1. Stephen Plum April 21, 2014

2.   Marriage is about love between two people  It is a fundamental building block of all human civilization  The Government recognizes marriage as an institution that benefits the public good Introduction

3.   The government isn’t in the business of affirming our loves. Rather it leaves consenting adults free to live and love as they choose  And contrary to what some say, there is no ban on same-sex marriage.  The issue is whether the government will recognize such relationships as marriages will—and then force every citizen, house of worship and business to do so as well. Can policy compel others to recognize and affirm same-sex marriages ?

4.   In recent years, some argue that marriage has been weakened by a modern view that is more about adults’ desires than children’s needs  Americans increasingly are tempted to think that marriage is simply whatever sort of relationship consenting adults—be they two or 10 in number— want it to be: sexual or platonic, sexually exclusive or open, temporary or permanent Weakening the institution of marriage

5.   Marriage simply can’t do the work that society needs it to do for generations to come if we weaken the norms further  Support for marriage between a man and a woman is no excuse for hostility against those with same-sex attractions  Otherwise one would have to extend the same hostility to those individuals who may never marry or who adopt children or those who may never have children by choice Can marriage be any emotional bond the government says it is?

6.   Is the marriage between a man and a woman the only way the government can protect and strengthen the marriage culture?  Does the love and marriage of a man and woman serve as the ideal institution for procreative love, childbearing and childrearing? Challenging historical understanding

7.   The purpose of marriage is for two people to share in life’s experiences together in a loving relationship.  If two people are willing to embrace the sanctity of marriage, then it shouldn’t matter if it is a same sex couple.  Statistics say gay marriage legalization correlates with lower divorce rates by state, while gay marriage bans are correlated with higher divorce rates. Defending same sex marriages

8.   Marriage is a personal, but not private, relationship with great public significance.  Marriage is an institution that benefits the good of the public. On average, married couples are healthier, happier and enjoy longer lives than those who are not married. Married couples build more wealth on average, with Married men earning more money than single men with similar education and job histories. The same can be said about married women. Married men are less likely to perpetrate violent crimes than unmarried men Let’s take a closer look..

9.  What do the expert say?  A study published on Apr. 13, 2009 in Social Science Quarterly found that "laws permitting same-sex marriage or civil unions have no adverse effect on marriage, divorce, and abortion rates or the percent of children born out of wedlock..."  The Executive Board of the American Anthropological Association found that more than a century of research has shown "no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies."

10.   The purity of marriage is not created by the union of a man to a women but by the union of two people who actively embrace love and all it’s ideals, and that coexist in a health relationship that promotes not only personal and individual growth but the growth of the couple and their relationship with the public In conclusion…