Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa recently commented, “The California electorate is coming into a new age realizing that [gay] marriage is an institution that supports family values, and it’s certainly one I support.” (click here for story)

Gay marriage supports family values?

This statement is preposterous to people who automatically associate family values with conservative Christianity. But it made me think – what are family values? Are they just political buzzwords, easily harnessed by politicians to sway naïve voters? As a Christian, my worldview is founded on God’s Word, so I must use Scripture as the basis for defining family values.

But this made me wonder where Villaraigosa and the gay community base their idea of supporting family values. I spent some time investigating, and all that I discovered was the slogan, “Love Makes a Family.” Is this a solid foundation?

Jesus says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

Homosexual couples who decide to raise children deny their children the balanced mentorship of a father and a mother. This flies in the face of true, selfless love. In fact, gay parents have founded special support groups, like the Children Of Lesbians And Gays Everywhere (COLAGE) to help kids cope with the issues they face growing up with two mommies or two daddies. They unwittingly admit that their view of love, parenting, and family is not really best for children.

While affection may attract two people to each other, only true love, modeled by Jesus’ example, can promote family values.