CFMC views marriage as the most important institution given to man by his Creator. One we must protect above any and all others. Marriage has been the foundation of civilization for thousands of years in every culture around the world. It is clearly the single most important social institution, and basis for the procreation of children. Marriage stands at the heart of family life. Studies have overwhelmingly shown that children are better off in mother-and-father families, and the healthiest communities are those with the most intact families. In Losing Ground, a classic study of American social programs, sociologist Charles Murray documents that children in intact families experience higher academic achievement, are more secure psychologically and economically, commit fewer crimes, and are far less likely to fall into social pathologies such as unwed pregnancy, drug abuse, venereal disease and deviance’s of all types than children in homes without fathers present.

Likewise, numerous studies show that marriage itself is a societal good, leading to more fulfilled, and even longer, lives. Typical is a study in the American Journal of Sociology that finds married couples have longer lifespan than unmarried people. The authors conclude, "For both sexes, the hazard of dying falls significantly with marital duration, suggesting a cumulating of the benefits of marriage over time." The researchers say their findings are hardly surprising: "The relationship between marriage and death rates has now reached the status of a truism, having been observed across numerous societies and various social and demographic groups."

The marital statistics contrast sharply with research on homosexual men. In Omega: The Journal of Death and Dying, a 1994 study concluded that the average lifespan for homosexual men dying of AIDS is 39, and the average age of death for those dying from causes not related to AIDS is 42.3 This is clearly not a healthy way of life, whether it involves steady relationships or not. Other medical studies show a high degree of sexually transmitted diseases associated with homosexual sex, including hepatitis A, B and C, "gay bowel syndrome," and various other maladies associated directly with homosexual sexual activity. Likewise, studies show a high degree of destructive behavior among lesbians, including alcohol, drug abuse and emotional and physical violence. This is occurring even in homosexual-affirming cities like San Francisco, so it cannot be blamed on lack of social acceptance. It is the behavior itself that is the problem. A behavior that is controllable and even changeable. Thousands of people have left the homosexual lifestyle with the help of such organizations as Exodus International, which has more than 125 chapters around the nation.

Clearly, those who care deeply about children, about morality, about the well-being of the larger society, must resist the attempts by a tiny segment of the population to seize marriage for their own purposes. Individuals struggling with same-sex desires should be accorded compassion, but this does not mean they should be given a mandate to radically redefine marriage. As with the effort to counterfeit marriage, the drive to include "sexual orientation" in civil rights law is morally wrong and unnecessary. If the state of Maryland does this, it will place millions of Christians, Jews and Muslims outside the civil law. The imposition of an of racial code of immorality makes morality itself a form of bigotry. The consequences are grave for the culture if this occurs.  It is foolishness to believe we currently have adequate protection against the assault being wage on this God given institution. We must do more !