on redefining a most basic human institution

on "the common good" and the harm that will be caused by the redefinition of marriage, what has helped me to understand is by starting from humanity's common understanding and common vocabulary.  the Church recognizes that marriage has existed from the beginning of humanity.  the words "husband" and "wife" are commonly understood by all human societies through the millennia.  they're words whose definitions require a partner.  a husband can only be a husband if he has a wife, and a wife can only be a wife if she has a husband.

they are husband and wife for reasons that are common across societies: unity of the spouses and procreation.  all societies also know what is a "son," "daughter," "brother," and "sister."  it takes little to no explanation when it comes to understanding these words, because they're basic biological and social realities for human beings.

but with the redefinition of marriage, the very words "husband" and "wife" are redefined.  these are definitions that have been understood by humans for as long as we've been around, but now they've been redefined in the u.s.  by judicial decree.  the Church warns that the effects of doing this will be dire, not on the Church itself, but on human society as a whole.  it's sad that many of the same people who are convinced of long-term effects when it comes to climate change can't see the dangerous long-term effects when it comes to redefining marriage.

in terms of human rights, we have the right to not be compelled by any government to redefine the fundamental meaning of some of the most basic words in our vocabulary.  we have to keep reminding the government of this right.  the truth is worth fighting for.  it's worth dying for.

we often point out "the failure of catechesis" as partly to blame for many of today's societal ills.  and yet our catechesis continues to push terms like "the common good" and "natural law" and "preferential option."  the problem with that is most people (like me!) don't even have a clue what many of those terms mean.  to that, the teachers revert to: "well, it's their fault they never learned what 'natural law' means."  nice, that's really effective, isn't it?

so, more than ever, we need witnesses to authentic marriage.  let us begin in our own home.  ... and remember that in latin, the word for "witness" is "martyr."  may the Lord have mercy on us and give us strength.