Gay Marriage Research Report

Gay Marriage Research Report

The family as the pillar of society has seen an increasing amount of pressure in recent years by gay and lesbian advocates in the form of a legal quagmire.   Since some activist judges, in the Massachusetts Supreme Court, indicated they would issue marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender in May 2004, a national debate has broken out on how this action would affect the stability of the family as an institution.   This debate began in 1996 with congress passing, and then President Clinton signing, the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage under federal law as the legal union between, one man and one woman, as husband and wife.   For virtually thousands of years in all cultures around the world, the traditional family has consisted of a man and a woman in marriage, in order to promote monogamy, and provide assurance that every child has a mother and a father.   As a result of the issuance of marriage licenses in Massachusetts to same sex partners, President George W. Bush has indicated he will vigorously defend the Defense of Marriage Act, enacted by Congress, and the House of Representatives.   He is also calling for an amendment to the constitution to preserve and protect the traditional meaning of marriage, and it’s culturally rooted family values.   Lining up for, or against, this issue is several groups each with their own ideas about how they view marriage, family, and the foundation that will subsequently be preserved, or redefined for future generations to come.

The religious community has taken a position against same sex marriage and is poised for a battle.   Their argument against same sex marriage is rooted in biblical text, “That a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”   The idea that allowing same sex marriages be legalized is abhorrent to Christians that believe this type of appeasement will lead to the curtailment of Christianity and family values.   The family has been...