I have strong religious feelings on the family and these statements published by my church express those feelings:
The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.
We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets. (1)
I know that some individuals will take this the wrong way. Let’s look at the definition for family.
fam·i·ly (făm′ə-lē, făm′lē) n. pl. fam·i·lies (2)
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- A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.
- The children of one of these groups.
- A group of persons related by descent or marriage.
- People in the same line of descent; lineage.
[Middle English familie, from Latin familia, household, servants of a household, from famulus, servant.]
For centuries or millennia, depending on your beliefs, the family has had a very clear definition. It has been a man, a woman, their offspring, and household (for the wealthy). Now, after billions of generations of families we are told to believe that the new family can be anything someone adds together. We are told by about 2.5% of the U.S. population and some smattering of others across the globe, that a family is made of love. Love is a key component of a marriage, it does not define a marriage. I disagree with the minority’s view of marriage; I could not in good conscience prevent a civil union that provides similar familial benefits of the married (yes, husband and wife). In Christian terms, a family is a married couple and their children. To be honest, I don’t know that I would be against same-sex couples adopting; they would still be a family … however, this is against nature.
Nature has shown us, the continuance of a species requires two of the opposite sex to create life. Yes, I know that some animals in the wild kingdom do not pair off. Lions have prides, where there is one dominant male and many females. That is the nature of their species; our species with the exception of some cultures, has been monogamous … one man and one woman.
The family is ordained of God and was first instituted on Earth when God gave Eve to Adam as his wife, in the Garden of Eden. No matter what other people think or the law states; for Christians and Jews, marriage will always be between man, woman, and God. It is a sacred covenant and a spiritual bond.
(1) The Family: A Proclamation to the World
iron wil
