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by Trayce Hansen, Ph.D., Ruth Institute Advisory Board Member
This spring, the magazine for the CA association of Marriage and Family Therapists ran a special issue on same sex marraige. Dr. Hansen's article was one of the articles sceptical of same sex marriage. The association's official position was to remain neutral and say nothing about Prop 8. But after this issue was published, same sex marriage activists commandeered the internal decision-making process of the Association, and pressured the association to vote to condemn Prop 8. At that time, the Association removed all the pro-marriage, pro-Prop 8 articles from the on-line edition of the magazine. We are proud to reprint Ruth Institute Board Member Dr. Trayce Hansen's article, in the interest of historical accuracy, and in solidarity with the many, many members of the CA Association of Marriage and Family Therapists who want their association to remain neutral on this and other political issues.
As mental health professionals, it’s our ethical and moral obligation to support policies that are in the best interest of those we serve, particularly those who are most vulnerable—namely, children. Same-sex marriage may be in the best interest of adult homosexuals who yearn for social and legal recognition of their unions, but it’s not in the best interest of children.
Proponents of same-sex marriage believe love is all children really need. Based on that supposition, they conclude it’s just as good for children to be raised by loving parents of the same sex, as by loving parents of the opposite sex. But that basic assumption—and all that flows from it—is naively simplistic and denies the complex nature and core needs of human beings.
Read the rest of this article here.
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Loyal readers, the Ruth Institute needs your help. With your financial support—and prayers—we are bringing the message of lifelong married love to college students across the country. And trust me, students want to hear that message. They are seeking us out!
We held our first international student training conference at the beginning of August here in San Diego. The three-day event was attended by 32 students from across the United States and Mexico. Just since then, we have seen the following results of our work:
- At Brigham Young University, a team of law students, graduate students, and undergraduates want to replicate our conference on their own campus.
- At Princeton University, the members of the Elizabeth Anscombe Society, a chastity club founded and funded by students, have asked me to come lecture and help recruit even more Princeton students for the marriage cause.
- At the Pasadena City College, two alumnae of our program have started a club promoting the pro-marriage, pro-life message. They want our help in providing campus speakers to combat the anti-marriage culture that permeates the school.
- Students from UCLA and UC–Irvine want us to help them organize Ruth Youth clubs on their campuses.
How can the brand new Ruth Institute serve all those students? We can’t—not without your help. Won’t you send us a contribution today so that we can help these students promote the ideal of lifelong married love on their campuses—and win the next generation for marriage?
We have the leaders, the staff, the program, and the network of dynamic, pro-marriage speakers and activists in place to get the job done. And as you can see, the Ruth Institute already is fast gaining a reputation among pro-marriage students as the go-to resource.
But without your financial help, we can’t send our speakers out on the road and we can’t stay connected with our students. They are taking a stand for marriage, for life, and for sexual integrity—an unpopular stand on most campuses. We need to support them, train them, educate them, and inspire them. Won’t you help us with a contribution today?
Let me tell you one last story. When the students at Princeton contacted me, they asked me what my financial requirements would be. I quoted them my usual fee, plus travel expenses. (Getting from San Diego to the east coast is a two-day ordeal, no matter how you cut it.) They met among themselves and realized that they only had $500 in their budget for speakers.
I e-mailed them back and told them I would waive my usual fee and that the Ruth Institute would pay my travel expenses. Supporting these kids is that important to us. I told them to keep their money and spend it on promoting the event. When their president read my message at their meeting, the students burst into applause. They really appreciate the Ruth Institute’s commitment to them and the marriage movement.
I know I can count on the generosity of our supporters to make trips like these possible. You can be part of our life-changing, culture-shaping outreach to wonderful students like these kids at Princeton, at BYU, at UCLA, and at other schools across the country. Won’t you make a donation today? We appreciate your kindness—and so do the students.
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