BY DANIEL KIM
STAFF WRITER
On Friday, Sherif Girgis, co-author of controversial book “What is Marriage? Man and Woman: a Defense,” spoke at Franciscan University of Steubenville on a rational case for conjugal marriage.
Girgis opened with a question, “Why are you here?”
He stated that although here at Franciscan University we hold parallel opinions and follow the teachings of the Magisterium, we will not always be in Steubenville.
“We are called to be disciples,” Girgis said. “To spread God’s love and discern the human goodness.”
“Gay marriage is not simply a Catholic issue,” he said. “There is a rational case behind why we must defend the unique definition of marriage.”
Sherif Girgis presented not only the religious and social, but also the logical proponent of marriage.
“Marriage is not simply a deep romantic intimacy that arouses emotional bonding,” he stated. “If it was, why should it ever be in the basis of permanency and exclusivity or even be limited to be between two people?”
Sherif Girgis asserted that the marriage is a union between a man and a woman in mind, heart and body. If gay marriage controversy is to focus solely on bodily union through sexual activity, the argument of marriage as a whole would become arbitrary.
“And the key component of marriage at its core is not just recreation or intellectual affiliation, but for the purpose of procreation,” Girgis stated. “A man and a woman both are whole in every aspect. They have complete digestive systems, respiratory, etc. but they have only a half of what is needed to create a life.”
The talk was attended by approximately 150 students, faculty and others who were interested in how to speak against gay marriage in today’s political context and what logical reasoning could be found to back up the Church’s teaching on holy matrimony between a man and a woman.
Sherif Girgis graduated from Princeton Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude in 2008 with a degree in philosophy. He won Princeton prizes for best thesis in ethics and philosophy with his senior thesis on sex ethics.
Girgis continues to publish and speak at various lectures, talks and debates on marriage throughout the nation and overseas.
The event was sponsored by The Anscombe Society, Center for Bioethics, and Young Americans for Freedom.