For those of you who missed it, President Bush made an impassioned plea for the defense of marriage last night in his State of the Union address. Here is what he had to say:

"A strong America must also value the institution of marriage. I believe we should respect individuals as we take a principled stand for one of the most fundamental, enduring institutions of our civilization. Congress has already taken a stand on this issue by passing the Defense of Marriage Act, signed in 1996 by President Clinton. That statute protects marriage under federal law as a union of a man and a woman, and declares that one state may not redefine marriage for other states.

"Activist judges, however, have begun redefining marriage by court order, without regard for the will of the people and their elected representatives. On an issue of such great consequence, the people's voice must be heard. If judges insist on forcing their arbitrary will upon the people, the only alternative left to the people would be the constitutional process. Our nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.

"The outcome of this debate is important -- and so is the way we conduct it. The same moral tradition that defines marriage also teaches that each individual has dignity and value in God's sight."

Jesus had the following to say about marriage in Matthew 19:4-6, "Haven't you read," he replied. "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore, what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Marriage IS the foundational cornerstone of civilization. It was established in the Garden of Eden by God and should be protected and defended by Christians everywhere. If God has ordained the sanctity of the marriage covenant, who are we to try to deny it through cohabitation, same-sex unions, and polygamy?