Gay Marriage and Religion

There have been a handful of states that have now legalized same-sex marriage, but when it has come down to voters, it has consistently failed. I believe that our society's reluctance to recognize and accept gay marriage is an absolute embarrassment. Who are we to determine whether or not another human being has the right to be happy or not, and why do we care? How does that individual's right to marry affect us?

This will be looked upon by future generations as a travesty and they will be embarrassed of their ancestors for this reason. Reflecting upon history, civil rights always eventually go the way of the oppressed, and I feel that it is inevitable that homosexuals will eventually be given the right to marry among other equal rights and protections under our U.S. Constitution. Over time, people will look at it similarly to how many of us view slavery in our history and will ask the question, "Why were they so hateful and how could they treat these people as less than human?"

I am as heterosexual as one can be, but given the opportunity I would love to advocate strongly on behalf of equal rights for homosexuals.

Religion

Of course, one of the arguments against gay marriage is in the name of religion. This is another example of how religion can often lead to hatred and persecution and why I am often conflicted and sometimes have such an issue with organized religion.

I do believe that a higher power exists. I believe that I have felt a force when in the presence of other living beings. I believe that I have had things happen in my life for a reason and I know that there is a connectivity that runs through the Universe. I also believe that there is a benefit to choosing right over wrong. I personally feel that anything that involves love, like gay marriage is right. Positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative and we are able to manipulate our environments, at least to a degree. The higher power that I believe in is positive and would not persecute others for who they love.

I become extremely conflicted and confused about organized religion for several reasons. Churches have spoken out and even raised large sums of money to oppose gay marriage. To me, it seems that a religious group could raise money for people in need before raising money in the name of hate. I do not like churches believing that they can tell me how to feel and how to live related to certain subjects.

I often feel that if I were born in another part of the world everyone around me would feel just as strongly that their God was the real God as people here do about Christianity. Who is to say that Christians are right and all of those other people in other parts of the world are wrong about their God? I actually believe that the similarities between different major religions exist because none are completely accurate and none are inaccurate. It is just different interpretations of the miracle of the higher power that does, in fact, exist.