The New Jersey Supreme Court sent a shock wave across America on Oct. 25 when it ordered legislators to recognize same-sex "unions" or even possibly "marriages."

Unintentionally, they did us all a favor by making crystal clear why we need to "Vote Yes" on Nov. 7 for the marriage amendment.

We have no choice. We must defend current Virginia law regarding marriage as between only one man and one woman from being "redefined" by activist judges such as those in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and even Maryland.

But why is it necessary to define marriage at all as only between one man and one woman?

The obvious answer is that we are designed that way. That is unarguable from a physiological perspective, but it is also persuasive in emotional and spiritual terms. We know by experience that women are from Venus and men are from Mars. We have diverse temperaments and differing gifts, both of which come together in a beautiful way that we call "marriage," which in turn produces those precious little creatures called babies.

But there is another reason for insisting on the one-man/one-woman standard. If we redefine marriage to accommodate same-sex "unions," then we should also recognize other unions, including bigamous, polygamous, polyamorous, and even adult/child relations. Clearly, that road leads to chaos, because if marriage means everything, it means nothing at all.

Nevertheless, there are some who claim that legalizing same-sex "marriages" will strengthen the institution of marriage. They are wrong, as the Scandinavian experience has demonstrated. After Denmark, Norway, and Sweden all legalized de facto same-sex "unions" in the ‘90’s, marriage rates declined, cohabitation outside of marriage increased, and out-of-wedlock births skyrocketed.

In Denmark, for example, 60 percent of first-born children are born to unmarried parents. That is not a model we want to follow.

Somehow, the debate always seems to come back to the children. That’s because, as parents, we know that every child needs a father and a mother who love, provide, and protect him or her. And that’s really what it’s all about, doing everything possible to give all God’s children a safe and loving environment in which they can grow up to be strong and healthy adults. But what about all those frightening "unintended consequences"?

Opponents of the amendment sponsor ads, for example, showing the Virginia Bill of Rights going up in flames if the amendment is approved. They should know better. This amendment simply affirms the law that is already in force in Virginia, and the Bill of Rights is doing just fine.

Furthermore, both the State Board of Elections and Attorney General Bob McDonnell have concluded that passage of the amendment will not affect current legal rights of unmarried persons.

So what is the bottom line? Dr. James Dobson put it best: "The institution of marriage represents the very foundation of human social order. On that one institution rests the welfare of future generations and the viability of this great land."

Our Virginia legislators recognized that when they approved the amendment in two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly.

It is now our turn to protect marriage from being ripped apart by misguided judges. It is now up to us to maintain for our children and our grandchildren the sanctity of marriage as it has been defined since the beginning of time.

It is up to us to keep Virginia from becoming another Massachusetts or New Jersey. And it is up to us to join 20 other states that have approved similar amendments by an average vote of 71 percent.

Yes, it is our privilege and the fulfillment of a sacred trust, given to us by our forefathers, to stand up for marriage, and we can by voting "Yes" on Nov. 7.

— Dean Welty is the president of the Valley Family Forum.