Commonweal

About the author: Commonweal is a biweekly Catholic magazine.

Historically, the purpose of marriage was the conceiving and raising of children. Contemporary views of marriage, however, have emphasized personal fulfillment over the care of children. Society's acceptance of abortion, premarital sex, and birth control have further eroded the connection between marriage and procreation. Legalizing same-sex marriage would further destabilize and trivialize the institution of marriage.

There is every likelihood that Hawaii's Supreme Court will soon overturn that state's prohibition on same-sex marriage. [A Hawaiian trial court legalized same-sex marriage in December 1996.] The court's reasoning will be simple enough: Hawaii's constitution forbids discrimination on the basis of sex, and for the state to deny the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples without demonstrating a "compelling state interest" does precisely that. Should Hawaii license same-sex marriage, other...