Written by: Errol Naidoo
Article source: familypolicyinstitute.com
The Government of National Unity (GNU) is forging ahead with its ill-conceived “gender-neutral” single “Marriage Bill” that seeks to strip men and women of their unique and God-given identity in marriage. Under pressure from local, and global sexual rights radicals embedded in UN agencies, the ANC seeks to redefine man, woman marriage in law.
“The Marriage Act” of 1961 that defines the legal union between a man and a woman as marriage and references the terms “husband and wife” – will be abolished. The proposed single “Marriage Bill” will replace the three existing marriage laws on SA’s statute books.
However, the proposed “Marriage Bill” goes much further than consolidating the various existing marriage laws into a single Act. Firstly, the new Bill is deliberately “gender neutral” to ensure terms like “husband and wife” are forever eradicated from marriage law in SA.
The real objective of the “gender neutral” “Marriage Bill” is to equate same-sex and transgender unions with man, woman marriage in every respect. Thus, the traditional definition of marriage as an exclusive union between a man and woman will be abolished.
LGBTQ radicals claim a separate law like “The Civil Union Act” of 2005 is discriminatory because it implies same-sex unions are inferior to man, woman marriage. Although “The Civil Union Act” grants LGBTQ citizens all the rights and privileges of marriage, activists demand not just the rights and privileges of marriage – but total “marriage equality.”
However, to grant LGBTQ citizens total “marriage equality,” government must strip men and women (majority) of the unique definition of monogamous heterosexual marriage – an institution that existed for millennia and served countless nationalities and cultures.
In contrast, same-sex unions are in existence for only 24 years and legally recognised in about 34 of 194 countries of the world. Yet, man, woman marriage must give way.
And that’s the true purpose of the proposed “gender-neutral” single “Marriage Bill” – to devalue man, woman marriage and invent a counterfeit that is not marriage at all. This means the God defined union of holy matrimony, will be scrubbed from SA law.
Thus, the demands of LGBTQ activists for so-called “marriage equality” has less to do with marriage (which they already enjoy under the “Civil Union Act”) and more to do with maliciously destroying the God-given institution of marriage between a man and a woman.
The death of marriage in South Africa by stripping the majority of men and women of their unique identity in marriage will have catastrophic ramifications for society. When “no fault” divorce laws were introduced in the US, divorce spiked significantly. The laws of a nation generally indicate what is socially permissible or impermissible in that country.
When government seeks to redefine the most ancient and enduring of social institutions – recognised by every nationality and culture of the world as a union between a man and a woman – that government tinkers with the cornerstone institution of human civilisation in an ideological social engineering experiment that can only produce devastation and misery.
A book I read entitled, “I Do. Why Marriage Still Matters” by Canadian researchers, Andrea Mrozek and Peter Jon Mitchell argues, “The decline in marriage and resulting family instability have contributed to social challenges facing our communities such as isolation, poverty, and declining health and happiness.” Food and housing insecurity are also factors.
Although the research in the book is primarily drawn from North America, the results of the decline of marriage and the two-parent family is evident everywhere. In SA only 35 percent of children live with both biological parents. Single parent homes are the majority.
The overwhelming body of research agree, the two-parent married family is the most stable social institution that produces the best outcomes for children on almost every social indicator. Researchers also agree, children need both a mother and father in their lives.
The “gender-neutral” single “Marriage Bill” abolishes the terms “husband and wife” and promotes the idea that “mother and father” are antiquated notions from a bygone era. The goal here is to diminish the value and roles of Biblical motherhood and fatherhood.
“The sexual revolution that broke down marriage and the family – as outdated social constructs – has offered nothing in its stead.” Research shows the decline of marriage, and family breakdown has been catastrophic for men, women, children and general society.
Marriage between a man and a woman has always served as the foundation for family life. The family is the most basic unit of society and thus, it’s building blocks. There are no credible alternatives to the family unit. Every social experiment in this regard has failed.
The book, “I Do” contends, “Marriage commits parents to each other and those parents to their children. Views of marriage as subjugating women now dominate our approach not just to family life but also to family policy. But marriage places constraints on men as well as women: it is a way of guaranteeing a man’s involvement in family.”
There is not much research available on fatherless homes in SA. But what we do have overwhelmingly shows fatherlessness is a devastating scourge on society. Children from fatherless homes are disadvantaged in numerous ways through no fault of their own.
Research indicates, “that few institutions outside of the military and organized religion form men the way marriage does. Marriage often focuses men as they engage new priorities, as husbands and fathers.” The “gender-neutral” single “Marriage Bill” seeks to eradicate the terms “husband and fathers” as outdated social constructs – to appease LGBTQ activists.
In sharp contrast, “the weight of existing research points to the centrality of family formation for our well being in community, in health, in children’s outcomes, in wealth, and in general well-being.” Marriage remains the gold standard to unite men and women.
Although the feminist movement view marriage as a burden to women, “a new generation of feminists is naming marriage as not just a social good but a good for women, specifically mothers. That marriage is a social good is as true for women as it is for men.”
Family Policy Institute’s entire submission on the single “Marriage Bill” centers on the fact that marriage matters in SA society and must not be redefined simply to validate the sexual unions of a small but vocal minority. You can view FPI’s submission here.
South African citizens face immense social and economic hardships. Tampering with foundational institutions like marriage and the family will significantly undermine SA’s ability to stabilise and revive its economy. Stable marriages and families produce stable societies.
The Namibian government heard the voice of the Church and its citizens and outlawed same-sex unions in that country. Despite the harms redefined marriage will cause men, women, children and society, the Church in SA has been worryingly silent on this issue.
However, citizens and the Church will have the opportunity to make their voices heard on the “Marriage Bill” when the ‘Home Affairs Portfolio Committee’ holds public hearings in various provinces. You must speak up for man, woman marriage at these public events.
Public hearings on the single “Marriage Bill” will be held in KZN from 24 – 27 February. Please view the schedule here for dates, times and venues in KZN province. I will share schedules for public hearings on the “Marriage Bill” in other provinces in the weeks ahead.
Please read through FPI’s submission on the “Marriage Bill” to familiarise yourself with the arguments against redefined marriage. It’s an outrageous injustice to strip the majority men and women of the unique identity of marriage – simply to validate minority LGBTQ unions.
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Date published: 18/02/2025
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from www.freepik.com
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