The topic of marriage equality has been a hot topic recently, especially with the Supreme Court case surrounding Prop 8, and for right now, the decision is split. As of 2012, about half of Americans do not support same-sex marriage, religion being at the forefront of their decision making. Being raised Catholic, I understand that marriage is one of the seven Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Church, and I can understand why opponents of marriage equality don’t want gays to marry under the eyes of God or in their church. But what I don’t understand is why, if we are a free country that has a strict policy regarding the separation of church and state, religion can even be a factor in this decision. Under the eyes of the law, marriage is a civil right, not a religious right, and two people who love each other and want to start a family together should be able to marry whomever they want, regardless of gender. I believe it is unconstitutional to not allow people the right to marry almost exclusively on the grounds that “in the eyes of God, homosexuality is a sin.”
Regan Onweller is a sophomore studying integrated language arts education at Ohio University.
