Traditional Marriage--Which Tradition?

We've heard the phrase "traditional marriage" frequently used to defend the status quo and argue against same-sex marriage--why should tradition be changed just so people of the same sex can wed?

This article from the Hartford Courant (a newspaper that has a lot to say in favor of same-sex marriage) digs back into history and finds that traditional marriage has indeed changed over the years.

Claims of historical fact about marriage can be proved true or false, and three of the historical claims made by opponents of same-sex marriage in Connecticut are demonstrably untrue.

First is the claim that the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman goes back thousands of years. Second is the claim that the Judeo-Christian heritage has always seen marriage as a sacred relationship that must be defended above all others. Third is the claim that marriage has endured for thousands of years without change.

The most commonly approved form of marriage in the past (and the one mentioned most often in the first five books of the Old Testament) was polygamy - one man, many women.

This is yet another example of how ignorance is one of the Religious Right's main weapons.