NZ Catholic.org 31 July 2014
World-renowned American neurosurgeon and author Ben Carson called on New Zealanders who believe in traditional marriage to speak up and be courageous — or lose the debate by
default.
Speaking at Family First’s 2014 Forum on the Family, Mr Carson said he believes in equal rights, but not in granting one group “extra rights”.
“I don’t think anybody should get extra rights — in other words, the right to redefine an established pillar of society. No one gets to do that,” he said.
Mr Carson is reported by American media as a possible presidential contender for the Republican Party. A paediatric neurosurgeon, he was the first to separate twins conjoined at the head.
He, along with Family First national director Bob McCroskie, marched with thousands of people in Washington, D.C., to uphold traditional marriage.
He said changing the definition for one group would allow other groups to redefine marriage. “I mention a number of situations, including paedophiles and people in bestiality. The point being, if you change the definition for one group, you don’t have any defence against the next group that comes along and wants the change to be made,” he said.
Mr Carson likened the proponents of gay marriage to mathematicians who insist that two plus two equals five.
“The traditional mathematicians say, ‘No, it’s not. Two plus two equals four. It always has been four, it always will be. The new ones say, ‘No, we insist it’s five’. So, the traditional mathematicians would say for you, it can be ‘five’,” he said. “But we’re keeping it as four. And the new ones say, ‘No, it has to be five for you, too. If it’s not five, then you’re a mathist or a mathephobe’.”
He said people who are supporting traditional marriage are accused of being bigots and intolerant. But when he spoke to a prominent member of the homosexual community, that person said there is no room for compromise and that they would take only a full acceptance of gay marriage.
“Does that sound like tolerance to you?” he asked.
Mr McCroskie said it is important to protect marriage, “because when the marriage rate goes down, society’s ills go up”.
He said New Zealand studies show that more children from de facto and broken marriages are victims of violence.
“We need to focus on the purpose of marriage and why it works: strong families, strong marriages and strong country,” said Mr McCroskie.
http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2014/07/31/equal-rights-but-no-extra-rights-says-author/
