Tom, a faithful commenter and a good friend, asked for my sources on the tie between gay marriage and dissolution of the family in those nations that have legalized the former; he also wanted evidence that links legalization of gay marriage with weakening of families. I can do both at once: The indispensable Stanley Kurtz has done the research for us.
May 25, 2004: "Unhealthy Half-Truths"
May 31, 2004: "Going Dutch?"
June 3, 2004: "No Explanation"
July 21, 2004: "Dutch Debate"
February 23, 2006: "Standing Out"
I do not, of course, mean for these to be definitive. But at the very least, this evidence must give us pause. Marriage is an indispensable element of a stable and civilized society. It is certainly reasonable to believe that defining marriage down--from one man and one woman to any two people who love each other, from being inseparable from parenting to being independent of it--might weaken it as an institution. And that is certainly no triviality.
Do some Christians oppose gay marriage because they oppose homosexuals themselves? Of course, and that is wrong, and sad. It gives proponents of gay marriage an opening to attack their opponents. But those who seek to legalize gay marriage have also been irresponsible; instead of engaging in an honest debate, they have used the same tactics as the environmental movement, the welfare-state movement, and the race-baiting industry in impugning the motives of their opponents, calling them names, and shouting them down. Sadly, in all likelihood, these tactics will work. Then we can experience its effects on the institution of marriage for ourselves.
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