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Talk:Same-sex marriage (view source)
Revision as of 19:00, September 11, 2007
, 19:00, September 11, 2007Addition to Rationale
: Yes, it is. Please post your suggested changes here first. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 17:43, 29 August 2007 (EDT)
: Yes, it is. Please post your suggested changes here first. Thanks.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 17:43, 29 August 2007 (EDT)
== Addition to Rationale ==
<big>There is another rationale used by proponents of same sex marriage.</big>
Essentially it is as follows:<br />
Marriage exists as both a religiously and legally defined entity in the United States.<br />
Marriage confers certain legal benefits upon those married. Additionaly marriage has social value in that it is used as a signifier of individuals' commitment to one another<br />
There is a legal tradition in this country which holds that sexual orientation is not a valid status upon which one may deny legal rights or protections.<br />
The refusal to recognize same sex marriage constitutes such a denial of legal rights and protections. Since those in a same sex marriage are, by definition, homosexual- this constitutes a denial of legal rights and protections based upon sexual orientation.<br />
Refusing to recognize same sex marriages essentially violates long standing legal traditions.<br />
The most logical remedy to this situation is to allow the recognition of same sex marriages.<br /><br />
<big>There is also a philosophical justification that same sex marriage does not destroy the institution of marriage in society.</big>
In most religious traditions, marriage exclusively recognizes the sacred bond of love between a man and woman.<br />
However society has a more general definition of marriage as an institution that recognizes the profound (and one could still say sacred) bond of love existing between two individuals- traditionally a man and woman.<br />
Recognizing same sex marriage recognizes the legitimacy of the bond of love between same sex partners.<br />
However the religious definition of marriage is still unique in that it specifically focuses upon the devine blessing of the union between a man and a woman. Thus this traditional sense of marriage retains its unique character.<br />
I think that it is important to add these rationales because these are the ones that you are most likely to encounter in the discourse on gay marriage. Those looking for information on the subject would be best served by being able to read the most commonly used rationales.