Media Release 3 August 2024
The marriage of exclusively one man and one woman, as conceived by our Creator, is the foundation of a sound and just society, so therefore we abandon the family created within marriage at our peril.
Right to Life is concerned that New Zealand is facing a crisis with an increasing decline in the number of marriages.
Why is the government not concerned about this decline?
Statistics NZ records show that there were only 18 744 marriages in New Zealand in 2023, of which 483 were same sex marriages or same sex civil unions. The number of marriages and civil unions has dropped significantly since its peak of 27 201 in 1971.
A marriage of exclusively one man and one woman was instituted by God, for the procreation of the human race. The family socializes their children, they provide practical and emotional support for their members, they regulate sexual reproduction, and they provide their members with a social identity. Primarily, marriage is for the protection of women and children.
The trend towards cohabitation is increasingly threatening marriage. The 2018 census revealed that 33 per cent of couples in New Zealand are living together, an increase of 23 per cent from the 2001 census.
For the first time in New Zealand’s history, of the 58,749 live births registered in 2022, 29,508 of these babies - or 50.2 percent - were born to parents who were not married.
However, almost 2/3 of those babies had parents who were living together in a de facto relationship.
Why are women, who instinctively long for security and commitment, being deprived of marriage?
Right to Life believes that the anti-feminist war on women and their unborn children seeks to destroy marriage, as instituted by God.
The destruction of marriage is being achieved through
• no fault divorce
• sterilisation and contraception
• abortion
• LGBTQI and transgender ideology.
Eighteen per cent of unmarried men have had a vasectomy, which sadly reveals that they have no intention of committing to marriage and having children.
The safest place for a child to be conceived is within marriage. It is estimated that sixty per cent of abortions in New Zealand are performed on women who are not married.
Marriage also provides protection for the pregnant woman who has the support and protection of a husband. Men were designed by God to protect, provide and fight for women and children.
Marriage of a man and a woman, and the family are the central social institutions which must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.
Right to Life believes people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
Ken Orr,
Spokesperson,
Right to Life New Zealand Inc.