My Self Analysis

As this project is now coming to an end, I would like to make my last post a critical analysis of my growth as a thinker throughout this unit. Besides looking at my development as a thinker, I also would like to recap some of the major sides to this complicated issue of gay marriage and look into how my opinion may or may not have changed throughout the many weeks of my in depth research.

One thing that I certainly come to realize over the many posts I have constructed is that there are certainly two sides to this complicated binary issue. It has not been as clear cut or as black and white as I once thought it was. Coming into this project I basically saw gay marriage as morally "right" or "wrong." I never foresaw the countless other arguements that could both support and reject the right to same-sex marriage. The constitutionality of denying any American the right to marry, no matter their sexual preference, is one of the questions that I have investigated. (To see articles regarding the constitution and gay marriage click here and here). My personal opinion on this is that the ceremony of marriage is more religious based and not a government-guranteed right and therefore it is constitutional for Congress to establish marriage between strictly a man and a woman. The Bible has also become a big factor in the gay marriage question. While most Americans have traditionally used the Bible to condemn homosexuality and gay marriage, there is also a belief that the Bible does not actually label homosexuality a "sin." (Click on these two link to see how the Bible does not condemn homosexuality--here and here).In observing this, it is so amazing to me how one book of scripture can be interrpreted so differently by different people. While I do believe that the Bible contains references that speak against homosexuality, the main basis for my belief rests in my belief in latter-day revelation. As I discussed in my previous blog post, I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My belief in a prophet that leads our church and recieves revelation from God is my basis for why I am against gay marriage. "The Family: A Proclamation to the World," which I also mentioned in my last post, lays out the churches stance on the issue of marriage. It states that marriage is between a man and a woman and that families are ordained of God. I truly believe that the prophet of my church, President Gordon B. Hinckley, is called of God and that he reveives the words of God through revelation.

Although my opinion has not changed very much throughout this project, I have learned more on why some Americans are for the right to gay marriage. I have become much more knowledgable on both sides of the issue and I have come to understand more why people say that the right to marriage should be given to all Americans. I have learned not only to be open to differing opinions and beliefs but I also how to back up my beliefs and opinions with credible support. While consructing this blog I have learned to differintiate between what is credible evidence and what is not. I believe that because of this project I am a much stronger writer and much better at researching and analyzing any issue in question. I hope that this blog has been both interesting and imformative to all my readers and I appreciate the constant feedback that I have received. I encourage all those reading to look more into the issue of gay marriage for themselves and decide what feels right. It is certainly a huge issue in America right now and it will surley be a debateable topic for years to come. Every American should have their own supportable opinion if they don't already have one!