GAY MARRIAGE

Religion's effects on social resistance to gay marriages

Religion's effects on social resistance to gay marriages

Introduction

In this essay, I will argue that social resistance to gay marriages is connected or based on religion to a considerable extent. Gay marriage and gay rights have been a controversial issue in many parts of the world. Often times I come across polls, discussions and debates surrounding the topic and it seem to have continued to enjoy the status of one of the most debatable issues of the present times. The issue has taken national as well as international visibility and legalizing gay marriage in various states has led to protests from various institutions of which religious institution is at the forefront. Although education, race, gender, age and contact with other gay or lesbian people are also some of the factors influencing public opinion regarding same sex-marriage but religion have a central role to play in shaping public opinion and in the social resistance to gay marriage.

Discussion

The topic under discussion has been a key issue in many parts of the world and has received considerable attention because of the controversy that surrounds it. There have been divided opinion on the issue among people and this is what brings the question of what actually determines the views of the people. It also makes me, like many others, ponder on who is most likely to support or oppose the same-sex union. Researchers have also explored these areas and found out that education, race, gender, age and religion are some of the most notable predictors that define the support or opposition on the issue.

Education is associated with higher levels of support and many poll results and studies reveal that people who are more educated are more supportive in contrast to those with lesser education. Age is also a determining factor in the acceptance of the rights of gays while in terms of gender, males are found to be less supportive as compared to males (Bushong, 2010). Religion is another factor that is found to a powerful influence and that has got a lot of prominence in connection with the controversy of acceptance of homosexuals, their rights and the legalisation of their union.

There can be found much discussion, articles, news stories, studies and researches that highlight and present how this can be regarded as a powerful factor in public opinion and resistance to same-sex marriage. Owing to all the evidence in this connection, none can deny the importance associated with religion in relation to the topic and the persistent and pervasive influence it has on the attitudes of the people with regard to homosexuals.

In this connection, the religious tradition that one follows, the frequency of visit to their praying place, the views of the Bible and the images or perception of God that one holds are some of the factors that influence and shape the attitude of the people. Conservative people, frequent visitors to the Church, biblical literalists, and people who visualise God with angry images ...