"Gay Marriage" - objections & responses

What is Marriage?: Reply to Objections

by John Creech

As indicated in my post last week on Dr. George’s article addressing the “gay marriage” question, following is a summary of his responses to certain objections. My summary of the main thrust of his argument can be found here and the complete text of Dr. George’s article can be found here.

Objection I: Some, if not all, human beings need meaningful companionship that involves romance (presumably including sex) as well as public recognition. Limiting the legal marriage to one man and one woman, as the traditional understanding of marriage requires, refuses public recognition to homosexual partnerships. Consequently, homosexually oriented people are denied a basic human need for meaningful companionship and hence true human fulfillment.

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Obj. II: Same-sex attractions are innate (due to genetics or some outside factor) and therefore homosexual persons do not choose their orientation. As such, homosexual orientation is natural, or perhaps even intended by God. What is natural or intended by God cannot be an impediment to marriage. Therefore, homosexual partnerships should be legally recognized as marriage.

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Obj. III: Homosexual partnerships often, if not always, involve the partners providing domestic care and support to each other in the same way that heterosexual married couples support each other. Yet, heterosexual married couples are entitled to domestic benefits. Therefore, homosexual partnerships should be legally recognized as marriage so they too may be entitled to the same domestic benefits as heterosexual couples.

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Obj. IV: The traditional view of marriage allows that heterosexual, infertile couples can be married. But because such couples are not able to have their own biological children any more than a homosexual couple, there is no difference between them. Therefore, even under the traditional view of marriage, same-sex couples should be able to marry.

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