What is marriage?

             Marriage, as defined by God, is a man leaving the care and comfort of his parents, and “cleaving unto his wife,” for both his care and comfort as well as hers. (Genesis 2:24). The Family: A Proclamation to the World states that “The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife.” Marriage is meant to be a unit designed for the care and the comfort of each spouse, but greater yet as an organized unit where children can be born and raised.  In his dissenting remarks in the decision to force states to allow same-sex marriage, Chief Justice Roberts states, “Marriage did not come about as a result of a political movement, discovery, disease, war, religious doctrine, or any other moving force of world history… It arose in the nature of things to meet a vital need: ensuring that children are conceived by a mother and father committed to raising them in the stable conditions of a lifelong relationship.” (Roberts, 2015)

 Marriage, as defined by our current world, has become blurred. Altering the definition does not change the facts. Marriage is a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded. You can call, as they say, an apple an orange, but it will never be an orange it will always be an apple. The same holds true for marriage.

Having read the Supreme Court of the United States ruling in the Obergefell v. Hodges case this week it has sparked some interesting discussions at our dinner table. I believe it should spark discussions at more dinner tables. This isn’t something that only affects the older generation, but it has huge implications for the upcoming generations and they should be informed and ready to defend their freedoms. I may not be having a full-on discussion about the whole aspect of the issues at large, but I can talk about marriage, and how vital and fundamental it is to society. I can testify of motherhood and fatherhood and how one day they will enjoy those holy callings. I may not be able to change worldviews, but I can help my kiddos understand the issues of our day and how to protect our freedoms by small and simple acts that testify of the necessity of traditional marriage and its definition.

References

Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. (2015). Supreme Court of the United States.