The fight for homosexual marriage has begun.
The debate heated when the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional the sodomy laws in the state of Texas. Justice Antonin Scalia argued that the court was on “a slippery slope toward legalizing gay marriage.”
Now organizations like GLAAD (gay and lesbian alliance against defamation) and the religious communities are going head to head in the battle.
There are many religions throughout the world, but for the topic of this article I will refer to the two main organized religions that are protesting the movement; Catholicism and Christianity.
Christians argue that homosexuality is an abomination unto God. It is a horrible sin.
Many would also argue that God destroyed the infamous cities of Sodom and Gamorrah because of the homosexual activities happening there. But no one knows exactly why God destroyed the ancient cities. The Bible only says the city was full of idol worshippers and sins against God.
The Bible does state however “Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind. It is an abomination” (Lev. 18:22).
It is not, however, uncommon for someone to argue that the basis of the religion is love and Jesus walked with the sinners and saints alike. Jesus hung out in the most despicable parts of the city making friends with robbers, prostitutes and pagans. Many will argue that love conquers all and that Jesus is all forgiving as long as you ask for the forgiveness.
Catholics argue against the topic, not with literal interpretations of the Bible, but with reason. Their standpoint says homosexuals cannot reproduce naturally so therefore it is a sin.
A recent press release from the Vatican on the topic of homosexual marriage states, ” No ideology can erase from the human spirit the certainty that marriage exists solely between a man and a woman who by mutual personal gift, proper and exclusive to themselves tend toward the communion of their persons. In this way, they mutually perfect each other, in order to cooperate with God in the procreation and upbringing of human lives.”
Both religions are careful to state that while the act of homosexuality is a sin, the person committing those sins should not be subject to any kind of discrimination.
So, how many homosexuals even care what religion thinks?
A recent study prepared by the GLCensus Partners of Syracuse University and the OpusComm Group says that out of the 8,831 homosexuals who completed the survey, 63.7 percent said they belong to a particular religion. Only 38 of those 63 percent say they are practicing members. The largest segment of those who said they are practicing their religion say they are Catholic.
Thirty percent of those polled say they have no religious preference.
The Human Rights Campaign also conducted a study pertaining to homosexual marriage. Thirty-three percent of those polled say that they have no disagreements with homosexuals entering into legal or civil unions as long as the churches do not have to recognize or perform these unions.
So what legal rights do heterosexuals have that homosexuals do not when it comes to marriage?
Heterosexuals can have their spouse included in insurance benefits from the companies they work for.
This means that a husband can be covered under his wife’s insurance plan even if he doesn’t work for that company.
Couples that are heterosexual can also adopt children. When couples file for adoption consideration, they can put both of their names on the application as the child’s legal guardians.
Also, heterosexual couples can be married in a church. While some denominations (unitarians) already allow leaders of the church to perform gay marriages inside the church, most do not.
I believe this goes along with the idea of separation of church and state considering homosexuals aren’t asking for religions to accept them, but legal rights given by the government.
But, is it fair that heterosexuals can be joined inside a church when the couple has no religious affiliation with it’s practices or when the couple does not even practice religion at all?
I think the best point I have found throughout my research that really sums up the idea is a comment from Darlene Midlang, a Lutheran from North Branch, N.Y. She said, “It seems like churches are always blessing wars. Why shouldn’t it support love? If people love each other and they want to have public recognition of that love, why shouldn’t we support it?”
When I asked a Baptist preacher if he could sum up in one sentence the Christian faith he replied, “God is love.”
If that is true, then why should we care who falls in love. Love is union of the heart and maybe the most important emotion we have.
Shouldn’t it be love that decides who marries and who does not?

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