Friday, May 11, 2012

Why not legalize gay 'marriage'? (part 1)


U.S. Rep. Barney Frank infamously asked a question earlier this decade that has become one of the central questions surrounding the same-sex "marriage" debate: "How will my same-sex marriage harm your marriage?"

It gets asked constantly and is meant to be a discussion-stopper. But the problem is that it sees marriage as purely a private relationship, hermetically sealed off from all other parts of community life. It reveals a complete lack of understanding of what marriage actually is -- not just in our country, or for people of faith, but across all human cultures. Marriage is what anthropologists call a "human universal" because it is found in all human cultures throughout time. And it exists as a heterosexual institution throughout the world and history, not in the majority, but exclusively.

But the real answer to Congressman Frank's question is quite simple: "Your same-sex marriage will do nothing to impact my marriage. But your marriage is not what we're debating in our nation. We are debating whether it is wise to radically and permanently redefine marriage in our nation for everyone. And that is quite significant indeed." Read more

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