{"id":1972,"date":"2013-01-10T09:13:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-10T09:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/sexual-difference-critical-to-understanding-marriage-authors-say\/"},"modified":"2013-01-10T09:13:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-10T09:13:00","slug":"sexual-difference-critical-to-understanding-marriage-authors-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/01\/sexual-difference-critical-to-understanding-marriage-authors-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual difference critical to understanding marriage, authors say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Jan 10, 2013 \/ 02:13 am (CNA<\/a>).- Defending the sexual complementarity between men and women in marriage is an essential first step in building up a healthy \u201cculture of marriage\u201d as a whole, say the authors of a new book.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI really do believe that this is a reasonable debate among reasonable people of good will,\u201d said
\n\tProf. Robert George of Princeton University.<\/p>\n

\tGeorge spoke Dec. 19 at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. Joining him at the promotional event for their book, \u201cWhat is Marriage,\u201d were co-authors Sherif Girgis and Ryan Anderson.<\/p>\n

\tThe speakers explained that while attempts to redefine marriage are based on an understanding of the union as primarily emotional, this is neither the historical nor contemporary definition of the marital union.<\/p>\n

\tGirgis, who is both a second-year Ph.D. student at Princeton and a first-year law student at Yale, observed that marriage, historically and philosophically understood, is a conjugal, comprehensive union on multiple levels.<\/p>\n

\tIn marriage, there is a \u201cunion of heart and mind but also of the body,\u201d he said, explaining that the physical realities of husband and wife are integral to the conjugal nature of marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\tIt is this bodily union that makes procreation possible and distinguishes marriage from friendships and other human relationships, Girgis explained.<\/p>\n

\tChanging marriage from this definition would be harmful to society, and should therefore be avoided, warned Anderson, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation.<\/p>\n

\tHe stressed that \u201cbeing for marriage does not mean anti-gay\u201d and said that marriage defenders \u201cshould be at the forefront\u201d of efforts to oppose bullying and discrimination against those who are same-sex attracted.<\/p>\n

\tHowever, he continued, supporters of marriage should not allow their position to be called \u201cbigotry,\u201d and they must explain that their position is not unjustly discriminatory.<\/p>\n

\tInstead, he maintained, supporters of traditional marriage should affirm that there is \u201c(n)othing more important for the future of the nation\u201d than a \u201chealthy marriage culture,\u201d particularly for the benefit of children.<\/p>\n

\tGovernment has a vested interest in protecting and promoting marriage, Anderson said, because of the social benefits offered by a healthy marriage culture.<\/p>\n

\tOutlining the political consequences of redefining marriage, he pointed towards the creation of no-fault divorce and how it has changed society's view of marriage by removing the concept of permanence.<\/p>\n

\tAccepting \u201cgay marriage\u201d would further weaken marriage by removing the understanding that it is a fundamentally conjugal union, he said.<\/p>\n

\tAnderson also noted that if it is \u201cjudgmental\u201d to state that children need both a mother and a father, it will become increasingly difficult to promote active fatherhood and could lead to increased fatherlessness across the country.<\/p>\n

\tConcluding the discussion, George asserted that ultimately, the marriage question is one of rationality.<\/p>\n

\tIn a culture that lacks an understanding of the importance of conjugal union, marriage seems to be a mere issue of equality, he explained.<\/p>\n

\tHowever, the implications of redefining marriage are drastic, he continued, because without the element of sexual complementarity, there is no rational basis for rejecting polyamory.<\/p>\n

\tAs a result, redefining marriage could lead to a collapse of the term altogether, he said, noting that people \u201ccan\u2019t explain why marriage requires exclusivity and sexual fidelity,\u201d as well as permanence.<\/p>\n

\tPromoting the conjugal aspect of marriage is an important step in rebuilding the definition of the institution that has existed in every culture throughout recorded history, George said.<\/p>\n

\tHe explained that the strengthening of marriage will require additional efforts, with aid from law, philosophy, culture and religious institutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\u201cThe struggle to preserve the conjugal understanding of marriage in our law,\u201d George stated, is \u201conly a first step\u2026of the steps we need to take\u2026to rebuild a strong and healthy and vibrant marriage culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Jan 10, 2013 \/ 02:13 am (CNA).- Defending the sexual complementarity between men and women in marriage is an essential first step in building up a healthy “culture of marriage” as a whole, say the authors of a new book.<\/p>\n

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