Redefinition of marriage

The redefinition of marriage is the stated goal of several social activists in the United States and other Western countries. These activists seek to change the definition of marriage to include unions between two people of the same sex (see "gay marriage").

Opponents of such a redefinition variously argue that it would weaken or destroy "traditional marriage", defined as the union of one man and one woman; for example, Robert H. Knight writes:

Giving non-marital relationships the same status as marriage does not expand the definition of marriage; it destroys it. For example, if you declare that, because it has similar properties, grape juice must be labeled identically to wine, you have destroyed the definitions of both “grape juice” and “wine.” The term “marriage” refers specifically to the joining of two people of the opposite sex. When that is lost, the term “marriage” becomes meaningless. [1]

Footnotes

1. Talking Points on Marriage