Why does gay marriage affect society

Same-sex marriage—and perhaps even more so, the highly visible cultural debate over it—is contributing to this process. The author argues that the greatest potential for changes in social meaning will arise in three areas for which there is empirical evidence of significant differences between gay and straight couples: division of household labor, sexual exclusivity, and childrearing.

In each, although recent data indicate some signs of converging behaviors between the two types of couples, major differences appear likely to continue.

While the number of same-sex couples in the population is too small to produce significant change in overall patterns of behavior, the issue of gay marriage has generated so much attention and debate that a mixed process of gay assimilation to and effect on the social meaning of marriage is a reasonable expectation.

As to future legal change, the author identifies three questions likely to arise in the relatively near future that will flow, directly or indirectly, from same-sex marriage:. From an economic perspective, the fact that same-sex marriage allows people to achieve some productivity and efficiency gains which some of us might call happiness! For example, if same-sex marriage were to produce some negative effects on the rest of the society.

In this regard, the public debate has focused on how permitting same-sex marriage would or would not reduce overall marriage in society, increase divorce rates, or lessen the importance of having children in marriage. A study in , using US data, found no statistically significant adverse effect from allowing gay marriage.

Another US study in found no evidence that allowing same-sex couples to marry reduces the opposite-sex marriage rate. One more study indicated that same-sex couples experience levels of stability similar to heterosexual couples.

That study also found that for couples both same-sex and different-sex living in a state with a ban against same-sex marriage there was an associated instability. To some extent, findings from this line of research are still preliminary and have to be taken with caution. This is because same-sex marriage, even where permitted, has been introduced only recently. The Bible is so clear in its support of heterosexual marriage there is little need for us to go through an exhaustive definition of biblical marriage versus the types of unions allowed by law today.

The Scriptures say in Genesis that a man is to leave his family and cleave to his wife. This concept is repeated in Matthew and Mark All the scriptures in the Bible concerning marriage presuppose heterosexual marriage. We can teach our kids that there are important spiritual and societal reasons to believe in traditional marriage and oppose same-sex marriage.

But if same-sex marriage becomes legally recognized across the country, our kids will be told that gay marriage is a civil rights issue and that those who oppose it are akin to the racists of history who opposed interracial marriage and supported slavery.

We can teach our children at home that marriage is between a man and a woman, but our children's public schools will teach them that marriage includes same-sex couples. Both would be "equal marriages" under the law. What might this look like? In Massachusetts, where a ruling legalized same-sex marriage in , kids in public schools are reading books depicting same-sex families. At a California charter school in , kindergartners' parents objected when a school newsletter alerted them to "National Coming Out Day;" a parent told a local ABC-TV affiliate that a teacher at the school screened a film to kindergartners the previous year showing gay families.

These kinds of ill-advised social experiments may produce a host of unexpected consequences. If gay marriage is allowed, the nation will soon begin to experience an increased degradation of the nuclear family -- resulting in fewer kids being raised by both a mom and a dad. Beyond that, those of us who believe in traditional marriage and are in a regulated profession -- such as counselor, physician, attorney or accountant -- and act in concert with our beliefs, may be vulnerable to losing our professional license and our livelihood.

We can be a religious charity faithfully fulfilling our mission by serving our community, such as by providing adoption and other services, but if we refuse to provide those services to a same-sex couple, we have the choice of abandoning our beliefs or ending our mission. Even in a polarized era, the survey reveals deep divisions in both partisan coalitions.

Use this tool to compare the groups on some key topics and their demographics. Pew Research Center now uses as the last birth year for Millennials in our work. President Michael Dimock explains why. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world.

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