Meet the Winners of TFC 2008 Essay Contest
4th prize Sara Federico
"My name is Sara Federico and I am a homeschooled high school senior. I live on a small farm with my parents and four younger siblings. This fall, I intend to attend college, where I hope to major in Political Science and Economics (and maybe double major in English Language and Literature!). After college, I plan to get involved in politics, particularly in the pro-life aspect. I feel strongly about the pro-life movement and hope to do everything I can to assist this important movement. As for now, I simply enjoy learning about the Catholic faith, reading, online debating, cooking, hanging out with friends, and being myself!"
My essay
Homosexuality and Its Negative Effects in Today’s Times
Preserving traditional marriage from those with homosexual agendas is an enormous battle in today’s times, and society must fight homosexuality in order to preserve itself from further destruction. Multiple factors, such as logic, history, and religion, indicate that marriage is between one man and one woman. Many are pushing for a change in the definition of marriage. Marriage has a massive influence on children. Similarly, it has a considerable affect on society. The homosexual goals consist of ideals that would change society for the worse. Already, societies that have accepted homosexual “marriage” have found their societies degrade morally and socially. Therefore, preserving traditional marriage from those with homosexual agendas is vital for the sanctity of marriage, the well-being of children, and the positive interests of society.
To understand better the purpose of the homosexual agenda and the reason it must stop, one must study and understand it. According to statistics from the Planned Parenthood/Alan Guttmacher Institute, homosexuals consist of only 1-2% of all Americans. The agenda is to push homosexuality upon America and force acceptance. Consequently, the homosexuals have many alarming goals. These goals include censoring freedom of religion, identifying any pro-traditional marriage information as hate speech, pushing for special rights, and promoting the agenda amongst the youth. One way homosexuals push against religion is by exploiting the homosexual scandal involving Catholic “priests.” If the homosexuals get their way, any religious speech that preaches the sinfulness of homosexuality will be considered hate speech and the speaker will be punished as a criminal. Homosexuals also push for freedom from discrimination in employment. However, statistics show that “[t]he average household income for lesbians in the U.S. is estimated at $45,927, while for gay men it was $51,325. In 1990 the average household income in the U.S. for all families was $36,520.” The homosexuals are making $10,000-$15,000 more per year on average than the standard American family! The homosexuals are pushing their agendas in schools with disturbing freedom. One Massachusetts father was jailed for simply requesting that the school inform him when homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender would be discussed with his kindergarten son. The homosexuals are craftily pushing their agenda by playing off emotions in order to advance their case and deny the rest of America rights to speech, religion, and employment.
Marriage, through logic, history, and religion is obviously between one man and one woman. In order to reproduce, there must be a man and a woman. Two men cannot reproduce and two women cannot reproduce. Robert Knight ingeniously states “[y]ou can no more leave an entire sex out of marriage and call it “marriage” than you can leave chocolate out of a “chocolate brownie” recipe. It becomes something else.” The definition of marriage is logically between one man and one woman as an obvious result of marriage is reproduction. As Fr. Benedict Groeschel finely stated: “Homosexuality is a condition; gay and lesbian is a decision.” In 1942, the American Psychiatric Association declared that homosexuality is a disease. By 1973, American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of diseases. This indicates that society began its obvious downfall within the past forty years and that America has changed its definition of homosexuality from a credible possibility to a political agenda. The Holy Bible, the base of Jewish and Christian faiths, also declares homosexuality unnatural and immoral. The Bible stresses God’s disapproval of homosexuality. Leviticus states: “You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination” and “if a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” St. Paul also discusses the evils of homosexuality, stating that the homosexuals “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” The Bible is obvious in stating that homosexuality is an “abomination” and homosexuals “will not inherit the kingdom of God,” thus making it a sin. Hence, some of the greatest aspects of life (logic, history, and religion) respect the traditional form of marriage and condemn homosexual actions.
In addition to the influence on marriage, homosexuality also has a deeply negative effect on children. There are an estimated six to fourteen million children growing up in homosexual households. Not only does growing up in a homosexual household deny a child the right to a mother and father, but it also gives them a 4 to 10 times higher likelihood to live homosexual lifestyles than children who have grown up in heterosexual homes. Statistics indicate that foster children in homosexual and unmarried households are more likely to be molested by their foster parents than those in traditional married homes. In addition to children undergoing the destructive effects of homosexuality in their homes, they also undergo bombardment in their schools. Textbooks now teach homosexuality in the public schools. With legalization of homosexuality, every school will have to teach homosexuality as an equivalent to traditional marriage. Hence, the homosexual agenda is pushed strongly amongst today’s youth, which is dangerous for the country’s future.
Societies who have accepted homosexuality into their cultures have found a greater increase in criminal activity and broken families. After legalizing homosexual marriages in 2001, Holland has also legalized drugs, prostitution, polygamy, and incest. Portugal, whose society accepts homosexual unions and whose age of sexual consent is 14, had a case in 2002 where government officials and celebrities molested more than 100 children in a children’s home. The majority of the molestations were committed on young boys by homosexuals. Sadly, the proper government officials ignored the case and the allegations were dropped with the molesters undergoing no consequences for their crimes. Canada is well on its way to similar results, as the government is considering legalizing homosexual marriages. Homosexual couples consist of 0.5% of the 11 million couples in Canada. This small percentage is pushing heavily for legalization of homosexual marriages that would thus allow them more liberty be accepted and to adopt children. Europe is already deep into losing the homosexual war. Canada is well on its way with America falling into place directly behind Canada. Obviously, countries who have accepted homosexuality into the culture have found some frightening results. It is now up to the American citizens to decide if they want a broken society in order to please a small percentage of Americans.
Homosexuals, through their anti-traditional marriage agendas, are destroying marriages, children, and ultimately society. The small percentage of homosexuals is demanding that the rest of society comply with their wants. These wants include destroying the definition of marriage and denying people their religious and speech rights. In addition, children are denied the rights to a father and a mother and are often sexually assaulted in homosexual households. This inevitably affects the culture that then suffers from an increase in violence and sex crimes. The ultimate effect on society is negative and dangerous. Nevertheless, homosexuals are willing to deny an entire society multiple rights in order to appeal to their “rights.” Hence, preservation of traditional marriage is vital to these times and all must partake in preservation efforts in order to prevent society from going to ruins.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
[http://www.iprotectmarriage.com/facts/].
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Dobson, Dr. James. “Gay Marriage: Why Would It Affect Me?” [http://www.nogaymarriage.com/tenarguments.asp].
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“The Goals.” [http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexual_Agenda].
Hansen, Trayce, Ph.D. “Pro-Homosexual Researchers Conceal Findings: Children Raised by Openly Homosexual Parents More Likely to Engage in Homosexuality.”
[http://www.drtraycehansen.com/Pages/writings_prohomo.html].
The Holy Bible. San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1966.
“Homosexual Activists Have Repeatedly Claimed that 10% of All Humans are Homosexual.” [http://www.traditionalvalues.org/urban/two.php].
Knight, Robert H. “Talking Points on Marriage.”
[http://www.nogaymarriage.com/talkingpoints.html].
Sears, Alan & Osten, Craig. The Homosexual Agenda: Exposing the Principal Threat to Religious Freedom Today. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003.
Singer, Benett L. and Deschamps, David, ed. “Gay and Lesbian Stats.” [http://www.pflagupstatesc.org/statistics.htm]. 1994.
