Culture: October 2013 Archives

Heritage Foundation: What is Marriage? The Future of Marriage

A long but thorough and comprehensive policy analysis by Ryan T. Anderson: "Marriage: What It Is, Why It Matters, and the Consequences of Redefining It." Here is the abstract:

"Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that children need a mother and a father. Redefining marriage does not simply expand the existing understanding of marriage; it rejects these truths. Marriage is society's least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children. By encouraging the norms of marriage--monogamy, sexual exclusivity, and permanence--the state strengthens civil society and reduces its own role. The future of this country depends on the future of marriage. The future of marriage depends on citizens understanding what it is and why it matters and demanding that government policies support, not undermine, true marriage."