Those who defend traditional marriage are not bigots. On the contrary, their beliefs are in many cases founded on Judeo-Christian values, as prescribed by God in the Bible. Studies show, too, that children from traditional families are less likely to live in poverty, drop out of high school, experiment with drugs, or wind up in prison. And there is merit to the argument, of course, that all children deserve a mother and a father
But how does the Catholic Church, religious conservatives, and people of faith contend with these new figures from the Pew Research Center? Sixty-one percent of young Republicans support same-sex marriage. And while I understand that traditional values -- including but not limited to traditional marriage -- are timeless and eternal and therefore not subject to the whims of public opinion, these trends nevertheless must have some traditionalists worried:
I think it’s self-evident that on this issue in particular, public opinion is rapidly shifting in favor of same-sex marriage. (Bonus question: How many Senate Democrats have shamelessly flip-flopped on this issue in the last year alone simply because it’s, well, politically expedient to do so?) Thus to ignore these trends is to live in denial and, indeed, in one’s own universe. The question, then, for religious conservatives at least, is how do they convince young people -- many of whom are in their own party, no less -- that traditional marriage is still worth defending?
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Their arguments in defense of marriage are seemingly falling on deaf ears, if recent public opinion surveys are any indication. Young Republicans under 30 today would now find themselves in the majority if they came out in favor of same-sex marriage. How long until conservatives face this reality? After all, ignoring the problem -- as they did at CPAC -- won’t necessarily make it go away.
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