New doesn’t always mean improved. A few years ago, the manufacturers of Coca-Cola changed their soft drink formula, but the new product didn’t sell. And Microsoft’s Windows 98, an “improvement” over its predecessor, wreaked havoc on many a computer when it was first introduced.

            In the world of products and appliances, newness based upon design, performance, modern lifestyle, and convenience is necessary and beneficial. But this same philosophy of change—under the guise of “improvement”—cannot be applied to human institutions which have traditional roots and have proven themselves to be bedrocks of societal function, productivity, and stability.

            The June 17 Courier-Journal editorial raised the issue of the definition—or rather, redefinition—of “family” in response to Fairness Campaign complaints of discriminatory policies against so-called gay and lesbian “families” by the YMCA of Greater Louisville. According to the article, the Y’s present “most narrow and traditional definition” fails to fuse with such modern ideas of family as unmarried couples—both gay and straight—who share financial or child-rearing responsibilities or other “legal” forms of commitment such as wills.

Therefore, because of changes in today’s society, definitions of family should be updated.

            The Courier-Journal invoked the ‘Y’ from YMCA extensively in its editorial. However, the ‘C’—which stands for “Christian”—must likewise be considered in understanding the YMCA’s stance on a traditional, biblical definition of family. Such a definition was and is based upon the union of two heterosexual partners in the bond of monogamous marriage. It is this definition of family which has provided the foundation of social stability in American society throughout its history.

Various events may thrust family members into circumstances not defined by a traditional view of family. Death or divorce may result in single-parent homes or orphaned children, and these situations must be addressed and considered with gentleness and compassion. However, these occurrences are usually created involuntarily either by unpredictable events or as a result of unilateral decisions. Still, the subsequent aim is to live life as close to the original standard as possible while under new conditions.

This is not the same as a willful decision to violate these societal norms and at the same time expect special treatment for one’s exceptional position within that society. Human beings are not mechanical products in which any or all parts—however interrelated they may seem to be—may be altered or reworked.

The Courier-Journal itself rightfully expressed concerns over such monumental considerations as legality, documentation, and boundaries that would be certain to occur in such a redefining of family. However, in addition to the logistical problems, there exists an array of destructive socio-psychological effects upon the participants of non-traditional family arrangements, especially within homosexual couples.

Author Jakii Edwards discusses her own upbringing under a homosexual mother in her autobiography. She says children within such unions suffer from anger and gender-identity issues as well as harsh ridicule by other children. Domestic violence within homosexual couples occurs at twice the rate of heterosexuals according to the editors of the National Gay & Lesbian Domestic Violence Network newsletter. And the Medical Institute of Sexual Health reports higher rates of drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among homosexuals compared to heterosexuals. Additionally, higher rates of AIDS, certain cancers, suicide, and promiscuity exist in such unions.

            And all this over a YMCA membership?

            Religious people and organizations have often been accused of “cramming” their religion down the throats of others who choose not to subscribe to their particular beliefs. But the Fairness Campaign’s—or anyone else’s—complaint over the natural, traditional definition of family is just one more example of the attempt by secular special-interest groups to “cram” their destructive ideology down the throats of faith-based organizations.

Dr. Walter Jones is public policy analyst for The Family Foundation of Kentucky, a nonprofit educational organization that works in the public policy arena on behalf of the family.