Defining Marriage

DEFINING MARRIAGE

Traditional Marriage is the Cornerstone of the Family

previously posted August 2, 2020

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by Les Govment

I must admit that I was fairly surprised to see same-sex marriage gain the acceptance of a majority of Americans, and within such a short time span at that. Polls show that over half of all Americans approve of same-sex marriage. One reason for that is the broad support from younger people for same-sex marriage. But that’s only a partial explanation. I believe the larger explanation is that many Americans have fallen for the sexual revolution’s faulty premises about sex, and have simultaneously lost sight of what marriage is supposed to be. 

The proper definition of marriage isn't determined by state legislatures; nor is it determined by what you or I tell pollsters. It's determined by human nature. 

Opposite-sex marriage has been around in some form or another for millenniums, and the reason for that is unmistakable: heterosexual mating is firmly ingrained in human nature. In contrast, the concept of same-sex marriage has been foreign to humans for practically the entire history of the human race. 

One-man/one-woman mating has a biological basis and is undoubtedly the result of intelligent design. The companionship of a member of the opposite sex can be quite beneficial to a person psychologically and emotionally-- which has a lot to do with why most people seek a mate, fall in love, and eventually marry at some point in their lives. In establishing a spousal relationship, a man and a woman bring together much more than just their physical characteristics; they also bring to each other the psychological and emotional traits typical of the biological sex each was born as. Their complementary traits have a direct influence on the differing roles they fill as they go about their daily lives. Human sexuality isn’t only about reproduction; it’s also about fostering marital closeness. Sexual intimacy isn’t just highly pleasurable; it also works to bond partners. That bond-- in the context of a mutual love-- is a feature of a good marriage. 

Same-sex relationships don’t fulfill that formula. 

In human nature, there isn’t any provision for same-sex mating. So-called "marriage equality" is a faulty political mantra that has been parroted by people who have overlooked the fact that the personal relationship concept of same-sex marriage doesn’t have any basis in human biology-- thus they are in conflict with science in this matter. Whether or not same-sex attraction is biologically-acquired is irrelevant to this discussion because, regardless of how same-sex attraction is acquired, homosexual relationships lack the psychological and physical complementarities that together form the basis of a heterosexual marital relationship (attempts by some gays to mimic opposite-sex complementarity notwithstanding). Same-sex partners can’t “complete” each other (in the opposite-sex sense) in the psychological realm, and they can’t become “as one” physically through genital coupling and in a face-to-face manner like a male and female. To be more specific about becoming “as one” physically, there isn’t any such thing as same-sex sexual intercourse. Gay females don’t have any natural way to join together in intercourse. As for gay males, anal sex doesn't equate to sexual intercourse because the rectum is part of the digestive system-- it isn't a sex organ. 

Clearly, human nature doesn’t support the concept of same-sex mating/marriage. 

Since marital relationships are rooted in human nature, marriage-- like choosing friends-- is a natural right. No one needs governmental permission to marry.

I don’t plan to campaign to get state governments out of marriage, but I will point out that since government didn’t invent the spousal relationship, it lacks the moral authority to redefine marriage-- dictatorial rulings by federal courts and the constitutional illiteracy of five Supreme Court Justices notwithstanding.

Government has failed to maintain the integrity of marriage. Just as divorce has already weakened marriage, the establishment of civil same-sex marriage will ultimately further weaken the institution. I’m not making the baseless claim that a gay couple’s “marriage” hurts the marriages of heterosexuals. That’s not an issue. The real problem should be self-evident: widespread acceptance of same-sex marriage will further weaken marriage as an institution, by critically distorting its meaning and diminishing its value in the minds of many, particularly in the minds of kids, teens and young adults. 

I do believe that government should stay out of the bedrooms of consenting adult gays-- what they do in private is their own business. But homosexual relationships are not the same as heterosexual relationships. A marital relationship necessarily involves both sexes. A gay relationship excludes one sex, and thus is not marital in nature. 

The human race was designed around two sexes, each sex having its own set of nature-based, gendered traits. Adhering to the natural method, it takes one male and one female to conceive a child. Love, commitment and the sexual bond-- combined with good morals-- are basic ingredients of a good marriage. In turn, a good marriage is the cornerstone that’s needed to build and maintain a good, cohesive, traditional family. // 

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