Traditionally, marriage has been defined as a religious & legal commitment between a man and woman, as well as the ultimate expression of love. Homosexual relationships are increasingly gaining acceptance around the world. However, these couples have not been permitted to marry. (Scott Bidstrup, 2004).
There are several arguments against gay marriage that have been brought up by government, the media, churches, business owners and the population in general. In my opinion, many of these arguments really do not have any grounds when opposing gay married.
Many people have argued that gay marriage will weaken the definition and respect for the institution of marriage. The definition of marriage has already been weakened and disrespected by the growing divorce rate. (Joe Messerli).
People have also argued that gay marriage is not considered a family and that a family is a household consisting of a man, woman and children. (Joe Messerli). Look around us today. There are more single parent families than this definition of what a family use to be. There are children being born out of wedlock and the law allows it. In the Netherlands Antilles law, a man does not need his wife’s consent to acknowledge his children born out of their marriage. So if we can change the definition of family then we can change the definition of marriage; a religious & legal commitment between two people.
People have argued that the gay lifestyle is not something to be encouraged because research shows it leads to a much lower life expectancy, psychological disorders, and other problems. Yes, Studies have shown that homosexuals have life expectancies of approximately 20 years less than the general population just like a lifestyle of smoking and drinking. (Joe Messerli). But we accept smoking and drinking as alcohol and cigarettes are sold in every supermarket, gas station, bar, restaurant, and nightclub.
The main reason for denying marriage to gay couples is that...