by J. Budziszewski
Cover Story Sidebar | Certain institutions are so crucial to a decent society-and yet so
easy to ruin-that law steps in to shield and honor them. Preeminent
among these is marriage, the seed of the family. To make sure that
only those old enough to know what they are doing can get married,
the law sets age limits. To make sure that no one is married in
careless haste, it decrees waiting periods. To protect the weak and
vulnerable, it declares what the spouses owe not only to each
other, but to the children
