10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is, Like, Totes Harmful Yo

Recently, the so-called "March for Marriage" took place in Washington DC; a demonstration of bigots "traditionalists" who believe their right to take away other's rights was violated with

the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage last year. And to be honest, my reaction to it was, for the first time, not anger, sadness, bemusement, or anything you might expect. Rather, my first reaction was really just the impassive thought "huh, that's still a thing?". Cause the thing is, I had completely forgotten there was even going to be one this year. Their antics have now become so pathetic that they barely register to me. And that actually feels pretty good. What also feels good is looking over the videos put out covering it. From the looks of it, the turnout was lower than last year, and I imagine it's only going to get lower as the years go on. What was once one of the most rage-inducing bigotries is now dying a slow death. And that's a good thing. 

Still, you can't help but be dismayed at the complete lack of logic these clowns exhibit when they try to make their points. Today I stumbled across one video of the event, which in the description box included an article from the group "TFP Student Action," who state on their website:

Inspired by the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church, TFP volunteers are on the front lines of the culture war, working to restore the values of Christian civilization.

Aw. How inspiring. The article in question is titled "10 Reasons Why Homosexual 'Marriage' is Harmful and Must be Opposed." Ooooh, you know this is gonna be backed by just all kinds of facts. (You can't see it, but I can't even type that with a straight face.) So, lets take a look at these so-called 10 reasons and see just what kind of intellectual smack-down these folks have for us.

1. It Is Not Marriage
Calling something marriage does not make it marriage. Marriage has always been a covenant between a man and a woman which is by its nature ordered toward the procreation and education of children and the unity and wellbeing [sic] of the spouses.

Nope, not even close to right. I have the hardest time imagining anyone who opposes gay marriage and who raises this point could possibly be any sort of historian. Marriage has had disparate definitions throughout history. Jason Colavito soundly refuted this kind of assertion last year, showing that, among other things, throughout history marriage has been largely polygamous. As he says, "virtually every form of family structure can find some support in history, so to choose among them and justify it through appeal to history is essentially picking which religion you think is the One True Faith, or which culture’s mode of expression to endorse."

The promoters of same-sex “marriage” propose something entirely different. They propose the union between two men or two women. This denies the self-evident biological, physiological, and psychological differences between men and women which find their complementarity in marriage. It also denies the specific primary purpose of marriage: the perpetuation of the human race and the raising of children.

As opposed to the traditional brand of marriage, which as we've seen was largely polyg-amous (and was abundant in the Bible as well). And leave it to Christians to commit the standard naturalistic fallacy. It's natural, therefore it's good! Funny how they never seem to use this logic for virtually everything else in their lives. And this point about the primary purpose of marriage being procreation and raising kids comes up again later, so we'll leave it for then to discuss. (Spoiler: It's as BS as the rest of their claims.)

2. It Violates Natural Law
Marriage is not just any relationship between human beings. It is a relationship rooted in human nature and thus governed by natural law.

Natural law’s most elementary precept is that “good is to be done and pursued, and evil is to be avoided.” By his natural reason, man can perceive what is morally good or bad for him. Thus, he can know the end or purpose of each of his acts and how it is morally wrong to transform the means that help him accomplish an act into the act’s purpose.

We've already sorta covered this point above. Again, classic naturalistic fallacy. I would like any Christian to explain to me why all other unnatural things (e.g. clothing, buildings, computers, plumbing, etc.) are perfectly fine, but this one thing is worth blowing their tops over. I do in fact "perceive what is morally good and bad" for me and others around me. And I base that on a rational determination of all the available information and evidence I have to work with. Gay marriage harms no one, and bigots have never presented a shred of evidence to suggest otherwise. 

Any situation which institutionalizes the circumvention of the purpose of the sexual act violates natural law and the objective norm of morality.

Being rooted in human nature, natural law is universal and immutable. It applies to the entire human race, equally. It commands and forbids consistently, everywhere and always. Saint Paul taught in the Epistle to the Romans that the natural law is inscribed on the heart of every man. (Rom. 2:14-15)

Circumvents the purpose of sexual acts huh? I assume that "purpose" is just the baby-making and nothing but the baby-making. Except if that's the case, why am I only seeing a march for this one specific issue? Where are the marches against condoms? Blowjobs? Threesomes? No, it's only this one "violation" of natural law that Christians are so obsessed 
with. 

And a few things to consider in regards to Paul: 1) In addition to homosexuality, Paul also taught that drunkards, adulterers, and idolaters are sinners who won't make it into heaven (but slavery is ok.) Again, don't see any marches against these kinds of people. (And I would argue at least one of them made up a significant portion of the folks who took part in this march.) 2) If the natural law is "inscribed" on the heart of every person, why do so many people see nothing wrong with homosexuality? Now they might say it's the "hardened 
hearts" of secular folk like me, but that doesn't explain the numerous Christian groups who openly support same-sex marriage. What's the explanation for them? Hardness of heart? Did God forget to write the law in them? I'm sure they'll have an excuse, like everything else.

3. It Always Denies a Child Either a Father or a Mother
It is in the child’s best interests that he be raised under the influence of his natural father and mother. This rule is confirmed by the evident difficulties faced by the many children who are orphans or are raised by a single parent, a relative, or a foster parent.

And yet despite this, there are no massive marches in protest against single people adopting. Jesus, this is getting absurd. What does this have to do with gay couples raising kids?

The unfortunate situation of these children will be the norm for all children of a same-sex “marriage.”

Prove it. The anti-gay crowd has been claiming things like this for decades without any hard evidence to back it up. To date there are no studies showing that children raised by gay parents are any worse off than children raised by straight couples. Even the frequently touted "Regnerus Study" was shown to actually support the idea that gay couples raise children just fine. And a wealth of peer-reviewed studies support this conclusion as well. So for those who say gay parents don't raise children as well as straight parents, I say put up or shut up.

A child of a same-sex “marriage” will always be deprived of either his natural mother or father. He will necessarily be raised by one party who has no blood relationship with him. He will always be deprived of either a mother or a father role model.

And the relevance of this is what? Even supposing that gay couples don't raise children as well as straight couples, how does this lead to the conclusion that gays shouldn't be allowed to marry? Christians are aware of the fact that you don't have to have kids when you're married, right? If gay couples were bad at raising children, that would, at most, be grounds for forbidding them from adopting kids and raising them. But why then would they not be allowed to get married? How does this follow?

Same-sex “marriage” ignores a child’s best interests.

Yes, those gay folk who put in all that time and extra effort to get a kid because they can't have one naturally are sure to make bad parents who don't have a child's best interests at heart. Look at these horrid people. But seriously, I have the sneaking suspicion the people who wrote this article are just effing creeps. 

4. It Validates and Promotes the Homosexual Lifestyle
In the name of the “family,” same-sex “marriage” serves to validate not only such unions but the whole homosexual lifestyle in all its bisexual and transgender variants.

Civil laws are structuring principles of man's life in society. As such, they play a very important and sometimes decisive role in influencing patterns of thought and behavior. They externally shape the life of society, but also profoundly modify everyone’s perception and evaluation of forms of behavior.

Legal recognition of same-sex “marriage” would necessarily obscure certain basic moral values, devalue traditional marriage, and weaken public morality.

Translation: Gays and bisexuals and trans-people, oh my! What these folk refer to as a "lifestyle," I'm pretty sure gay people just refer to as a "life." No, allowing gays to marry doesn't devalue "traditional" marriage, nor does it weaken public morality. But I'm sure people like these trying to institute their own theocratic rules over society does harm society, and does so in a far worse way.

5. It Turns a Moral Wrong into a Civil Right
Homosexual activists argue that same-sex “marriage” is a civil rights issue similar to the struggle for racial equality in the 1960s.

This is false.

First of all, sexual behavior and race are essentially different realities. A man and a woman wanting to marry may be different in their characteristics: one may be black, the other white; one rich, the other poor; or one tall, the other short. None of these differences are insurmountable obstacles to marriage. The two individuals are still man and woman, and thus the requirements of nature are respected.

Yep, and it's a good thing God was ok with interracial marriage too... oh wait. Never mind. Regardless of what these people think counts as a valid difference, the only "obstacle" to marriage they've cited so far is that gay people can't naturally have kids. And as we've seen, this isn't even an obstacle in the first place. 

Same-sex “marriage” opposes nature. Two individuals of the same sex, regardless of their race, wealth, stature, erudition or fame, will never be able to marry because of an insurmountable biological impossibility.

Again, that impossibility is that gay couples can't naturally have kids, which is irrelevant. Say it with me Christians; you don't have to have kids to get married. And what about couples who are infertile? It's "biologically impossible" for them to have children too. Should they not be allowed to get married? How about post-menopausal women? The elderly? Women with their tubes tied and men with vasectomies? The inconsistency is staggering, let me tell ya.

Secondly, inherited and unchangeable racial traits cannot be compared with non-genetic and changeable behavior. There is simply no analogy between the interracial marriage of a man and a woman and the “marriage” between two individuals of the same sex.

Except there is plenty of evidence that homosexuality is natural and that people are born that way. And there's that little fact that gay people themselves have told us they were born that way too. But hey, I guess they all must be liars. Whoda thunk it? And holy shit, are we really only half way through this thing?!

6. It Does Not Create a Family but a Naturally Sterile Union
Traditional marriage is usually so fecund that those who would frustrate its end must do violence to nature to prevent the birth of children by using contraception. It naturally tends to create families.

First of all, am I reading this correctly? Did you just refer to using contraception as "violence to nature"? Um, overreact much? Again, you seem to have missed the point that having children is optional in a marriage. Op. Tion. Al. Repeat enough times and maybe it will finally sink in. 

On the contrary, same-sex “marriage” is intrinsically sterile. If the “spouses” want a child, they must circumvent nature by costly and artificial means or employ surrogates. The natural tendency of such a union is not to create families.Therefore, we cannot call a same-sex union marriage and give it the benefits of true marriage.

Um, yeah. And straight couples who can't naturally have children do these kinds of things too. They circumvent nature just as much when they use these exact same methods. Where's their marches, huh? And did it ever occur to you that maybe the fact that gay people are willing to go through so much extra effort to have kids might be evidence they will make great parents up for the job? The fact is that, unlike straight couples, gay couples never have accidental children. Every time they have kids, it is intentional and carefully planned. But you'll never hear bigots put it that way. All that matters to them is that it's "unnatural" (i.e. icky).

7. It Defeats the State’s Purpose of Benefiting Marriage
One of the main reasons why the State bestows numerous benefits on marriage is that by its very nature and design, marriage provides the normal conditions for a stable, affectionate, and moral atmosphere that is beneficial to the upbringing of children—all fruit of the mutual affection of the parents. This aids in perpetuating the nation and strengthening society, an evident interest of the State.

And what stops the State from bestowing the same benefits on gay couples who are raising kids? Oh right, you think gay people shouldn't even have kids in the first place. But they are raising kids, and they will get those same benefits too. So yeah. Basically, tough shit.

Homosexual “marriage” does not provide such conditions. Its primary purpose, objectively speaking, is the personal gratification of two individuals whose union is sterile by nature. It is not entitled, therefore, to the protection the State extends to true marriage.

Yes, it must just be that personal gratification those pesky gays want (which itself I guess is a bad thing all on its own too?). It couldn't possibly be all those other legal benefits (like Social Security benefits, filing joint tax returns, immigration rights, and medical coverage), which are provided by marriage and not by civil unions. Nah, that couldn't be it. 

8. It Imposes Its Acceptance on All Society
By legalizing same-sex “marriage,” the State becomes its official and active promoter. The State calls on public officials to officiate at the new civil ceremony, orders public schools to teach its acceptability to children, and punishes any state employee who expresses disapproval.

Oh no, kids will learn that a totally harmless union is totally harmless and allowed? Oh the humanity! Surely kids will be scarred for life by such a thing.... Or not. Personally I think the only "children" who will be bothered by gay marriage are the adult children who wrote this article. And yeah, if you have a State job and you refuse to do that job, there's gonna be repercussions (wink wink Kim Davis). Shocking, I know.

In the private sphere, objecting parents will see their children exposed more than ever to this new “morality,” businesses offering wedding services will be forced to provide them for same-sex unions, and rental property owners will have to agree to accept same-sex couples as tenants.

In every situation where marriage affects society, the State will expect Christians and all people of good will to betray their consciences by condoning, through silence or act, an attack on the natural order and Christian morality.

Yes, it's terrible that we're expecting these people to basically just grow the fuck up. Again, if you have a State job, that's how it goes. Private groups however (such as private churches) don't have to abide by any of that though. I and others have said it many times before: if you don't approve of gay marriage, fine. The solution is simple. Don't get gay married. Problem solved. It's when you try and stop others from doing that that it becomes a problem. Oh, but I forgot that it's the Christians who are the ones being oppressed. The Christians who currently make up the vast majority of the country who are being oppressed. My mistake.

9. It Is the Cutting Edge of the Sexual Revolution
In the 1960s, society was pressured to accept all kinds of immoral sexual relationships between men and women. Today we are seeing a new sexual revolution where society is being asked to accept sodomy and same-sex “marriage.”

If homosexual “marriage” is universally accepted as the present step in sexual “freedom,” what logical arguments can be used to stop the next steps of incest, pedophilia, bestiality, and other forms of unnatural behavior? Indeed, radical elements of certain “avant garde” subcultures are already advocating such aberrations.

I have to give them some props here. It took them this long to get to the good 'ol slippery slope fallacy. I expected it to pop up way sooner. It's such a batshit crazy argument that I hardly feel like it needs a thorough rebuttal. Fortunately, John Corvino took the time and published such a rebuttal years ago. Basically, I can sum it up in one sentence: Judge and assess everything based on its own merits. There ya go. If that's too hard of a concept for these people to grasp, then they need to get back in the caves. 

The railroading of same-sex “marriage” on the American people makes increasingly clear what homosexual activist Paul Varnell wrote in the Chicago Free Press:

"The gay movement, whether we acknowledge it or not, is not a civil rights movement, not even a sexual liberation movement, but a moral revolution aimed at changing people's view of homosexuality."

While I think it is a civil rights movement as well, there's no doubt it's a moral issue too. And it's morally wrong to object to such unions. So get over yourselves.

10. It Offends God
This is the most important reason. Whenever one violates the natural moral order established by God, one sins and offends God. Same-sex “marriage” does just this. Accordingly, anyone who professes to love God must be opposed to it.

Again, I feel like giving them some props is in order. It's refreshing to see that they make no secret that their religious beliefs are what truly drives them. They even go as far to say that it's the most important reason. Which in a way really takes the air out of all the other reasons they've given above. It tells me that, even if the previous nine issues were soundly refuted, they wouldn't care. They would still go on being opposed to same-sex marriage just because their god doesn't like it. It's a delusion on a grand scale.

Marriage is not the creature of any State. Rather, it was established by God in Paradise for our first parents, Adam and Eve. As we read in the Book of Genesis: “God created man in His image; in the Divine image he created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them, saying: ‘Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it.’” (Gen. 1:28-29)

The same was taught by Our Savior Jesus Christ: “From the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother; and shall cleave to his wife.” (Mark 10:6-7).

Sigh. I'll just set aside the fact that there's no good evidence for God's existence in the first place (really, anyone who knows me knows that's a given with me), and let's just go over what kind of god you're telling us we should be worshiping. The same god who approves of mass murder, human sacrifice, slavery (including sex slavery), suppressing free speech, and a whole host of other horrendous things, is the god we should be worshiping. And this is what these people think children should be learning about instead of consensual gay relationships. The Bible's moral teachings are anything but what we should base our society's norms on. And for the record, we're told by this same god that gays ought to be killed. But will these folk ever mention that? I think you already know the answer.

Genesis also teaches how God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for the sin of homosexuality: “The Lord rained down sulphurous fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah. He overthrew those cities and the whole Plain, together with the inhabitants of the cities and the produce of the soil.” (Gen. 19:24-25)

No, this story doesn't say God punished Sodom and Gomorrah for homosexuality. Rather, the Bible teaches that their sin was that their inhabitants were self-indulgent and callous. It never says it was because they were gay. (See further discussion in John Corvino, What's Wrong with Homosexuality?, pp. 25-31.)

And that's the end of it. Ten reasons why homosexuality is like, so totally the bane of our existence. Or not. I'm honestly not really mad about this anymore. Just tired. Oh by the great Zarquon so tired. Gay marriage has been legal nationwide for over a year now, and as far as I can tell, society is no worse for it. Yes, we still have problems with LGBTQ rights and equality, and there's still a lot of work to be done. But the consistent trend I've noticed about these problems is that none of them are actually caused by the LGBTQ community. Rather, it is their opponents who are still causing all the problems, whether they know it or not. People like the group who put out this article.

At the end of their ten (non)reasons for rejecting gay marriage, they make sure to add a lengthy disclaimer ensuring everyone that they "have no intention to defame or disparage anyone. We are not moved by personal hatred against any individual." Furthermore, they are "filled with compassion and pray for those who struggle against unrelenting and violent temptation to homosexual sin." Sorry, but if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and looks like a duck, then you're all still a bunch of bigots living in the Bronze Age. The so-called "struggle" these people are going through is not because they are gay. It is because of intolerant buffoons like you who constantly tell them they are sinners, when in fact they're doing nothing wrong. And despite all the efforts put out by bigots such as yourselves, your arguments are as weak as ever. But that's to be expected, since they're the same debunked arguments we've heard for years. But no matter how many times they get refuted, you guys just keep coming back for more. It's Einsteinian insanity.

Just as an aside, the lovely Cristina Rad made a video about a year ago that goes over pretty much everything I went through, and more. If you want a nice and quick rebuttal to standard anti-gay arguments like the ones I've addressed above, I highly recommend you check that out. (Not least of which because she's more articulate, more concise, and way funnier than me.)

[Quick update: Well wouldn't you know it, I tried posting my response to their website, and pretty quickly it got deleted. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you. And apparently this is a pretty frequent thing they do (example, example, example). I always do forget that free speech is only allowed when you're a Christian. When will I learn?]

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