by Jesse Mathewson

Created on: June 19, 2008   Last Updated: July 11, 2008

When I began my research I thought I had already made up my mind regarding homosexuals and marriage, I didn't feel that it was any one else's business what others did with their lives. While I don't feel that my opinions have changed regarding this, through research I was able to see the larger picture. I used scientific, medical, and religious data gleaned from multiple sources to provide a paper that answered many questions constantly brought up. The following is my response to the question should homosexual couples be allowed to marry, if not why? And if so why?

Our current religious systems and majority religions tend to be very much against same sex relationships. These as a general rule teach against it and call it many things, unnatural, sin, and sometimes try to break people of the habit so to speak. While all of this is accepted belief it is not necessarily correct. As B.A. Robinson (of Religious Tolerance.Org) says "Currently, only one man and one woman can be joined in matrimony and have their marriages recognized by the state," However even he admits later on that "several states here in our country allow and perform ceremonies that legalize civil unions between homosexual couples." According to the Christian Bible we also see that it is outlawed (at least in the Old Testament) Leviticus 18:22 states "You [masculine] shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" (NRSV) however in the New Testament we see a slightly different interpretation. I Timothy 1:10 use the word (practicing) in definition of the life style. While in Corinthians 6:9 we see the wording for Effeminate used. So according to this religious opinion is it indeed wrong? Yes, according to the teachings of the Christian Bible it is wrong. However one must remember the United States of America is a country where religious "freedom" is practiced, and as Homosexuality is not a religious expression but is a lifestyle one must wonder why religion should have any say. If we talk pure numbers Christians make up a large percentage of the population here, however we have an equally large amount of voting power that is not. Other religions such as Islam do have edicts against homosexual behavior as well. Sura 26:165 "What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males" It is clear by what is written here that homosexuality is frowned on. As B.A. Robinson says on Religious Tolerance.Com "A person's beliefs about homosexuality tend to be determined less by their religion, then where

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