by Kyla

Created on: August 22, 2009

Gay marriage is a widely-debated issue that seems to worm its way into all political circles, from Christian Right to Far Left. It's one of the 'polarization issues'- it seems to divide the people of America into two or three groups: those that disapprove of gay marriage and wish to see it remain outlawed, those that approve of it and wish it to be legalized, and those that want it legalized but disapprove of it morally. I am in the last category. Now before you go off in a huff, thinking "How dare you say such a thing!" let me clarify.

I am a Christian. I think that homosexuality is wrong- and as an American, it is my right to say so in as far as I am not infringing on someone else's right. Other people are free to say that I am wrong, or evil, or any other adjective they choose to pin upon my person. But I am still entitled to my opinion. So, I think gay marriage is morally wrong, and I am not afraid to say so.

But what is my belief? It is religiously/morally-motivated belief. Hence, I can say that I think it is wrong, but I cannot infringe upon a homosexual's right by denying him or her the right to be married. In effect, I would be breaking the Constitution by attempting such a thing. The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." If Congress (or any other government, including state governments) were to tell homosexuals they cannot enter into a marriage union purely on the basis of a moral or religious belief, we would be prohibiting the free exercise of a belief system.

Marriage is, however, not the state's domain at all. The government has no real authority to say whether or no a couple (heterosexual or homosexual) can get married. Marriage is an institution put into place by God and man- not by a government. (For more information on this subject, see here.)

I believe that gay couples should be permitted to enter into marriage. We cannot legislate against it on religious basis, as that would be prohibiting the free exercise of another belief system. We cannot legislate against it on a moral basis, as you cannot legislate true morality. We should not be legislating about it at all, really, but that's a debate for another time and place.

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