It has been said that gay marriage is a great threat to the family. Why is maintaining the natural family unit so important to our country?
In virtually all societies, the natural family, consisting of a father, mother, children, and sometimes other relatives, fulfills several absolutely essential social functions. From the perspective of society, the most important of these are the procreation and socialization of children. Research shows that the natural family, with its strong ties of love and commitment, is the safest, most secure setting for the birth and rearing of children. No other institution enjoys the level of commitment from its members necessary to sustain the effort it takes to care for a child from birth to adulthood. These important functions warrant society’s special concern for the family, and justify legal and institutional practices that support and encourage families to fulfill their important tasks. Society may permit other sexual relationships, such as same sex unions, to exist; but it need not endorse them by pretending that they are “marriages.” Maintaining a faithful marriage and sustaining a stro
