Love Wins! (And why same sex marriage is a human right)

The US Supreme court just proved that love, indeed, wins with its historic decision to rule gay marriage as a legal right. Everyone celebrated with rainbows taking over social media and the streets. Well, except for a few who still believes that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. Most of them cite religious reasons why this is so. I do, however, have a message for them.

Of course you can practice your religion. Of course you can stand by your beliefs. However, please understand that your religion is not universal the way human rights are. What this means is this: you cannot apply your religious beliefs into the law because not everyone believes in your religion. And while your beliefs only apply to some, laws of the State apply to everyone. So while your church may refuse to give the right of marriage to LGBT’s, the State should be able to give the right of marriage to anyone.

This is in the same way that Islam beliefs include not eating pork but the State does not legally ban people from eating pork (because not all people are Islam and other people have the right to still eat pork if they so wish). Or in the same way that pre-marital sex is banned from Catholic beliefs but the State does not legally ban people from engaging in pre-marital sex. So you don’t really need believe in same sex marriage if that’s how your religion views it, nor should your church allow same sex marriage, but you shouldn’t also stop the State for granting this right to anyone who wants it.

Photo used in this article from Japan Times.