Redefining Marriage Raises Concerns For Children and Society

Redefining Marriage Raises Concerns For Children and Society

NOTE: This is the sixth and final column in a series of columns related to National Marriage Week, Feb. 7-14, 2013. The fifth column is available here.

Much of the debate surrounding same-sex marriage asks about societal harms. Many advocates of the change quickly dismiss the question and insist that a redefinition of marriage won’t hurt anyone. But that conclusion proceeds from a misperception about what marriage is—a failure to grasp marriage’s role as a public institution that shapes our thoughts and actions.

Marriage is not merely a legal arrangement that bestows various benefits and obligations on its participants. It...