There are two understandings of marriage in today's culture — one of them has been around for centuries; the other is brand new.
According to a new research report, Glenn Stanton, director of global family formation studies at Focus on the Family, said, "if you look at the work of leading anthropologists through the past century, one is struck by the consistent understanding of marriage and family as a social unit that brings together male and female. The comparison between this diverse and learned understanding with the paper-thin, ahistorical and acultural definitions offered by leading same-sex proponents is stark. The former show great understanding and complexity, while the latter shows immense creativity."
Stanton cited anthropologist Suzanne Frayser's definition of marriage in her 1985 book, Varieties of Sexual Experience :
“Marriage is a relationship within which a group socially approves and encourages sexual intercourse and the birth of children… Marriage is not usually a transaction confined to the bride and groom. It extends beyond them, to include members of their own families or kin group.”
Stanton also cited same-sex "marriage" activist Evan Wolfson's definition:
“Marriage is what we use to describe a specific relationship of love and dedication to another person.”
"The ways leading anthropologists and the brightest same-sex marriage advocates define marriage are breathtaking." Stanton said. "This comparison should show us that the gay 'marriage' experiment is exactly that, without any rootedness in human experience."
