According to Heritage Foundation research, marriage between a man and a woman provide benefits to children and society that can’t be found elsewhere. Where marriage breaks down, rises in unwed childbirth and government dependency follow.

A recent poll sponsored by the Alliance Defense Fund asked 1,500 American adults if they agreed with the following statement: “I believe marriage should be defined only as a union between one man and one woman.” Sixty-two percent of the respondents agreed. Included in that number were 53 percent who “strongly agreed.”

Polls released in recent years on same-sex marriage, by CNN and ABC/Washington Post, have found seemingly contrasting data. What sets ADF’s poll apart however, is the wording. It closely aligns the wording of ballot initiatives. Previous polls on same-sex marriage have asked whether or not it should be legalized.

Greg Scott, a spokesman for ADF, said, “It is not surprising that Americans answered in the same way they answer in polls.” So far, no state has voted to define marriage differently than between a man and a woman.

According to Heritage Foundation research, marriage between a man and a woman provide benefits to children and society that can’t be found elsewhere. Where marriage breaks down, rises in unwed childbirth and government dependency follow.

“Millions of children are born each year in the United States without the benefits that married parents can uniquely confer on them. As the nation seeks to regain its economic and social footing, it is time not to blur the meaning of marriage further, but to rebuild it for the good of future generations.” said Chuck Donovan, Heritage Senior Fellow.

The poll was part of a larger effort by ADF to understand American marriage views. “ADF was prepared to find results we did not agree with,” Scott said, although he admits the results were encouraging.

@Copyright 2011 World Magazine – used with permission