{"id":301030,"date":"2016-09-27T09:00:35","date_gmt":"2016-09-27T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/?p=301030"},"modified":"2016-09-26T23:02:32","modified_gmt":"2016-09-27T04:02:32","slug":"review-helen-alvare-restoring-culture-from-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/review-helen-alvare-restoring-culture-from-confusion\/","title":{"rendered":"What Does a Marriage Culture Look Like? (Review: Helen Alvar\u00e9, “Restoring Culture from Confusion”)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the decision of the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges<\/em> effectively legalized civil marriage between two people of the same sex in all 50 states, many opponents of same-sex marriage have been wondering what to do. Is there anything to do? The law has clearly come down on one side, and it’s not the side of the Catholic Church or even many secular organizations. It now falls to advocates for opposite-sex marriage to try to change hearts the way same-sex marriage supporters successfully changed laws.<\/p>\n

Religious arguments won’t sway everyone, though, so it’s useful to have a historical, philosophical, or social vantage point to rely on. That’s part of how I found the Love and Fidelity Network<\/a>. I’ve been keeping tabs on their work for several years now, since I worked in campus ministry. College campuses are customarily places for exposure to new ideas and inherently places where young people make decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. They’re an excellent place to spread the message of marriage, family, and sexual integrity.<\/p>\n

“Sexual integrity” is the rallying cry of the Love & Fidelity Network. There is a perception that we can do whatever we want with our sex lives, especially while we’re young, without those chose having any effect on our future. From the POV of sexual integrity, however, our sexual choices really do affect our futures. Each year, the Love & Fidelity Network sponsors a conference for student leaders called “Sexuality, Integrity, and the University.” Last fall, Helen Alvar\u00e9, J.D., Professor of Law at George Mason University and a graduate of Cornell Unversity and the Catholic University of America, gave a delightful presentation about what a marriage culture would look like. It’s an intriguing picture. Watch the video below…or read my summary for a briefer version of her vision.<\/p>\n