D E D I C A T E D TO T H E P R E S E R V A T I O N O F T H E H O M E

SO UTHE RN AFRI CA

Member of Parliament
National Assembly
Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
PO Box 15
Cape Town
8000

Dear Member of Parliament

Why support marriage as between a man and a woman only?

Please find enclosed a copy of the book ‘Marriage on Trial’, which we believe is the best book to answer your
questions on why we need to recognise marriage as between a man and a woman only.

On the 17 May 2005, the Constitutional Court will consider whether marriage should be re-defined to include same-
sex unions. The issue may be referred to parliament by the Court or via the SA Law Reform Commission and/or be
debated as a Constitutional Amendment. As a political leader, you are likely to be asked your opinion on the issue
to help formulate party policy; in media debate; by your constituents and ultimately to vote.

Apart from moral reasons, the state needs to protect marriage because it uplifts society. Studies show that children
with both a mother and a father are more successful. They do better at school, are healthier and have less risk of
getting into crime and other problems that are costly and difficult for the state to solve. Millions of South Africans
have been helped by Focus on the Family Southern Africa’s various projects to strengthen marriage and families.
Government has also supported initiatives like Moral Regeneration and the 10th Anniversary of the Year of the
Family.

Calling something ‘marriage’ which is not, undermines respect for real marriage. Less respect means fewer people
get married; more divorce and more children are born outside of marriage. The Netherlands, the first to recognise
so-called ‘same-sex marriage’, has doubled births outside of marriage since court cases began. Unlike Holland,
South Africa doesn’t have comprehensive state social services and is struggling to cope with the AIDS epidemic.
Re-defining marriage would worsen this. It is a dangerous social engineering experiment which, like apartheid, will
fail with disastrous results. In Holland, Sweden and Canada religious freedom has already suffered, as
homosexual militants try to silence opposition and redefine morality as discrimination.

We urge you to inform yourself by reading this well-written book.

Sincerely,

Malcolm St.Clair
CEO, Focus on the Family South Africa

PRIVATE BAG X1023, HILLCREST, 3650, KWAZULU NATAL. TEL: (031) 7163300 FAX: (031) 7163343
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E-MAIL: correspondence@fotf.co.za
www.safamily.co.za