...vs. Just Laws Unjust laws have made criminals out of innocent people. Laws implemented during the Civil Rights era, such as segregation, made it illegal for people of color and white people to share the same water fountain. It was also illegal for any colored person to sit in front of the bus because those seats were reserved for the white people. Naturally, those with a conscience felt it was necessary to tear down the walls of segregation, which only resulted in brutal beatings from police or being thrown in jail. So then, why break the law? Because it’s human nature to act according to one’s conscience, regardless if one’s actions are deemed illegal by the government. “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written by Martin Luther King, Jr. defines unjust and just law, which can be used to argue that prohibiting same-sex couples to elope in marriage is unjust. Some would argue that permitting same-sex marriage will ruin the sanctity of marriage, but an increase in divorce rates contradicts that argument. Essentially, just how sacred is marriage when celebrities like Kim Kardashian are getting a divorce after 70 days of marriage or when Elizabeth Taylor can move from one marriage to another. In contemporary society, we change husbands and wives as often as we change our socks. The point is prohibiting same-sex marriage is unjust because like segregation it, “distorts the soul and damages the personality (256).” Secondly, prohibiting same-sex marriage is an unjust law “that is...
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...legalize the same-sex marriage here in the Philippines?” “Marriage is about LOVE, not GENDER”, this is what the gays and lesbians wanted to say. Nowadays, this issue, the same-sex marriage is viral in the whole world. But, what is same-sex marriage? It is defined as a union between two people who are of the same gender or biological sex. Since 2001, ten nations and other jurisdictions have made this type of union legal. Whether or not to recognize such marriages remains a source of debate as far as civil rights, political and social issues go. Introduction of same-sex marriage laws has varied by jurisdiction, being variously accomplished through legislative change to marriage laws, a court ruling based on constitutional guarantees of equality, or by direct popular vote (via ballot initiative or referendum). The recognition of same-sex marriage is a political and social issue, and also a religious issue in many countries and debates continue to arise over whether people in same-sex relationships should be allowed marriage or some similar status (a civil union). Same-sex marriage can provide those in same-sex relationships who pay their taxes with government services and make financial demands on them comparable to those afforded to and required of those in opposite-sex marriages. Same-sex marriage also gives them legal protections such as inheritance and hospital visitation rights. Various faith communities around the world support allowing those of the same sex to marry, while...
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...fun and exciting things kids love. We get to 5th grade, and we learn that we have crushes on boys and girls. We get those butterflies and simply smile when our crushes walk in the room. Middle school, we actually take risk. We send secret love letters simply asking our crush if they think we’re cute and to check the yes box or the no box. Then we grow into high school age where we began getting sexually active, some more than others not all teenagers go through this phase. While going through the school aged, we ignore the fact that we are different. Were taught in our history and social studies classes that the United States of American is known as the land of the free and the home of the brave. If we are so free, why do we stand by and let others ban the rights of marrying the one they love? Who cares if you see an inter-racial couple walking down the street? Who cares if you see two women or two men raising a child? What ever happened to loving everyone, sharing, caring, playing together. Should we have the right to fight for equality? Well sometimes that funny thing called love happens and that’s where everyone who feels have an opinion try to ban this act. Not only do people who are against these acts of love try to protest, some also take the violent action. Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is marriage between two people of the same sex. Legal recognition of same-sex marriage or the possibility to perform a same-sex marriage is sometimes referred...
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...Should the same-sex marriage be legal? Felling in love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Men and women fall in love, get married, and build a family unit in society. At the same time, the same-sex love is becoming more acceptable by society because it is also driven by nature. Should the same-sex marriage be legal becomes one of the most hot topics. Some people embrace the view that same-sex marriage should be legal because they consider same-sex as a natural behavior which should be protected by law. I concern, however, the harm of the same-sex marriage outweighs than benefits. So it should not be legal. First and foremost, the law is established to protect eligible right of citizens. So it should not be legal if the behavior will block the right developing direction of society. To begin with, not all natural behaviors are allowed to be legal. For example, marriages in proximity of blood are forbidden by law. Why is it forbidden even though intermarriage is also driven by nature? It is forbidden because it will influence the quality of new generation due to high probability of inherited disease, as well as bad influence in morality, which would disturb the harmony of society. So does the same-sex marriage. Some people may do not agree because they consider the same-sex tendency as a consequence affected by certain order of DNA, which cannot be controlled by human mind. So they think the law should not deny the instinct of human, which is controlled by DNA. But...
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...of Same-Sex Marriages Love is a feeling that cannot be abused or modified in accordance with public opinion. It is either there or it is not. Consequently, in this matter have no control rules, laws or social norms but on the other hand – everybody wants to have a legal support for its relationships; so, that is why before the love that occurs in human representatives of the same sex was hidden and carefully guarded from prying eyes and conversations. There are a lot of supporters and opponents of same-sex marriages. I believe that everybody needs to understand that this law gives the same-sex minorities the equal rights in matters of love and marriage, the possibility of adoption and the consequences of this step as well as an opportunity to dispose the common property. Currently we live in a society which is based on democracy and we all expect for ourselves support from the state and understanding from the people around us. Of course, we are all different and each of us has personal characteristics that distinguish us one from each other but on the other hand - we all have the same desire for that to be successful and happy in our personal lives. The most important thing in our society is the equality of all before each other and before the law, and when it comes to us personally, everyone wants to enjoy the fruits of equality and democracy and when mostly of us hear that someone who is different from us in the ability of loving someone of the same sex and the...
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...Same Sex Marriage The controversy over the decision to make same sex marriage legalized has been going on for many years now. The decision that is made to be united as one is to be made between two people. Whether is it between a man and women, a man and another man, or women and another woman. As long as there are two people that care about each other and have a loving relationship should be allowed to be united. Only one state allows “gay marriage”, which is Massachusetts. New Jersey, Connecticut, and Vermont allow it be called a “civil union”. The state of California use to allow Gay Marriage but in November the law was banned. The most recent state added to the list to allow gay marriage is Iowa. Iowa believes that people should live the way that they want to, freely and without restrictions. The gay rights movement is hoping to make legal the New England States within the upcoming years. Same sex couples should have the same rights as opposite sex couples. Why? With the legalization of gay marriage it should increase adoption rates since gay couple cannot pro-create. Any couple that is in love should have all the legal benefits of an opposite sex couple. Also, any couple, depending on the circumstance, should not be denied marriage in any circumstance is a form of minority discrimination and questioning of someone’s love toward one another. With all the children that need to be adopted in this world, there is no a reason why same sex couples can’t adopt a child even...
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...draft Thursday, December 5th 2013 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Put yourself in the position of a homosexual and imagine how they feel in regards to the injustices of their sexual orientation. Some feel humiliation and others rejection, simply because homosexuals are attracted to the same sex. Same-sex marriages should be legalized internationally because the Bible dictates only one of many lifestyles to live by and there is more to marriage than legal recognition. In addition, it would eliminate discrimination against same-sex marriages. The Bible appears to be the leading argument opposing same-sex marriages. It is known across the Christian religion that homosexuality is a sin. The Bible says that God loves the sinners, but hates the sin (Roman 5:8, English Standard Version). He will not stop loving someone because they want to marry someone of the same-sex, He is against the concept. Although, the Bible also states “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21, English Standard Version). There are several sins that are listed in the Bible that people do on a regular basis, such as jealousy, rivalries and fits of anger, yet they are not treated like the same-sex couples are. Many receive encouragement for sexual...
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...The plaintiffs in this case were fourteen same-sex couples, and two men whose same-sex partners were deceased at the time of this ruling. James Obergefell was one of these plaintiffs. The named defendant, Richard Hodges, is the Director of the Ohio Department of Health. Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman and did not recognize same-sex marriages. The plaintiffs challenged these laws under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution by filing lawsuits in federal district court in their home states. The plaintiffs argued that the Fourteenth Amendment required the States to allow same-sex marriage and to recognize the validity of such marriages performed in other jurisdictions. In each case, the federal district courts ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. On appeal, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit consolidated the cases and reversed the rulings. The plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court of the United States. The question and answers under the holding and Kennedy rule of law said: “Do same-sex couples have the right to marry in every State? Yes. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that same-sex couples have the right to marry in every State. Must the States grant marriage licenses to same-sex couples? Yes. The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the States must license marriages to same-sex couples. Must the States recognize same-sex marriages that have been licensed and performed lawfully...
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...Imagine how it would feel if after meeting the love of your life and deciding to marry them, you are told that for whatever reason (race, age, gender, etc), you are not legally allowed to marry that person. That is a situation facing many people in the United States today. They are being denied the right to marry the people they love based on their sexual orientation .This paper will discuss why same sex marriage should be legal, including why religion does not apply to the debate against same-sex marriage, the sanctity of marriage, and why homosexuals want to get married. Many people ask, why do same sex couples need to get married? In the United States same sex couples are only allowed to get married in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Some other states allow same sex couples to have a civil union, but civil union does not give the couple the same rights that a marriage does. By allowing same sex couples to get married, homosexuals will be given some rights that most heterosexual married couples take for granted, such as family medical insurance, the ability to visit their ill, injured, or otherwise hospitalized family members, and should one pass away, the rights to continue raising children they had together. Our constitution was written to allow the ability of laws to change, and over the years, many laws have changed, including the laws regarding marriages. For example before 1967, inter-racial couples were not allowed to get married, now not only are they allowed...
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...Same Sex Marriage Could you imagine the love of your life in the hospital fighting for his/her life and you, not being granted permission to visit them? Or could you imagine watching all of your family and friends get married, divorced, married again and divorced again and you’re not given even one opportunity to get married once? This is reality for many same sex couples. That is why I am in for making same sex marriage legal worldwide. Instead of focusing on the gender of couples, we should focus on the love that two people share. Not allowing a couple to get married based on sex is discrimination and furthermore, allowing them to marry won’t ruin the sanctity of marriage. People today talk about this sanctity whenever same sex marriage issues come in. This belief is part of the reason why many people believe that gay marriage should not be legalized in many places all over the world. To these people, I pose the question, is marriage really all that sacred in this country that letting anyone who wants to enter into same sex marriage make it not so? In my opinion, people like Kim Kardashian, Nicholas Cage, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and anyone else who will jump into a short marriage, for example 72 hours and then get divorced, are the people who are destroying the sanctity of marriage. I believe that gay marriage should be legalized simply because marriage is something between two consenting adults who love each other, no matter what their gender may be. Last time I checked...
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...Same Sex Marriage For many years now people have been fighting for the right to love whom they want and marry whom they want. Believe it or not this was and still is a big issue in today’s day and age. Especially for the men and women who choose to love a person of the same sex. For some time now if you were partners of the same sex you were subjected to horrible acts of cruelty due to societies lack of acceptance murder, tortured, and humiliation for your life style. Fast forward to the year 2014 the violence has subside some but the lack of acceptance and understanding is still and issue. Men and women of the same sex are speaking out more and making their voices heard due to such strong interest groups on the behalf. The question on the minds of individuals who choose to love or be with a person of the same sex would be why is there an issue, with us loving or being with someone not of the opposite sex. For most it would come from a very religious background, the Bible teaches that it is an abomination and the participants will indeed burn in hell. But as usual certain people take it to the extreme were hatred and judgement sets in. Now they feel obligated to steer others in the right direction. Some would say this is befalling, when the world is filled with child molesters, murders, and rapists, but what gets the most attention same sex marriage. Others would just argue that it is unnatural for two men and two women to indulge in such atrocity. Who can blame these...
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...Equality in Same Sex Marriages Should same-sex-marriage be legalized? Evidently, we as a nation are hesitant on this issue. Many people are against same sex marriage because of numerous reasons such as, religious beliefs or because they believe same sex couples could not raise a proper family. Although there are countless individuals against this issue gays, lesbians, and bisexuals (LGB) are fighting for equal rights everyday and will not give up until they get treated the same as any other individual. As time progresses people are becoming more comfortable with gays and lesbians as couples, but to most, marriage signifies the union between a man and a woman as husband and wife. To them they see it no other way. One should see any and every person as a human being; although they have different sexual preferences, they are still human and deserve the same rights as any other person. The right to be human should not be taken away from someone over which gender they fall in love with. Same sex marriage should be allowed and accepted across the nation because the desire to love is a human need; therefore, it is a human right. With this said, any human being has the right to equality amongst their society, they should not be discriminated against, or have someone with an upper hand try to change the constitutional meaning of rights for gay people under the Constitution of the United States. We begin with the rights to equality among homosexuals and the society. When...
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...4/27/2014 Instructor DiCarlo Same-Sex Marriage Is it wrong to deny someone the right to marriage because of their sex? Marriage has become the voice of true love in America, but some are not allowed to partake in because they are marrying someone of the same sex better known as same-sex marriage. Many people believe that one should be allowed to marry even if they are of the same sex because love knows no boundaries, only God can judge rightfully, and marriage is a scared vow between two individuals. Same-sex relationships are becoming a more popular trend in America now, even though there are citizens who don’t agree with it. Why do people get married? Love is! Marriage should be allowed between same sex couples because love knows no boundaries. No one in this world can help who they fall in love with, whether heterosexual or homosexual. As a teen growing up my mother has always told me “there is someone out there for everyone” and that statement is deemed to be true. Same sex couples seem to know a lot about true approval of their partner’s soul meaning they can find their soul mate. Love knows no boundaries because real love doesn’t care about race, color, or gender. (NeJaime, 2012) Who's to judge someone because of whom they love? Many preachers are opposed to same-sex marriages and they will not commence the marriage, because they feel as if God made man and woman to be married. Only God can rightfully judge someone and say that same sex marriage is wrong. Humans don’t...
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...the natural law theory. The natural law theory, which was founded by Aquinas, rests on a certain view that the world has a rational order with values and purposes built into its very nature. And since homosexuality is against the orders of nature, the natural law theory totally condemns it. I disagree with this point of view because I choose not to judge homosexuals but instead I accept them as members of our society. Middle Eastern societies do not accept homosexuals because their beliefs are against it, but sometimes different behaviors can add to the diversity in a society. We should not let homosexuals feel like they are being looked down upon or treated differently than any other human being. Rather, we should try to understand the basis of their behavior and take consideration into the causes that led these people to practice homosexuality. Some causes are social while others are biological. There may have been many social causes or experiences that might have lead to homosexual behavior. The main biological cause for homosexuality has been identified to be related to the abnormally high levels of the female hormones progesterone and estrogen. Also there have been studies indicating that some parts of the brain that control attitude and behavior are slightly smaller in homosexual males compared to normal male brains. Homosexuality is a very debatable issue and some people view it as morally wrong and others such as myself don’t. According to the natural law theory, everything...
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...The Rights of Same-Sex Marriage Erin Collier SOC 120 Brianne Larson July 1, 2013 Same-sex couples who commit to one another and choose to share every aspect of their lives should have all have of the same rights and responsibilities as a hetero-sexual couple. Discrimination, no matter what form it takes, is wrong. Surely we have all been on the receiving end of discrimination at some point in our lives and usually for something out of our control like race, gender religion, age, weight, height or even something as silly as hair color. Why is society so quick to judge people for something beyond their control, like who they fall in love with? Being gay is not a choice, a lifestyle, or a phase – it is just what someone is, and to deny someone the right to share their life and everything that entails with the person they love is simply wrong. My own daughter came out to me when she was a freshman in high school. I cannot deny that I was a little bit sad, even as open minded as I am, but I soon got over it and embraced my child for who she is not what she is. I think my sadness came from the thought of what she will have to endure for the rest of her life, the discrimination, the hate, the ignorance of others. She is now 19 and in the Navy and even though being gay in the military is now allowed does not make it always tolerated by everyone she encounters. Is it ethical to deny a same-sex couple that has been together for 20 years the same rights as a heterosexual...
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