The Ethics of Marriage and Religion

In the United States, on June 26, 2015, SCOTUS an act for marriage equality across all 50 states was passed by the Supreme Court. This act gave same-sex couple the legal benefits and status of a male-female partnership. This not only shows the progress in changing homophobia in our nation but also allows people to make decisions for their long-term partners medically, receive tax benefits and a slight change in social stigma against same-sex partners being married. Yet, in multiple states and across the country there are folks who did not celebrate the fact that two people in love could make their marriage and commitment legal. For example in Kentucky a courthouse clerk refused to hand out marriage licenses to same-sex couples, her name is Kim Davis. She was arrested but gained many religious supporters like herself who interpret their religion as one that condemns sexual relationships between same-sex couples. This is the dilemma that the US is facing today; do we enforce the law to protect LGBTQ+ couples or do we bend the rule to allow for the religious freedom that the country was built on. To me the protection of these couples in more important than the protection of the religious extremists. I say this for multiple reasons including the fact that Christianity is one of the most culturally accepted religions and prominent. There are legal holidays centered on Christian religious celebrations, yet Jewish or  days are ignored. This is why I feel that the Christians who support Kim Davis should lose this battle of ethics. They have won so many already and have become the dominant power in our political and social debates -- it is time for a change in power.