Same-Sex Marriage- Why It Shouldn't Have Been Legalized by the Supreme Court

This week’s blog post is about the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage in all 50 states.

Reading the summary of the Supreme Court decision, I was struck by how logical the majority made the decision sound. They made a good case for the reasons why same sex couples should be given the same opportunity to marry as opposite sex couples. Unfortunately, logical arguments often don’t align with God’s way of thinking. Marriage was instituted by God. It is meant to provide the best possible opportunities for men and women to grow as a couple, and for children to thrive. This in turn benefits our society by making sure children are provided for, educated, and taught to be contributing citizens.

Looking at the statistics for child welfare, it is clear that children do best when raised by a father and mother who are married. This has been the foundational unit in society for millennia. To seek to redefine marriage to include same-sex parents is to go against what is best for children and for society as a whole.

My belief is this, “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.” (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). This belief doesn’t mean that I don’t sympathize with same-sex couples who want to enjoy the same legal commitment that heterosexual couples enjoy.

I believe that they should be given many of the same rights as heterosexual married couples, such as inheritance and property rights, privilege in the law of evidence, hospital access, medical decision making authority, and parenting rights (Supreme Court of the United States 22). Regardless of my personal or religious beliefs about marriage, my overarching belief is that all humans should be treated with love and dignity. Doing so doesn’t require me to agree with everything others do, though. Nor does it mean I have to support their efforts to change the definition of marriage. 

Unfortunately, by legalizing same-sex marriage the way they did, the Supreme Court overstepped their bounds. There was no constitutional right for them to disregard the rights of the people (who had voted for man-woman marriage in 32 of the 35 states who put the question to the people) and decide something that is a state issue. Regardless of whether you support same-sex marriage, you should be alarmed by the behavior of the Court. Our constitution was set up clearly delineating the roles of the three branches of government. It was crafted that way to safeguard our liberties. When any of the branches overreaches and takes powers that belong to another, it is an attack on our freedom.

Surely, there had to be better ways for same-sex couples to receive the rights and privileges they desired without redefining the entire institution of marriage. I’m curious whether those with more knowledge on this issue could come up with an alternative to marriage that would give same sex couples the legal protections and rights they seek.  

My final thoughts on this are directed solely at those who advocate for heterosexual marriage. What is striking to me is that so many who oppose same-sex marriage are not actively advocating for the preservation of traditional marriage. Where is the outcry over half of marriages ending in divorce? Where is the concern for the children who are missing a parent through divorce or single parenting? Why is there nothing being said about couples cohabiting and having children outside of marriage? If marriage is so fundamental to our society, why aren’t there lively debates and demonstrations at our Nation’s Capital? If heterosexual couples want to fight to keep marriage as between a man and a woman, they need to do more to keep their own marriages intact, teach their children the value of marriage, speak out in defense of marriage and against no-fault divorce, cohabitation, and unwed parenting. Marriage is under attack by far more than just same-sex couples who desire the same recognition of their relationships. It’s under attack by the very people who want to preserve it.  

Works Cited

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." 23 September 1995. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. <https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng&old=true>.

Supreme Court of the United States. "Opinion of the Court: OBERGEFELL ET AL. v. HODGES, DIRECTOR, OHIO." 2014.