The impact of legalizing same-sex marriage on society
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In the previous issue (Issue 35 of this journal), the author discussed the impact of the trend of legalizing same-sex marriage on the economy. This article will further discuss the impact of this trend on society. From the changes in mainstream public opinion and ideological trends in the United States, we explore the relationship between the historical reasons for the legalization of same-sex marriage and the deconstruction of the overall family, and finally mention the reflections and actions of Christians.
1. Changes in mainstream public opinion and mainstream ideological trends
Changes in mainstream public opinion.Public support for same-sex marriage in the United States is increasing year by year. According to Gallup's public opinion polls over the years on support or opposition to same-sex marriage, it can reflect the changes in American public opinion. From March 1996, only 27% were in favor and 68% were opposed (which happened to be the year when the Defense of Marriage Act was passed), to July 2013. There were 52% in favor and 43% opposed in the month (this happened to be the era when the Supreme Court ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act was unconstitutional).
A CNN survey in August 2010 showed that the rate of those in favor rose above 50% for the first time. The degree of support for same-sex marriage is related to the lack of religious fundamentalism, young people, higher education, and living in the Northeast and West Coast, while women More likely to be supportive than men.
Changes in mainstream ideological trends.Changes in mainstream public opinion and mainstream thinking may occur simultaneously through interaction. The most important thing is that the American Psychological Association (APA)'s stance on homosexuality has tended to support same-sex marriage. Although the association remains uncertain as to whether homosexual tendencies are innate or acquired, it considers the behavior of both heterosexuals and homosexuals to be a normal part of human gender. As a result, these mainstream institutions have long since given up classifying homosexuality as a symptom of mental disorder and do not encourage psychotherapy for homosexuals.
In addition, the APA also claimed that after research, children from gay families do not develop different sexual orientations, and gay children still have normal social relationships with peers and adults. The APA claimed that general opponents think that gay children will have more problems, but this is actually prejudice and stereotypes. Therefore, it advocates that heterosexuals should learn to eliminate discrimination against gays, learn more about and contact gays, and make it easier for gays to come out. People who have friends or family members who are gay are less likely to have anti-gay attitudes.
Regarding the APA's statement, Peter Sprigg of the American Institute of Family Studies believes that there is no basis for the statement that "homosexuality is innate". Evidence shows that young people's sexual orientation is easy to change rather than fixed, and many research reports have found that Conclusion that sexual orientation treatment is effective, therefore it is misleading to believe that the APA's conclusions and politicians' claims that homosexuals are born are misleading. However, the study cannot explain why there are still so many homosexuals and why treatment may not be effective.
2. Why does same-sex marriage occur?
Throughout history, people at home and abroad have been homosexual, some openly and some hidden (for example, homosexuality was popular in ancient Rome). In terms of population ratio, the homosexual population only accounts for about 3% of the total population, and the vast majority of people are still heterosexual.Why have homosexuals, who belong to a very small minority, been able to launch movements in various countries in the past thirty years, which not only allowed society to recognize the identity of homosexuals, but also legalized same-sex marriage, destroying the traditional monogamous marriage system?Three feet of ice does not freeze in a day. Scholars believe that the main reason isThe disintegration or deinstitutionalization of the traditional family system.
Take the United States as an example. A hundred years ago, American law clearly stipulated heterosexual marriage, with monogamy and the husband as the head of household, as the only legal marriage system. The Supreme Court held that marriage was the foundation of civilization (1908). Information from 1910 shows that women at that time were marrying very early and that most men and women were married. Among those aged fifteen to nineteen, 11% women and 1% men are married, and by the age of twenty-four, 50% women are married to 25% men. Of the men and women over the age of 15, 55.8% men and 58.9% women were married at the time of the census. Looking at every age group, the divorce rate is less than 1%.
From 1910 to 1920, American society underwent great changes. A new sexual order emerged, women were redefined, young single women entered the workplace, new immigrants entered the United States, bringing with them a new sexual culture, dance clubs were established, prostitutes increased, and divorce rates began to increase. Today, many people marry later, often after living together.
According to a 2010 survey, among the population over the age of 15 in the United States, 51.3% were married and 11.1% were divorced or separated. Women between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four, more than 40% are married, 13% divorced, 11% cohabiting or 18% single. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of unmarried couples increased by 41%, which was three times greater than the increase in family size by 10%. The central role of marriage seems to disappear, and remarriage becomes constant. Cohabitation and divorce are part of the family fabric rather than deviations. The law has also been adjusted accordingly, reflecting and promoting social reality through the protective emancipation of the constitution and the mechanism of allowing divorce. In some states, domestic partner laws are established for some opposite-sex couples, providing a new, non-marital but formal legal status.
The reasons for family deconstruction can be divided into the following aspects:
1. Sexual revolution (or sexual freedom and liberation).First, European and American countries began to have revolutionary changes in sexual concepts, and this was indirectly promoted by politicians trying to win votes to tolerate its development. The sexual revolution mainly occurred from the 1960s to the 1980s, and refers to the impact of interpersonal relationships and sexual behavior on traditional values. The development and marketing of birth control pills in the 1960s aroused many debates about sexual ethics and abortion. The sexual liberation and feminist movements took place in the 1970s, followed by gays' struggle for human rights. The sexual revolution also conflicts with religious beliefs; for example, Christianity takes a biblical perspective and emphasizes that marriage is heterosexual between a man and a woman, but homosexuality takes a political perspective and demands equal rights.
2. The changing role of women.The feminist movement and changes in the economic environment, as well as the increase in women's education, have enabled women to no longer be limited to being housewives at home and have the ability to make a living without relying on their husbands, creating a dual-income family. Due to work, the number of married people has decreased and the number of single people has increased. Secondly, due to economic pressure, births have decreased. Advances in artificial insemination technology have made it possible for women to have children without having to have sex. The legalization of abortion has also made many young women careless about sexual behavior.
3. Late marriages are increasing.Due to schooling and employment, late marriage occurs. In the past, women got married when they were twenty to twenty-five years old or earlier, but now it is common for women to get married after they are thirty years old. Taiwan and China have similar phenomena. According to a survey by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the number of married people continues to decline in big cities, and the age at which people get married is getting older. The average age of first marriage in recent years: 27 years old in the United States, 30 years old in Canada, 30 years old in Hong Kong, 31 years old in South Korea, 30 years old in the United Kingdom, and 32 years old in Germany. Due to late marriage, the fertility rate also decreases.
4. The total number of married and divorced people decreases, the divorce rate increases, and births decrease.According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of registered marriages has dropped year by year from 2.44 million in 1990 to 2.08 million, accounting for 9.8 to 6.8 people per 1,000 people (0.98%-0.68%). The number of divorcees was 1.18 million in 1990, or 4.7 per 1,000 people, which dropped to 3.4 in 2009 (0.47%-0.34%). The number of marriages and divorces has been declining over the years, but the ratio of divorces to marriages is roughly 50%. Taiwan and China also have similar phenomena. Taiwan's female fertility rate in 2010 was 0.91, the lowest in the world. China's divorce rate increased from 0.07% in 1980 to 0.21% (2.1 per 1,000 people) in 2003, a three-fold increase in 23 years.
Cherlin believes that we are entering the deconstruction of the institutionalization of marriage, a process in which cohabitation (mainly heterosexual couples) and same-sex marriage are participating. The latter two family forms are accelerating the disintegration of the system. Over the past few decades, marriage has led to a series of deconstructions and a decline in the social norms that define monogamous partner behavior. For example, the rise of cohabitation and same-sex marriage is increasing in numbers and complexity.
The above-mentioned disintegration of traditional families and values, coupled with traditional discrimination against homosexuals, has caused homosexuals to strive for sexual liberation and the rights of each other to become marriage partners.
▲It is the unshirkable responsibility of Christian parents to live out a true testimony of faith to their children.
3. Possible impact of same-sex marriage on society
Some gay supporters believe that same-sex marriage does no harm to anyone. Sprig suggested ten possible harms, especially over the long term. Here are just a few possible points, some of which are closely related to the deconstruction of the family system mentioned above:
1. Schools will teach that homosexual relationships are the same as heterosexual relationships.This is already happening, and there are many cases where those who disagree are punished, such as a father who was imprisoned for protesting that his son in kindergarten was forced to accept a book about same-sex couples distributed by the kindergarten.
2. Freedom of conscience and religion will be threatened.While religious groups are exempt from hiring requirements, individual believers who disapprove of same-sex relationships may face the choice of giving up their free speech in the workplace or being fired. How the church deals with gay members in governance is also a big challenge.
3. The deconstruction of the traditional marriage system will be more severe.The rate at which same-sex couples actually enter into marriage is not high. People in some areas even argue that marriage (such as cohabitation) is not necessary to enjoy the same or similar rights as marriage, which will reduce the willingness of same-sex and opposite-sex couples to marry. A gay psychologist admits that gay couples are more likely to break off an engagement than straight couples. A study in the Netherlands found that gay men's relationships only lasted an average of a year and a half. The spread of same-sex marriage in society will also affect the durability of heterosexual marriage.
4. Married parents will have fewer children, and the birth rate will continue to decline.Although the declining birthrate has become a trend, the legalization of same-sex marriage may further fuel this trend in the future. Sociologists have long proven that children do best overall when raised by their biological parents. Children in same-sex marriages have been without fathers or mothers for a long time, and the situation will lead to more children born outside of marriage and family disintegration. At the same time, more children will grow up without their fathers. Studies have also found that lesbians who use other people's sperm for artificial insemination will have negative consequences for their children. The above argument needs to be confirmed by follow-up studies.
5. There will be more and more legislative demands for polygamy.Multiple partners may also occur in the future if one's mate choice is not limited to the gender of the partner. Several courts are already debating this issue. For example, in Utah, the United States, which is the base of the Mormon Church, a federal judge in the state held in December 2013 that "the law against polygamy is unconstitutional." From this, we can see the future development of Clues of polygamy.
▲When dealing with people with homosexual tendencies and same-sex marriages, Christians should also have love, respect and tolerance, and lead them to believe in Jesus Christ and experience His love. (Image source: http://news.china.com.cn/2013-07/09/content_29363488.htm)
4. Conclusion: Christian reflection and action
From the above, we can know that one of the reasons for the legalization of same-sex marriage is the gradual deconstruction of the family and marriage system in the past half century (increased divorce rate and declining birthrate, etc.). These trends are also having an impact on Christian marriages.
Christian leaders often claim that Christian divorce rates are about the same as secular divorce rates. This statement needs to be clarified. In fact, according to surveys, the divorce rate of people who are seriously committed to traditional beliefs, whether they are Christians or believers of other faiths, is much lower than that of the general population. However, compared with half a century ago, the divorce rate has a significantly higher trend. ,this meansChristian marriage is still more or less affected by the trend of family deconstruction. Therefore, Christians themselves are partly responsible for this phenomenon of deconstruction.Churches and Christian families need to be more vigilant and strengthen counseling on marriage and parent-child education. Pay special attention to divorced and widowed single-parent families.
As for those with homosexual tendencies and same-sex marriages, Christians should also have love to respect and tolerate them, and lead them to believe in Jesus Christ and experience His love.(Due to space limitations, the statistical charts and cited Wikipedia entries are not listed. Readers who are interested in this section should contact the author, or browse the full text that the author will publish later on his blog.)
作者小檔案 溫英幹，本單元企編，KRC文化實務營基督徒理財與投資課程講師之一，世界銀行退休資深經濟專家，現任臺灣東華大學經濟系及財金系榮譽教授及冠冕財務事工美國華人外展事工主任。（部落格www.ykwen.blogspot.com, e-mail: yinkann@e-krc.org）