A defense of the Catholic teaching about the nature of marriage.
The relation between the civil government and marriage is rooted in the protection of children. The government has no business making a legal recognition of "love" -- this is not what marriage law is about. Marriage law is designed to regulate and protect that union which can produce children, for the sake of the protection and well-being of children. Therefore, no love which is precludes children can be regulated by marriage law. This does not mean that one love is better than another or that certain persons are better than others, but only that the love of an husband and wife is ordered toward children in a way that no other love can be.
When the Church states that same-sex relationships cannot be afforded the same legal standing as marriage, we do not state that there is nothing good in these relationships, but only that the very nature of such a relationship is that it cannot beget children.
Even as it would be absurd for the government to offer a legal certificate declaring two persons to be best friends, it is utterly absurd for there to be legal recognition of the love of same-sex relationships.
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