Donald Hank
"Same-sex marriage"? There is no such thing!
FacebookTwitter
By Donald Hank
August 5, 2010

We now know that a judge activist in California has taken it upon himself to change the definition of marriage. This action on the part of the judge is, sadly, accepted in the media through their use of a fallacious term: "to strike down."

As Gregg Jackson points out, the idea of "striking down" laws makes judges lawmakers, and our media, even on the right, have contributed to the social acceptance of this fallacious notion.

But there is another more basic aspect to this "same-sex marriage" issue that we all have been missing.

First of all, let me establish my credentials to discuss this issue as an actual expert. I am a linguist (specifically, a technical translator — previously a language teacher) by profession. God has been kind enough to enable me to learn to read over 20 languages, all of them natural ones (in contradistinction to Esperanto, for example).

Now, in all 600+ of the world's languages, there is a word equivalent to "marriage" in English, and in all cases, without exception, this word means a union between a male and a female. In a few cultures, polygamy is allowed, and marriage can therefore be between one person of one sex and several of the other. But in all cases, the marriage is between one sex and the other.

Now what is natural language? It is a code system devised naturally over time — by the mother of all invention — so as to enable effective communication between human beings in the performance of myriad cooperative tasks. Among natural languages, there are none that have been devised by governments and higher agents. One's status has never allowed anyone to override the will of the people in constructing or modifying language. In other words, even kings have traditionally had no role in shaping language. Thus language is the last bastion of democracy in the world, so if we give it up, we are truly throwing in the towel once and for all and placing our heads dutifully on the chopping block like Perdue's chickens. We are the people and we must learn to hold to traditional natural definitions, because we are by definition the sole legitimate shapers of language.

Although the California judge has declared unilaterally that a man and a man can now be "married," he has overextended his authority in so declaring. He may have the right to decide many things, but he may not redefine natural language. It is simply beyond his purview.

No judge is granted, under the Constitution, the right to change natural language. The only reason some think we can have "same-sex marriage" is because the public has foolishly, and gullibly, accepted this recently coined term, which contradicts the commonly accepted definition of marriage, namely the idea that marriage must necessarily be between a man and a woman. Otherwise it is not marriage, and it cannot be referred to in law as marriage as long as it falls outside this original, natural definition.

For example, women are allowed to have hysterectomies in America. But does a man have the right to a hysterectomy?

Think about it. Do you as a male have that right?

No. Why? Because you are being denied your Constitutional equal rights?

Not at all. It's because the definition of hysterectomy does not apply to you due to your anatomy. The "liberals" (another word grotesquely redefined) could issue a court decision granting that right, but no matter what the surgeon did to you under that new "right," it would not be a "hysterectomy."

In other words, the issue is not equal rights for homosexuals. Rather it is whether or not government has the right to tamper with our language against the people's will. Just as a judge may not grant a male the "right" to a hysterectomy for practical reasons, so he may not grant two persons of the same sex a "marriage," and for the same reason: anatomy.

If enough media outlets floated and defended the idea that laws and judges do not have the power to change language, which is by definition an instrument of communication arising solely from the people's usage (nota bene: it was the people of California who decided the definition in a referendum), then this whole idea of "gay" "marriage" would shrivel up and blow away.

Why no one has noticed this obvious fact is absolutely beyond me.

The definition of words is paramount in a society of law, because all of law — which is nothing but a meaningful assemblage of words — is reliant on definitions.

If we continue to allow definitions to mutate under the influence of a tendentious leftwing media, education system and government intent upon unraveling millennia of culture, as we have done for at least a half-century, we will just continue to lose our culture and eventually become slaves to the new wordsmiths of change.

All of culture — like law — ultimately boils down to definitions. The culture changers on the Left know this much better than most, and we have allowed them to steal our definitions of Christianity, decency, morality, pro-life, human rights, sex roles, and now marriage. And all because no one was paying attention.

Maybe conservatives think the idea of preserving the definitions of words is too abstract and egg-headed to be of any use.

If so, they are dead wrong, and eventually they will be wrong dead.

Let me kick off this new war strategy by being the first to state unequivocally:

Government does not have the right to redefine words in a natural language such as English.

I therefore hereby deny the existence of "same-sex marriage." There can be no such thing, ever.

If enough of you start saying this, often, to friends, family, co-workers and anyone you speak to on this subject, and really believing it in your hearts, the Left will have to give up this important part of its endeavor to undermine the family.

Stop being wishy-washy enablers. Become effective challengers.

© Donald Hank

 

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)

Click to enlarge

Donald Hank

Until July of 2009, Don Hank was operating a technical translation agency out of his home in Wrightsville, PA. He is now retired and residing in Panama with his wife and daughter.

A former language teacher, he holds an undergraduate degree in French and German from Millersville State University (PA), a Master's degree in Russian language and literature from Kutztown State College (also in PA), has studied Chinese for 3 years in Taiwan at the Mandarin Training Center, and is self-taught in other languages, having logged a total of 8 years abroad in total immersion situations.

He is also the founder of Lancaster-York Non-Custodial Parents, a volunteer organization that provides Christian counseling for non-custodial parents.

Subscribe

Receive future articles by Donald Hank: Click here

More by this author

 

Stephen Stone
HAPPY EASTER: A message to all who love our country and want to help save it

Stephen Stone
The most egregious lies Evan McMullin and the media have told about Sen. Mike Lee

Siena Hoefling
Protect the Children: Update with VIDEO

Stephen Stone
FLASHBACK to 2020: Dems' fake claim that Trump and Utah congressional hopeful Burgess Owens want 'renewed nuclear testing' blows up when examined

Michael Bresciani
MAGA and the Golden Age are all good, but Jesus says, “I have somewhat against thee” (Rev. 2:4)

Tom DeWeese
Either you own property, or you are property

Victor Sharpe
Dhimmitude: Get to know what it is

Michael Bresciani
How Dickens' A Christmas Carol began a prophetic ministry

Linda Goudsmit
MAMA: Make America Moral Again

Jerry Newcombe
Jesus fulfilled amazing prophecies

Kari Lee Fournier
Almighty God vs. Satan: Christmastime—God’s power and peace prevail!

Rev. Mark H. Creech
A free and powerful Bible study on the sanctity of human life

Cliff Kincaid
They want to kill Elon Musk

Jerry Newcombe
Four Presidents on the Wonder of Christmas

Pete Riehm
Biblical masculinity versus toxic masculinity

Tom DeWeese
American Policy Center promises support for anti-UN legislation
  More columns

Cartoons


Click for full cartoon
More cartoons

Columnists

Matt C. Abbott
Chris Adamo
Russ J. Alan
Bonnie Alba
Chuck Baldwin
Kevin J. Banet
J. Matt Barber
Fr. Tom Bartolomeo
. . .
[See more]

Sister sites