of Quintana Roo and in Mexico City, a federal district similar to Washington, D.C. Other countries, such as Germany and Chile, recognize civil unions and domestic partnerships.[29][30]

In Israel, all marriages must be performed by a religious organization - there is no "civil" marriage. Specific religions may determine the definition of marriages that they perform, and none currently recognize same-sex couples. However, a Supreme Court decision determined that Israel must recognize all marriages performed outside the country, same-sex or opposite-sex. In September of 2011, an Orthodox Jewish rabbi in Israel attempted to marry homosexual males to homosexual females so they could start a conventional family. However, the plan drew criticism both from liberals, who said the plan was meant to discourage homosexuality, and from conservatives, who argued the plan promoted loveless relationships. [31]

In the Netherlands overseas territories of Aruba, Curacao, and Sint Maarten, same-sex "marriages" are not performed, but all marriages performed in the mainland portion of the country (including same-sex) are recognized. In Brazil, same-sex civil unions can be converted to marriages by state judges on a case-by-case basis. Additionally, the state of Rhode Island recognizes, but does not perform, same-sex "marriages." Furthermore, California recognizes all same-sex "marriages" performed in or out of state before the passage of Proposition 8.

Some opponents of same-sex "marriage" believe that the religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex "marriage" is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Conservative Judaism (no relation to the political philosophy known as "conservatism"), synagogues and rabbis are allowed, but not required, to recognize and perform same-sex "marriages". Reform Judaism also allows rabbis to use "good faith" on this issue, but as the least-religious branch of Judaism, they take this stance on most issues. Additionally, homosexuality (and by extension same-sex "marriage") is forbidden in Islam.

Many libertarians argue eliminating any legal definition of "marriage" and simply granting legal benefits to all couples under a neutral name would solve this problem and satisfy both sides. This is called "marriage privatization". Many religious conservatives still feel this is unacceptable - see that article for more details.

Public attitude toward same-sex marriage parallels attitude toward homosexuality. In general, it is opposed by social conservatives and outside of this group, support is split down the middle leaning to opposition.[32]

Motivation for advocating it

A recent study by the Canadian government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with heterosexual couples".[33]

James Dobson cites Stanley Kurtz to argue that the motivation of those advocating same-sex "marriage" is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:

...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.[34]

Homosexuals are beginning to admit they want what Mollenkott proposes, namely the destruction of the concept of monogamy and traditional marriage altogether. What they really are after is a society that recognizes every sexual arrangement as normal - even group sexual liaisons and polygamy.[35]

Child-rearing and adoption

According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples. The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more homosexual or lesbian foster parents.[36]

In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on homosexual adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules. The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. [37]

Several states, including New York, allow any two adults living together to adopt a child regardless of marital status or sex. This law provided a method for same-sex couples to adopt children even before New York legalized same-sex "marriage".

Homosexual promiscuity

See also: Homosexuality and promiscuity

Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples.[38] Allowing gays to "marry" would make gays seek more partners.[39]

Homosexual violence and abuse

In addition, studies report that homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior. These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the commonness and brutality of homosexual murders[Citation Needed] (see Homosexuality and Murders). The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in same-sex domestic partnerships. One survey found 53% of homosexuals felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for homosexual rights.

Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse. While homosexual domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse.

Family breakdown

Bishop Harry Jackson has shown how same-sex "marriage" is causally linked to the breakdown of the family in recent decades, particularly the black family.[40] As noted in the 1965 Moynihan Report,[41] the breakdown of the African-American family is a national concern. He has attributed support for same-sex "marriage" in the District of Columbia and Maryland to a demonic force called the Queen of Heaven.[42]

Subsequent to same-sex "marriage" becoming law in Massachusetts, property values declined and many left the State, in contrast to those states that do not recognize it.[Citation Needed]

One study published in liberal magazine Time, however, claims that the children of same-sex couples or homosexual parents have equal or higher scores in psychological evaluations as well as cognitive. Researchers Nanette Gartrell, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California at San Francisco, and Henry Bos, a behavioral scientist at the University of Amsterdam, led a study focused on planned lesbian families in which a lesbian couple had chosen to adopt children or undergo artificial insemination to start a family. The study claims that these children were shown to have higher self esteems and confidence which in turn enabled them to have higher test results academically than their straight-parent counterparts. [43]

Same sex union stability has been studied in Norway and Sweden using registered partnerships. Although in these countries patterns in divorce risks are rather similar in same-sex and opposite-sex marriages, marriages and that unions of lesbians are considerably less stable, or more dynamic, than unions of gay men. Divorce risk for female partnerships is practically double that for male partnerships. The authors argued a higher propensity for divorce in same-sex couples is perhaps not surprising given this group’s lower exposure to normative pressure to maintain lifelong unions. [44]

Social dysfunction

Legalization of same-sex "marriage" is correlated with social dysfunctions[45] that states and countries banning it have avoided. States and countries legalizing same-sex "marriage" have markedly different levels of quality of life from those that have banned it. For example, 8 of the 10 states with the highest median income have legalized same-sex "marriage" (Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Delaware, and California).

Collapse of civilizations

Some ancient civilizations that recognized same-sex "marriage" collapsed, while some that refused to recognize it escaped that fate.[46] However, Correlation is not causation, and there is not even a large enough data set to get a correlation.

Legal disadvantages for heterosexuals

Legalization of same-sex "marriage" would confer special rights on homosexuals, thereby placing heterosexuals at a legal disadvantage.[47]

The fact that the strongest predictor of support for same-sex "marriage" is level of education[48] shows that brainwashing into professor values has a corrosive effect on morality.

According to Bill Borst, a regular substitute radio host for conservative Phyllis Schlafly on WSIV, rights are a zero-sum game.[49]. If this is true, granting same-sex couples the right to "marry" will necessarily come at the expense of the rights of others.

See also

References

  1. It's a direct challenge to and nullification of Genesis 2:24, Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; of coarse, not every child has a mother and father anyway, so God must be unfair as well, the atheist theorizes.
  2. "Same-sex marriage uses force of secular law to justify what the scripture of most modern religions has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., homosexual relations. At least one nation that has adopted same-sex "marriage" now requires the largest Christian church there to perform them also[Citation Needed], despite its clear contradiction with the Bible.
  3. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/north-carolina-voters-ban-gay-marriage-civil-unions/story?id=16307081#.T6nLvOjlvKY
  4. Survey - Generations at Odds: The Millennial Generation and the Future of Gay and Lesbian Rights. Public Religion Research Institute. Retrieved on 25 September 2012.
  5. Pew Forum: Part 2: Gay Marriage. Pew Research Center. Retrieved on 25 September 2012.
  6. Poirier, Justine. Same-Sex Marriage: Let's Make a Change. Montréalités Justice. Retrieved on 25 September 2012.
  7. "Data Points: Support for Legal Same-Sex Marriage", 16 March 2010. Retrieved on 25 September 2012. 
  8. Support for Same‐Sex Marriage in Latin America. Vanderbilt University. Retrieved on 25 September 2012.
  9. Waldman, Steven. "A Common Missed Conception", 19 November 2003. Retrieved on 25 September 2012. 
  10. "Maine voters reject gay-marriage law", 4 November 2009. Retrieved on 20 September 2012. 
  11. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/ri-track-10th-state-gay-marriage-19038311
  12. Newport, Frank. For First Time, Majority of Americans Favor Legal Gay Marriage. Gallup. Retrieved on 25 September 2012.
  13. ABC News/Washington Post poll: Strong Support for Gay Marriage Now Exceeds Strong Opposition – 23 May 2012 (PDF). Retrieved on 16 September 2012.
  14. CNN Opinion Research – May 29-31, 2012 (PDF). Retrieved on 16 September 2012.
  15. The Book of Common Prayer, Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423
  16. US Code - Title 1, section 7
  17. Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions, Focus on the Family's website
  18. Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal [1]
  19. Conn. high court rules gay couples can marry
  20. Newsday
  21. "New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage" [2]
  22. D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate [3]
  23. "DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage" [4]
  24. http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-gay-marriage-passes-in-new-york
  25. "California Votes for Prop 8"[5]
  26. "Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in N.H., Maine" [6]
  27. "Maine rejects same-sex marriage law" [7]
  28. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878200
  29. Countries worldwide address gay marriage
  30. [8]
  31. "Israeli rabbi pairs gays to lesbians" http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-rabbi-pairs-gays-lesbians-061904417.html
  32. Same Sex Marriage Poll from ABC News
  33. http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/2006001/findings/risk.htm Aforementioned Canadian Study.
  34. Stanley Kurtz, "Beyond Marriage," The Weekly Standard, August 4/August 11, 2003. - cited in Marriage on the Ropes, Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from Focus on the Family, 15 May 2007.
  35. Peter Jones, The God of Sex: How Spirituality Defines Your Sexuality, page 22
  36. Gay adoption: A new take on the American family
  37. UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London, Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.
  38. Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples
  39. 2004 General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, Canada's National Statistical Agency, July 7, 2005
  40. The NAACP Abandons the Black Family
  41. The Negro Family: The Case for National Action
  42. Harry Jackson, Cindy Jacobs Rally Against Same-Sex Marriage
  43. [9],Study: Children of Lesbians May Do Better Than Their Peers
  44. [10],Andersson, Gunnar, et al. "The demographics of same-sex marriages in Norway and Sweden." Demography 43.1 (2006): 79-98.
  45. Same Sex Marriage Countries
  46. The Slippery Slope of Same Sex Marriage
  47. New Jersey Lawmakers Drop Same-Sex Marriage Bill, from CBN
  48. UF study: Education best predicted support for gay marriage ban
  49. The New Three R's, by Bill Borst

External Links