• Twitter
  • Facebook
News-Sentinel.com Your Town. Your Voice.
Opening Arguments

Straight and narrow

I have written before that I have both libertarian and conservative instincts when it comes to gay marriage. My libertarian side says that if two consenting adults want to enter into a union, it's not government's business to decide who should or should not be able to. But my conservative half says that marriage has been defined one way in most places in most times and we should be careful messing around with it (unintended consequences and all that). Interestingly, it was my libertarian ire that was roused over this account of the Healthy Marriage movement, which is about preserving the old-fashioned, one man-one woman kind of marriage:

If you're planning to get married soon in any of 37 Fort Wayne-area churches, it might take a little more than you expected.

Clergy from the churches

Comments

Larry Morris
Tue, 02/19/2008 - 10:20am

I would be interested to see how a JP justified delaying his/her duty to perform a civil ceremony. That starts happening it's really time to wave the "get the government out of my business" flag, ...

Donald F. Williams
Wed, 03/12/2008 - 3:35pm

The good news Leo is that for those who still desire a "quicky" wedding in Allen County, they are still, and most likely will always be available. The Healthy Marriages of Allen County agreement is a VOLUNTARY commitment among those who regularly perform marriage ceremonies, and those who provide marriage and family therapy.

What those who routinely work with couples and their families have witnessed through the years is that the healthiest fruit comes from the healthiest trees. If you want a stable, well-functioning community whose children are at much less risk of experiencing poverty, abuse, and inadequate education, then strengthen the family tree. In this case, the family tree is the couple who brought those children into the world.

I, for one, as a signer of the Healthy Marriages of Allen County Agreement am encouraged by the hope that this organization is the most recent step in our community's attempt to build a healthier, more stable environment for our families and our children.

I would challenge you Leo to find research suggesting that there is any relational environment that produces healthier relationships and healthier children than one man and one woman for life. Futhermore, the evidence also suggests that the healthiest marriages are those founded on a deep personal faith in God through Jesus Christ that is accompanied by regular involvement in matters of faith such as regular church attendance and praying together. (Please notice I did not say "Christian" - a term hopelessly lost to politics and the cult of cultural religion.)

As a good Libertarian, no matter how committed you might be to keeping the church out of your government, and the government out of your marriage, I can't believe that you would not favor the government for once putting our hard earned money behind a grassroots family-healthy initiative that will help produce the kind of families you would want living next door to you for the next thirty years.

Quantcast