Arguments For Same Sex Marriage - 1483 Words

While seventeen states have already granted couples the right to marry whom they love regardless of gender, the rest of the country continues to forbid same-sex couples to marry (Ahuja) and in doing so, infringe upon one of the most basic freedoms we are allowed. Arguments for same-sex marriage, despite being backed up with hard legal evidence and Supreme Court rulings, continue to face opposition on the grounds of religious beliefs and personal values. Often cited by Catholics is an interpretation of marriage as â€Å"a promise made to God† and â€Å"a holy sacrament† that is only to be shared between one man and one woman. Other biblical interpretations suggest that a capital sin is committed by those in homosexual relationships and therefore must†¦show more content†¦Continuing to deny same-sex marriages based on religious beliefs, outdated social norms, and personal parenting ideals allows a severe but perfectly legal violation of civil and human rights to occur. At the forefront of the gay marriage debate is the Catholic Church, which has become the most outspoken critic against marriage equality. With approximately 78 million Catholics in America, this is a huge number of people who subscribe to a religion that self-identifies as being strongly anti-gay (Parnass). Chapter 20 of Leviticus, a book of the Old Testament oft-quoted for its numerous examples which Catholics claim provides credence to their anti-gay beliefs, states that â€Å"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood [shall be] upon them† (The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Lev. 20:13). In other words, this passage states that any man who has sexual relations with another man has committed a sin and will be put to death because of it. However, the Catholic Church is in no position to claim that marriage between same-sex couples should not be allowed. What many Catholics f ail to realize is that marriage is a secular institution, meaning that any one man and woman can get married outside of the church regardless of the religion, or lack