Marriage is a sacred and religious act, as many on the other side of the fence on this issue believe. There are spiritual groups, religious denominations, and clergy that sanctify and condone gay marriage. I am in this camp as a Unitarian Universalist seminary student. I believe strongly in this subject, and I'm a member of a Sacred Worth group at my seminary, which promotes that sacred worth of all persons LGBT or straight.
Jim Duffy wrote in an article for the Irish times, "The very idea of a Christian homosexual marriage seems incredible. Yet after a 12-year search of Catholic and Orthodox church archives Yale history professor John Boswell has discovered that a type of Christian homosexual "marriage" did exist as late as the 18th century."
According to Duffy, Professor Boswell discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient church liturgical documents (and clearly separate from other types of non-marital blessings such as blessings of adopted children or land) were ceremonies called, among other titles, the "Office of Same Sex Union" (10th and 11th century Greek) or the "Order for Uniting Two Men" (11th and 12th century).
The article goes on to say that all of the symbols of a marriage that we recognize today were in use: a community gathered in church, a blessing of the couple before the altar, their right hands joined as at heterosexual marriages, the participation of a priest, the taking of the Eucharist, a wedding banquet aftet afterwards.
The article mentions the following evidence: One Greek 13th century "Order for Solemnisation of Same Sex Union" having invoked St Serge and St Bacchus; Another 14th century Serbian Slavonic "Office of Same Sex Union",uniting two men or two women, had the couple having their right hands laid on the Gospel while having a cross placed in their left hands. Having kissed the Gospel, the couple were then required to kiss each other, after which the priest, having raised up the Eucharist, would give them both communion; At St John Lateran in Rome (traditionally the Pope's parish Church) in 1578 as many as 13 couples were "married" at Mass with the apparent co-operation of the local clergy, "taking Communion together;Another woman-to-woman union is recorded in Dalmatia in the 18th century.
According to www.religionfacts.com, Homosexuality has an ancient history in India. Ancient texts like Rig Veda (which dates back around 1500 BC), sculptures and vestiges depict sexual acts between women as revelations of a feminine world where sexuality was based on pleasure and fertility.
The binding religious texts in Hinduism do not seem to ban homosexual marriage, though there is debate about whether homosexual marriage should take place.
According to www.religionfacts.com, proponents of homosexuality within Hinduism argue:
-Nowhere in the Hindu sacred texts is romantic love excluded to all but a man and woman, so there are no religious grounds to make a statement to the contrary.
-Since homosexuals can experience romantic love, homosexual sexual relationships are not all the product of lust.
-The three functions of marriage are given in the Dharma Shastras, books that are not binding to Hindus, and thus Prajaa is not a determining factor in Hindu marriages. Even if the three functions of marriage were binding in terms of marriages, Prajaa may be interpreted in a number of ways that do not involve procreation at all. Thus homosexuals should be allowed to marry.
-Sexual expression within a loving relationship is encouraged by Hinduism because it is not an expression of lust, but an expression of love and devotion to each others' happiness. Therefore, homosexuals in loving relationships (i.e. marriage) should be allowed to express their love sexually.
Does Buddhism sanction gay marriage? According to www.buddhistview.com, There is no objection of the Buddha found in the Tipitaka. To be precise, the Buddha was neither supportive nor against marriage between members of the same gender.
Ultimately, marriage is a beneficial institution. It provides stability both financially and emotionally. Marriage offers medical and legal benefts. I find it funny when people talk about gay marriage being a threat to marriage. How is love and relationship a threat? Con artists, pedophiles, and abusers are not kept from lawful marriage - why should it apply to homosexuality?
I would invite further reading at:
http://www.bidstrup.com/marriage.htm
http://www.drizzle.com/~slmndr/salamandir/pubs/irishtimes/opt3.htm
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