Marriage is a covenant, not a transaction

The Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines, Inc. continues to take a strong stand against the passing of the divorce bill into law.

Even though the divorce bill has yet to be deliberated in plenary by the Senate and the House of Representatives, we once again appeal to our esteemed legislators to carefully study the serious adverse effects of passing this bill into law.

Marriage is not a mere transaction but a covenant that offers a joyful union that also requires heroic self-sacrifice. Divorce not only contradicts the very definition of marriage but devalues it.

Proponents may fail to see that when the institution of marriage is kept binding, there are more weighty benefits to society as a whole. Indissoluble marriages bring about deep psychological benefits and reduce the anxieties of the children of separated parents. Permanent marriages strengthen the basic unit of society which is the family.

Let us not give up on this marriage ideal for the sake of those who face pain, disagreements, and dissatisfaction in their marital relationships. And if physical separation is necessary, our laws state other solutions that do not dilute the permanence of marriage.

We beg our legislators to protect all the other marriage heroes of today—couples who face challenges but choose to uphold marriage as something worth fighting for. Marriage is a valuable oath, a heroic act, that legislators should respect and fight for, too.

ROSIE B. LUISTRO
Chair
Alliance for the Family Foundation Philippines, Inc.
[email protected]