Some people ask, "Why use the term marriage reality?”
We often struggle with how to distinguish the truth about marriage from the way it is being changed in law.
Some use the term natural marriage, but this implies there is unnatural marriage. It is often interpreted as being particularly offensive by some, which leads to conflict and ends dialogue. Also, there is nothing natural about marriage. Procreation or the desire to procreate is natural, but in reality marriage is constitute by the will of a man and woman to make themselves irreplaceable to each other in marriage. It does not come naturally, but takes a lot of work and sacrafice.
The term traditional marriage has its problems too, because it implies that marriage is simply a matter of human tradition — something created by humans. We know that’s not true from Scripture and the Catechism. It also contributes to the confusion by implying that marriage between a man and a woman should be restored just because it has always been that way through history. That undermines the argument and conflicts with our understanding of marriage.
After a lot of thought and discussion with our grassroots marriage leaders, we settled on the term marriage reality, (not to be confused with marriage equality). It more accurately expresses how the Catechism describes marriage. God himself is the author of marriage; it’s integral to his plan for creation, and creation is reality.
Using the term marriage reality provokes. People ask what marriage reality is Who says it's reality?
Marriage unites a man and a woman with each other and any children born from their union. That is what marriage does, and that’s what it is. It’s a fact that can only be recognized, never changed.
The phrase “any children born from their union recognizes not all married men and women have children, but every child has a mother and a father. In reality marriage is the only institution that unites children with their moms and dads.