Same Sex Marriage #3

Same-sex Marriage
Same-sex marriage is among the topics in the contemporary society that are highly debated, and it has attracted numerous reactions from those supporting it as well as those against it. In the societal setting, those opposing same-sex marriage maintain that it is immoral and marriage should take place between people of different sexes. On the other hand, advocates of same-sex marriage argue that if two adults are in a relationship and love each other, they should be allowed to marry each other irrespective of their sexes. However, same-sex marriage should not be legalized because the human population will decline; it violates the old religious and traditional beliefs; it will weaken heterosexual marriage; and because children raised by same-sex couples do not receive the required parental care.
If same-sex marriage is ratified by the government, the human population with significantly reduce. It is evident that couples in a same-sex marriage are not able to reproduce naturally, and as a result, their only options include use of artificial insemination or adopt children. Although some couples of the same-sex marriage can procreate through artificial insemination, hence playing a role in ensuring human population does not decline; the process is too expensive for many couples. Consequently, the only option many of the same-sex couples have is to adopt children, which does not contribute to an increase in the human population (Wardle 74).
Same-sex marriage violates the old religious beliefs and the traditional values that people across different cultures uphold regarding marriage.

From a religious perspective, many religions uphold the belief that God did not create people of same-sex to marry each other but instead created a man and a woman to engage in a marriage and continue procreated. Thus, based on the religious belief, same-sex marriage violates the natural law, and as a result, it should be not legalized or condoned at all circumstances. Similarly, in the traditional society, people married to ensure procreation, an attribute not supported by same-sex marriage. Moreover, in the traditional society marriage was not considered complete if a couple was unable to bear children since adoption was not common in many societies.
In addition, research has indicated that for children to develop all their abilities optimally, they need to have a balance of both male and female role models. Though same-sex couples may try to play all the roles played by a father and mother in a heterosexual marriage while bringing up their children, a man cannot perfectly play the roles played by a woman because of his physical and psychological make-up. Similarly, a woman cannot be fully a man, and perform the roles executed by men in a heterosexual marriage. As a result, same-sex couples cannot accomplish all the crucial parental roles in wholesome and this can affect the quality of parental care across all same-sex marriages (Andryszewski 112).
Legalization of same-sex marriage will weaken heterosexual marriages and tarnish the original meaning of the institution of marriage. By legalizing same-sex marriage, no one will effectively encourage gay people to marry the people of the opposite sex who they are not strongly attracted to, and rarely consider as potential spouses (Lee 24). This will in turn lead to a decline in the number of heterosexual marriages and as a result, lead to a reduction in the human population. In addition, by weakening the sanctity of the heterosexual marriages, same-sex marriages will lead to more cases of divorce in the society because people who before marriage were interested in people of opposite sex, but entered into a heterosexual marriage because same-sex marriage was illegal may reconsider their decision.
Additionally, if the government passes a law allowing same-sex marriage, it will in turn infringe the freedoms and privileges of various religious denominations such as Christianity and Islam. This is because the law will compel them to conduct marriages of same-sex couples in the same way as they do with heterosexual marriages. Since failure to comply with what the law stipulates can lead to unnecessary lawsuits, such denominations may obey the law though it breaches their interests, freedoms, and privileges. Moreover, same-sex marriages can lead to increased cases of homosexuality in learning institutions especially in high schools. This is because high schools are composed mainly of young people who cannot make informed decisions regarding their sexual-orientation. Consequently, because of peer pressure, some students may engage in homosexual acts, only to regret later in their future lives (Nagle 93).
Advocates of same-sex marriage contend that denying a section of people in the society the right to marry the people they love is immoral because it prevents such people from enjoying the rights and privileges granted to the people in a heterosexual marriage. They also argue that that granting same-sex couples the right to marry will enable them to ensure legal and financial security in their lives because they will qualify for various government services (Murphy 301). However, such arguments are not strong enough to legitimize same-sex marriage. Approving same-sex marriage will deny children the opportunity to be raised by a father and mother, and it is evident that children prefer to be raised by their natural parents. This has been confirmed through studies on orphaned children and the children who are raised by a single parent, a foster parent, or a relative. The studies have revealed that children who are not raised by their biological parents experience various developmental challenges, which may make them perform poorly in the studies as well as their future lives (Corvino and Maggie 61).
In conclusion, the above discussion has shown that same-sex marriages is immoral and should not be legalized because it will lead to a decline in the human population; it violates the old religious and traditional beliefs; it can weaken heterosexual marriage; and because of the fact that children raised by same-sex couples do not receive the required parental care. Research has revealed that same-sex marriage cannot provide the required environment for the growth and development of children because most of the children who are not raised by their biological parents are highly susceptible to various developmental challenges. It is also evident that legalization of same-sex marriage will weaken the heterosexual marriage leading to more divorce cases, which in turn lead to poor parental care. Since same-sex marriages do not uphold procreation naturally, they can lead to a significant decline in the human population. Thus, to ensure future generations are raised in the best way possible, same-sex marriage should not be legalized.

Works Cited
Andryszewski, Tricia. Same-sex Marriage: Moral Wrong or Civil Right? Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. Print.
Corvino, John, and Maggie Gallagher. Debating Same-Sex Marriage. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.
Lee, Man Y. K. Equality, Dignity, and Same-Sex Marriage: A Rights Disagreement in Democratic Societies. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2010. Print.
Murphy, Timothy F. ‘Same-Sex Marriage: Not A Threat To Marriage Or Children’. Journal of Social Philosophy 42.3 (2011): 288-304. Web.
Nagle, Jeanne. Same-sex Marriage: The Debate. New York, NY: Rosen Pub, 2010. Print.
Wardle, Lynn D. Marriage and Same-Sex Unions: A Debate. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 2003. Print.

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