Santorum: Gay Marriage “Cheapens” Straight Marriage, “Undermines Faith”

Rick Santorum while campaigning in Iowa told different crowds of supporters that same-sex marriage will “cheapen” heterosexual marriage, and that marriage equality will “devastate” kids. Santorum, a 2012 GOP presidential hopeful, while touring with fellow openly anti-gay Republican, Rep. Steve King (R-IA), also said same-sex marriage would have a “devastating impact” on America’s children, families, and religious liberties.

“The reason the left has gone after same-sex marriage is because it’s a two-fer,” Santorum said, according to the Des Moines Register. “When you redefine marriage, you cheapen marriage. You make it into something less valuable, less special … [and] it is a sure bet that will undermine faith.”

Congressman Steve King, who spoke earlier in the evening, sounded similar themes, speaking of the “timeless values” of northwest Iowans — God, the Constitution and family.

King, who seeks re-election, criticized the health care reform law signed by President Barack Obama and briefly discussed his efforts to repeal it.

“We should be offended that they would take your and my liberty. It diminishes the future destiny of a people who took care of themselves … and didn’t ask the government to solve our problems,” King said.

Iowa GOP Chairman Matt Strawn also spoke, predicting President Obama will not be elected for a second term if he loses Iowa.

Santorum, a supporter of limited government, identified Britain’s Margaret Thatcher as one of his heroes growing up because she brought Britain back from communism and socialism.

Characterizing the American people’s relationship with their government today, Santorum said, “You are now co-dependent with the federal government, and that is the end of America.”

He closed the night’s event by saying, “Please join me in saving America.”

READ: Rick Santorum’s Top Ten Most-Offensive Anti-Gay Comments

Santorum, who stated during the first GOP presidential debate in May, “Anybody that would suggest that we call a truce on the moral issues doesn’t understand what America is all about,” has made his career attacking gays and lesbians. “America is a country that is based on this concept, and the Declaration of Independence, that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. Rights come from God and the first of which is life. The second of which is liberty,” Santorum preached at the May debate.

Santorum is famous for saying, “But what I can say is that the state is not doing a service to the child and to society by not putting that child in a home where there is a mother and a father. This is common sense. This is nature. And what we’re trying to do is defy nature because a certain group of people want to be affirmed by society. And I just don’t think that’s to the benefit of society or to the child.”

(Where do we even begin with this? OK. “the state is not doing a service to the child and to society by not putting that child in a home where there is a mother and a father.” [1] Thanks in large part to Santorum and his ilk, women’s reproductive rights are becoming even more difficult to access, which means even more unwanted children, which means even more children are going to be put up for adoption. Not to mention all the countries around the world, and recent disasters that have killed hundreds of thousands of parents. My point is, speaking of “common sense,” there are far more children needing good homes than there are heterosexual married couples wanting to adopt them. So, unless the former Senator is willing to adopt millions of children, he needs to do better than proselytize here. [2] He’s plain wrong. Remember this: Two long-​term studies recently published found just the opposite. In fact, one of them, a twenty-​five year-​long and vigorously peer-​reviewed study published in the journalPediatrics, found that adopted children raised by lesbian parents are better–adjusted and do better in school than their opposite-​parented peers. Add to this the fact that we now have, “a study of gay dads that finds they are more likely than straight ones to focus on parenting over career, at least when their children are young.” Any questions, minister Senator?)