The Same-sex “Marriage” War: Why the Traditional Definition Should Remain the Standard
“We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past,
and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.”
-President Barack Obama
“Remarks by the President at the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize” December 10, 2009
Preface
I would like to preface my words by stating that my opinions are not meant nor should be taken as personal attacks to those who identify as homosexual. I love and value them as people and my heart goes out to them in any valid injustices they suffer. If nothing else I say is understood in the way I intend it, please understand this: loving people who identify as homosexual and opposing same-sex marriage are not mutually exclusive. There is a difference between loving a person and actively endorsing his or her actions. My statements are to address the issues involved in defining marriage as anything other than the union of a man and a woman. Marriage affects all of society, not just the alleged rights of a minority.
Introduction
On December 10, 2009, President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway. In his acceptance speech, he talked of war between and within nations, its realities, and its consequences. While pondering his remarks, I could not help but see a parallel in his message to a central focus in America’s “culture wars”—namely, genderless or so-called same-sex “marriage”. I use his speech as a both a backdrop and a point of departure. As such, his statements are sometimes used in a different context than his strict original intention. Nevertheless, I believe the comparisons are valid and the principles completely applicable. Like the President, “I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of [marriage]. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require . . . vision.”[1] Unlike the President, I argue that if he or this nation truly espouses the principles he invokes in his Nobel speech, then the first step to strengthening marriage is to reverse the trend that has led us to even consider including same-sex couples into the institution of marriage.
