What constitute a family and the New Civil Code

University of Puerto Rico at Cayey
Department of English













Title: What constitute a family and the New Civil Code














Janibeth Hernandez Rivera
804-05-3277
English 3202
Prof. M. Medina




The project of the New Civil Code is an important topic for me. I choose this topic because in the last months it’s creating controversy among the government and Puerto Ricans. Many Puerto Ricans like religious leaders are against this new code, but the homosexual community is in favor of this project. They think that the civil code has to be actualized according to the needs of each person. Of course homosexuals want to be accepted and they want to be guided under the laws of normal people.
This project of the New Civil Code is important because topics like this have to be discussed among people who constitute a nation so they can give ideas about how they want to be lead. Like always we are going to have people against or in favor of the proposed ideas, but we can come up with an agreement.
“The Civil Code is the most important law in Puerto Rico after the Constitution” ( Abogados de Puerto Rico, 1930, p.1). The original code was established since the island was a Spanish colony and has been emended too many times that it has turn into a joint of disorganized laws. In this lasted revision, they want to modernize the Code. The Civil Code is divided into books that indicate life aspects of Puerto Ricans. The legislature wants to do drastic changes in the book of the family (Ojeda, 2007).
The Civil Code establishes that marriage is a civil institution that at the same time is a civil contract between a man and a woman. They are obligated to be husband and wife and to comply the laws each other. It is until death separate them. Any other marriage between people of the same sex is going to be judged in other jurisdictions and it isn’t going to be valid in the rights of Puerto Rico. Alike the requirements, the adoptions have laws. “A marriage is supposed to be constituted by a husband and his wife” (Abogados, 1930, p.1). In other words, people of different sex.
The new project of the civil code wants to establish many ideas that they consider innovating. The ideas are contrary of the actual civil code. It wants to establish the book of the family. With this new book they want to teach, since children start school, about the new family concept. I mention “new” concept of family thinking in an untraditional family, but the new project wants people calling and seeing this as a traditional family. This family can be constituted by people of the same sex. It can be a man with a man or a woman with a woman, both with their children. Also they can adopt children no matter the relation that they have.
Religious leaders are against this project of the new civil code because they think on the religious principles and what bible says about marriage and people that can constitute a family. Marque (2007) declares “don’t alternate the traditional concepts about family and marriage institutions, we’re compromised with the millenary positions who establish that the marriage is and it only can’t be a union between a man and a woman. We understand the historic evidence establishes clearly that the marriage institution, like a traditional family, had been and will be the best to protect sons” (p.1). These religious leaders don’t want that the government use models of other countries to actualize the civil code. They think that this new project has a homosexual manifests.
Ojeda (2007) states he’s worry. “The government is choosing by the majority, that is true but when it’s choose, the government is supposed to be for us, and not only for the majority. It has to response for our necessities and protect the rights of the majority and the minority” (p.1). I’m in favor with this statement, but people have to think about the consequences. I’m going to explain my idea. Laws have to cover necessities of all people but what could happen if this project is accepted. Well it’s going to create confusion about what constitute a traditional family. For example: In school all children have their mom and dad. If we accept these news ideas then a child who has parents of the same sex is going to feel different to the other children in school. I think that in this case the child will need to consult a psychologist.
I’m against this new project for many reasons. One of those reasons and the most important for me are that I’m a Christian. I believe in God and what bible says. God established that marriage would be constituted by a man and a woman. He never said that marriage can be constituted by people of the same sex. Therefore families have to be constituted by mom, dad and their sons. Another reason is the stability of Puerto Rican children. I think it would be very hard if people of the same sex will form a family. Their children will have psychological problems. They are never going to understand why they have parents of the same sex and why other children have parents of different sex as we call a traditional family. Until now Puerto Rico has kept under the same established laws from the original civil code. I respect homosexual community but if they decided to be different it isn’t my or our problem. They can do whatever they want, but they have to respect government, laws, and the most important thing they have to respect God’s laws.












New Civil Code

References


Lázaro, F. (2007, May 23). Hay que salvar la dignidad de la persona humana. Retrieved
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Ojeda, H. (2007, May 29). Evangélicos Pentecostales se manifiestan en defensa de la
Familia en Puerto Rico. Retrieved June 22, 2007, from
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Ojeda, H. (2007, May 01). Lideres Evangélicos opuestos a cambios en el Código Civil de
Puerto Rico. Retrieved June 22,2007,fromwww.cerberea.blogdirio.com/1180332900/-14k-

Rivera Sánchez, M. (2007, June 22). La católica contra uniones de derecho. Retrieved
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Echandia, L.I. (2007, June 21). El Nuevo Código: Código civil o religioso? Retrieved
June 22, 2007, from www.claridadpuertorico.com/articulo.php?id=6189-22k-