We talk about same sex marriage in school, I’m not sure what to say, help?

Wa alykum as-salaam,

I’m so sorry that I did not see this earlier!

I will try to keep this as simple as possible, but first, please do not think that because you are unsure of what to say that that means that you have low Iman (faith). Many people are not comfortable being put on the spot, and especially when you feel singled out, it can become very difficult.

First of all, I don’t think you have to give a particular answer, do you? As a teacher, I constantly see students who avoid offering answers or who do not want to participate, so why not do that if you are feeling that uncomfortable?

If that is not an option, I think the best way to address this issue is to look at it the following way: there are two issues, “marriage” as a practice and “marriage” as far as the government looks at it. Marriage can be a religious status, but it can also be one that is given to those by the government. What does this status do? It simply gives you some “extra” benefits, like tax benefits, you get better insurance rates, you can be stronger financially, and so on and so forth.

So if you are pushed into a corner, say, religious people have the right to see the world they want to see it and are able to decide (using their religion) who is granted certain statuses and who is not, as long as they do not violate the laws of this country.

As far as marriage goes in the eyes of the government, that is a different issue, one that involves taxes, insurance, and financial issues. These are two separate issues, and you do not feel like commenting further.

If they keep coming at you, then say you have nothing more to say, and that unless they address that issue, then there is no reason to go further into the discussion, because there are two fundamental issues that are being discussed, and generally, people mix up the two, which makes the discussion nearly impossible.

Is there a lot more to this? Of course there is, but, again, if you are feeling unsure, just simply say that there is a difference between marriage religiously and marriage as far as the government is concerned.

Insha Allah, I hope I answered you in time, and I’m sorry if I did not, as I did not see this question until today.