Gay Marriage

If it matters, I would like to point out that my opponent has used the same wording for all her opening arguments. So I will rebuttal all that she has argued, and encourage her to rebuttal on the points I do not use this round, but used in the previous round. Thanks to my opponent for responding quickly.http://www.debate.org...http://www.debate.org...http://www.debate.org...http://www.debate.org...1. HOMOSEXUALITY IS A CHOICE Homosexuality is a choice, do not let my opponent fool you with her response, it is a CHOICE. My opponent will give some somewhat scientific website related to health that says being gay is something determined by genetics. In a previous argument, my opponent stated: "If homosexuality was a choice then why would the percentage around the world be so similar? Because this is something that is predetermined, just like you gender, hair color, eye color, so on."Gender, hair color, eye color, etc., are all determined by genetics and God. A difference though is that these are all genetic, passed down from generation to generation. Here is where it gets interesting to me... If being gay is genetic, how are gay people even on this earth? I ask this because it takes a MAN and WOMAN to make a baby. I can cite a source if needed. So if it takes a MAN and WOMAN (straight parents) to make a baby, where does the gay ancestor carrying the homosexual gene come in? Because the family tree will be made of a MAN and WOMAN all the way to Adam and Eve. Does this mysterious homosexual gene just appear out of nowhere? No. Let's be realistic. Being homosexual is a learned behavior. Here is a study that promotes homosexuality is a choice."A new scientific study of 409 pairs of gay brothers could put to rest decades of debate over the existence of the so-called ‘gay gene’. Research conducted by the NorthShore Research Institute in the US found clear links between male sexual orientation and two specific regions of the human genome, with lead scientist Alan Sanders declaring that the work “erodes the notion that sexual orientation is a choice”. The study is three times larger than any previously done and highlights two genetic regions that have been tied to male homosexuality in separate research: Xq28, first identified in 1993, and 8q12, spotted in 2005. However, Sanders does not claim to have identified a single gene which ‘causes’ male homosexuality in humans and stresses that with complex human traits like sexual orientation there are many influencing factors, both genetic and environmental. For the study Sanders and his team collected blood and saliva from 409 pairs of gay brothers and analysed their genetic code for markers known as single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Although Xq28 and 8q12 were the two regions that were most frequently identified as home to genetic markers common among the 818 gay men, three other SNPs were also highlighted. Speaking to the New Scientist, neuroscientist Simon LeVay commented: “This study knocks another nail into the coffin of the 'chosen lifestyle' theory of homosexuality.” "Yes, we have a choice in life, to be ourselves or to conform to someone else's idea of normality, but being straight, bisexual or gay, or none of these, is a central part of who we are, thanks in part to the DNA we were born with,” said LeVay, who previously claimed to have found a region of the brain that was smaller in gay men."(A) I proclaim that homosexuality is a learned behavior. You are not predetermined to be a racist, a sexist, a homosexual, etc. These are all learned behaviors. My opponent uses a quite interesting comparison, telling straight people to try and picture a world with gay people everywhere and want to like other men. I'm not sure about my opponent's brain, but in my brain there is no barrier in what gender I am sexually attracted to. I am not attracted to men, I am not a homosexual, but I do not feel as if my brain is "hard wired" to women. We are given free-will in this world by our Creator, we are given the choice in what gender we are attracted to, it is not predetermined and the experiment above proves that. My opponent also uses a interesting statistic that in all societies the amount of gay people typically ranges around 5%-8%. Very interesting, but I am not sure that is a statistically significant fact relating to whether you have a choice of being homosexual or not . That is like saying the amount of Native Americans per state in all fifty states is about the same, x%-x% (not a real statistic, just an example).My opponent gives three statistics which all have to do with the bullying and academic success of gay students. She then blames it on the "gay gene" saying do you think these students want this? My answer to that is uncertain... Once again I am not gay, nor have I ever harassed a gay person. Ultimately, it is the choice of the homosexual, and that homosexual has to ask himself/herself is being gay is worth it. I also have to add that Christians love everyone, if someone has ever harassed or bullied you for being gay I am so sorry. They are not fulfilling what Jesus has taught them."Jesus died and rose so that homosexuals could be forgiven and sanctified, just as surely as He died and rose for you and me. We want to give our full support and pure love to true Christians who struggle with this awful sin. Jesus Christ came to this wicked, sin-filled world to make a holy people for Himself, and let us praise God, who transforms sinners into His saints." (B)2. EQUALITY AND SEPERATION OF CHURCH AND STATE Typically, gay marriage is fought for by groups such as the LGBT community because they feel unequal. I would once again like to use the same example I used earlier from the Declaration of Independence."...all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." -Declaration of IndependenceNow, if the founding fathers were certain that homosexuals needed to be equal don't you think they would have established that same-sex marriage should be legal throughout the United States? Quite possibly they might have thought about it, gay people were around even at the time of Jesus (hints the Bible's teachings). "...our founding fathers would have been outraged that homosexuals would be out in the open. They knew that such perversion would both undermine and erode the moral foundations of civilization."(C)The creators of the free world believed this. During their lifetime same-sex relations were a capital offense in Britain. What they did do, however, is leave hard decisions like same-sex marriage to the states.So, my opponent brings up the separation of church of state. She is correct, the first amendment denies the government of establishing a religion. However, the 10th amendment reads:"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."Therefore, the power to decide same-sex marriage resides with the states. The Supreme Court cannot make laws, they made a inaccurate ruling in 2015.CONCLUSIONOnce again, I ran out of characters. The last two points my opponent made about economic benefits and adoption are not relevant to what I initially argued. I believe that the "traditional marriage" between one man and one woman is the backbone of the United States of America. I ask my opponent to rebuttal my arguments and provide a quality debate. Thank you.(A)http://www.independent.co.uk...(B)http://www.biblequery.org...(C)http://freedomoutpost.com......