Recently a number of parliamentarians reported back on their electorate-wide consultation about the issue of gay marriage. It was heartening to read that an overwhelming majority (some say as much as two thirds) maintained that their constituents broadly supported preserving traditional marriage.
Of course, when Greens MP Adam Bandt suggested the consultation and report back system, he never thought this would be the outcome. Given the Greens’ advocacy for almost everything that undermines the bedrock institutions of Western civilisation, it is a safe bet that he was expecting a response to vindicate his world view.
Unfortunately for Bandt, but fortunately for many of us, the innate wisdom of the electorate has recognised the importance of one of the most enduring institutions of society: traditional marriage.
Marriage has historically been the union of a man and a woman for life with the intention of raising a family. It has proven itself as the most sustainable and effective social support and training environment for our future generations. Within this ideal, children benefit from having both male and female role models.
Of course, despite such a circumstance being the ideal for the nurturing of our children, we cannot ignore the fact that families today come in many different forms. Whatever the construct, we must also acknowledge that where a child is protected and nurtured by a caregiver who loves them unequivocally, they are better off than millions of children around the world.
That said, simply because families take many different forms – with a level of success – doesn’t mean we should stop recognising that what is best for children is living with their mother and father who have a strong, respectful and enduring love for one another.
This has been confirmed by numerous studies tracking the welfare and development of children raised in different domestic circumstances. These studies show that children raised within a traditional marriage are healthier, more confident and better adjusted than those raised in a less balanced environment.
That’s one reason I think we need to preserve marriage as ‘the gold standard’ of relationships and not allow the term to be applied to unions other than those between a man and a woman.
To consider other types of relationships as being marriage would reduce the important recognition that traditional marriage plays in one of the most important building blocks of our society – the family.
There is currently a push to broaden the definition of marriage within our parliament. Once again this demonstrates the salami slicing encroachment by the radicals on our important institutions.
Only two years ago, the progressive left pushed and were successful in granting to all relationships the legal status and benefits accruing to married couples. Despite warnings by some that this was simply another step on the road to undermining the institution of marriage, there were assurances that marriage would forever be preserved as being between a man and a woman.
Perhaps it will, but that will not stop the social engineers from continuing their push to claim yet another of our social and cultural mores in the name of progress.
Cory Bernardi is the author of seven books and has been a member of the Australian rowing team, a publican, an investment portfolio manager and spent nearly 14 years as an Australian Senator.
