The most common argument I've heard against gay marriage...

I have been doing research on why people are opposed to homosexual marriage and there are two primary arguments against it that are cropping up all over the place. One is that it's un-Christian, but as a Catholic I still support homosexual rights, so I'm going to leave religion out of this.

The other main argument I have seen time and time again is that it is unhealthy for the children that are potentially raised. TFP Student Action states

It is in the child’s best interests that he be raised under the influence of his natural father and mother. This rule is confirmed by the evident difficulties faced by the many children who are orphans or are raised by a single parent, a relative, or a foster parent.

The unfortunate situation of these children will be the norm for all children of a same-sex “marriage.” A child of a same-sex “marriage” will always be deprived of either his natural mother or father. He will necessarily be raised by one party who has no blood relationship with him. He will always be deprived of either a mother or a father role model. Same sex "marriage" ignores a child's best interests.


First let me say it's funny how "marriage" is in quotes, to imply they don't think it's a real marriage. CALLOUT!

Back on topic. I question what's wrong with "children who are raised by a single parent, a relative, or a foster parent". The "evident difficulties" are nothing more than you would face with a child raised by two natural parents. Many people are raised in one of these ways. It has no effect whatsoever on how the child turns out. What matters is the guardian's method of parenting, not the kind of parent they are.

That's my thought. Try telling me how "gays are ruining society" or "I'm going to hell for supporting homosexuality", I dare you.

 

Of all the baseless and inane arguments against gay marriage, the most shameful ones are those by people who insist that same sex marriage and adoption of children by gays will be detrimental to those children, and that society as a whole, will somehow be harmed by these arrangements. They take the position that children are entitled to a “mom and a dad” That may be so but the reality is that many people in this life do not have everything that they are entitled to. There are many children without both a mother and a father, and some without either. Banning gay marriage and adoption is not going to change that.

Children also have a right to a stable, nurturing and permanent home and it is well established that that goal can be realized in a variety of family structures. The NJ Department of Families and Children-the public agency charged with the responsibility of finding adoptive homes for children –states, in part, on their web site that no one will be denied the opportunity to adopt based on sexual orientation. In fact, the Department’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency (formerly DYFS) has been placing children for adoption with gay and lesbian people- those who are single and those who are in a relationship- for decades with good outcomes for the children. And there are many, many more who still need homes while there is a dearth of people willing and able to adopt them. I know this because I worked in the foster care and adoption field in New Jersey for 26 years. I might add that children who are placed for adoption are already in a situation where they have neither a mother nor a father available to them. To imply that that a child would better off languishing in the foster care system as a ward of the state, than to be adopted into a nontraditional family is beyond absurd.

Furthermore, the vast majority of child psychologists will tell you that there are far more important factors that impact a child’s development than the gender or sexual orientation of the parents. No doubt that one could dredge up research studies that claim to prove that gay parenting is harmful. However, well established organizations like the American Psychological Association take the position that gay and lesbian parents are just as capable of rearing emotionally healthy children as anyone else. Yet even if family composition was, as some purport, a critical factor in children’s development, the fact is that there are and will always be children in non-traditional living situations where they do not have a mother and a father. Like it or not, it is also a fact that gay and lesbian people have children, be it from a prior relationship, adoption, or surrogacy.

Denying gay and lesbians the opportunity to marry does nothing to ensure that any greater number of children will have a home with a mother and a father. All that will be accomplished will be to deny numerous children the legal rights, protections, status and stability that comes with having married parents. And, to deny gays the ability to adopt will only ensure that more children will have neither a mother nor a father. Everyone is entitled to their moral views and religious beliefs but it is disingenuous and opprobrious to use children as pawns in the lost fight against equality by bloviating about how children would be harmed by it. While single people can be great parents, the benefits to children of allowing two people who are in a committed relationship to be married are obvious for anyone willing to look at the issue objectively. Those who truly care about children should be willing to open all of the possible pathways for them to be adopted and to have married parents when possible.

 

You are committing a serious sin by supporting "gay marriage" and you ought to repent.

 

The Bible says we are all created in the image of God, even gays. Why do you hate God?

 

I remember a few weeks ago, I was having a discussion with some of my friends about whether or not gay marriage should be legal, and here's what their arguments in favor of gay marriage were (paraphrased.)

1-They aren't hurting anybody. How does their personal life affect others?

2-If gay marriage was legal, they could get hospital visitation rights.

What's your response to those arguments? I agree with your stance that gay marriage is wrong, but I don't have any good responses to those arguments that people make in favor of gay marriage.

 

My response to number one is that their personal life may not affect others but the legalization of "gay marriage" will affect society by affecting society's moral values. When something like "gay marriage" becomes legal, it becomes normalized and then more and more people will begin to see nothing wrong with it when in fact there is a lot wrong with it. It will also affect religious freedom. As a matter of fact, it already has. A baker and a florist have been sued for refusing to cater to a "gay wedding". They were only obeying their conscience or their religious beliefs but yet they had their rights violated by facing a lawsuit simply because they were practicing their religion.

As for hospital visitation rights, I believe I have heard before that they can already get hospital visitation rights without having a legal document saying they are "married". If I understand correctly, they would need to see an attorney and fill out some sort of paperwork. I am not sure exactly how it works though.

 

Your idea of morality is different from others ideas of morality.....yuo do not legislate morality, that is a bad road to go down.

 

That's a matter of opinion. A lot of people already don't think there is anything wrong with homosexuality and consider not legalising gay marriage affects societies morals by promoting the general concept of treating homosexuals as second class citizens.

Religious freedom doesn't give you the right to break the law. Discriminating in business on grounds of sexuality if illegal even if you claim you're doing it for religious reasons, just like discriminating on grounds of gender, race or religion are illegal. Regardless of whether you think that's right or not as a general concept, it isn't specifically a homosexuality issue.

 

Practice your religion on your own time. You don't run a public business and force everyone to adhere to your religious values. Not in the U.S. anyway. When you have an establishment that is open to the public and start enforcing your religious views on me, you're violating my religious freedoms.

 

gay marriage has no effect on anyone other than the 2 parties involved in the marriage contract. religious freedom is also not impacted in any way.

 

You are committing a serious sin by rejecting "gay marriage" and you ought to repent.

Many other religious and people disagree with that, including certain branches of Judaism and various Christian denominations. What right do you have to deny their freedom of religion? What you define as sinful and what the law should define as illegal are two different things. Hence the doctrine of separation of church and state.

 

Well, guess what? There is only one Truth that comes from God and that Truth is the one that I have been proclaiming in this thread. Only the Catholic Church is the Church founded by God and only the Catholic Church's beliefs are all 100% Truth. Any other belief from any other religion that is in contradiction to what the Catholic Church teaches is false. Any other belief from any other religion which is in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church is true.

 

That is wrong and I have explained how it is wrong in my quote. Just because you don't want to accept the Truth does not make it any less true.

 

The government already legislates morality. Murder is immoral and there are laws against murder. How is making murder illegal not legislating morality?

 

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Murder is not about morality, but the infringment of an individual rights....Gay marriage does not infringe on an individual rights....

 

Murder is about both morality and infringement of individual rights. "Gay marriage" is bad for society. Legalizing it will only harm society in the long run. I have already explained how so do not ask me to explain how. Look at my previous posts.

 

no, it is not wrong. it has no effect what so ever on anyone other than the 2 parties involved.

you're not offering me the truth. you're pretending what two people do who you don't even know or will have any interaction with somehow effects you. it doesn't.

 

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Ah so you are a big brother government type that wants the feds to determine what is good and bad for society....Sorry but I am not of that thought process....I don't want people telling me what is good and bad for me if it does not infringe on the rights of others. I am an adult and can think for myself....you have no right to tell me what to do.

 

Well that's a dumb reach.

Hate the gayness... not the person.

Your attempted twist was rather weak.

 

(and people like this will be right there, with protest signs and MSNBC on speed dial, hoping you do, Ave)

 

so are you saying that God created something in the nature of that person that is hateful?

 

No. God didn't create sin. It just is.

 

Says you. This is nothing more than your opinion. I have a VERY different opinion of the Catholic Church and what it proclaims to be Truth.

The point being that your Catholic faith doesn't make you superior to me in the eyes of the law.

 

Are you against gay marriage for religious reasons, or for other reasons?

 

What the Catholic Church believes to be true is absolutely irrelevant to the laws of the United States. America is not a theocracy--read the 1st amendment. People of other religions believe their religion is absolute truth, and yours is wrong. What right do you have to make their beliefs illegal?