On March 8, Western civilization dodged a bullet. On that day, voters in Ireland went to the polls to vote on a referendum that could ultimately result in worldwide changes for the definition of the family.
The referendum sought to remove the word “mother” from the Irish Constitution, which for over 80 years has protected the traditional role of women in society, especially regarding their role in the home.
Voters were asked to approve new constitutional language that replaced the words “women” and “mother” with the following: “[T]he provision of care, by members of a family to one another by reason of the bonds that exist among them” — a vague statement that could practically mean anything.
As my friends and colleagues John Stonestreet and Glenn Sunshine commented, “The change might seem small, but it would put Ireland in the position of attempting to be the first nation in history to eliminate from its governing language words that describe objective realities about people.”
They continue, “On the chopping block in this referendum is not only the support for stay-at-home moms and the recognition of the role of women as caregivers, but also the natural family itself. Another proposed change is to remove reference to marriage as the foundation of the family and the family as the foundation of society.”
While political and media leaders were confident of victory given the increasing secularization of the once highly religious Irish society (it legalized abortion in 2018), the people ultimately had the final say,
