US city redefines family to embrace polyamory

Portland has become the largest city in the US to change the legal definition of family to recognise polyamorous relationships.

In a unanimous vote, City Councillors granted “multi-partner” and “consensually nonmonogamous relationships” similar status under law as marriage.

Portland — with a population of over 650,000 — joins a handful of other cities that have passed comparable laws.

‘Destabilisation of marriage’

Christian commentator and theologian Dr Albert Mohler stated that “the term polyamory has no limit in terms of morality, or gender, or number” and stands in “direct contradiction” to the biblical worldview.

He warned that Portland’s decision is not simply “an effort to promote polyamory”, but an attempt “to destroy any vestige of traditional marriage as the basic building block of civilization”.

The theologian added: “I don’t think there’s going to be a mad dash to polyamorous situations. I think what you’re seeing here is the deliberate destabilization of marriage itself.”

God’s design

In stark contrast, the US state of Tennessee has declared June to be “Nuclear Family Month” and will officially celebrate the family — defined as “one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children” — as “God’s design for familial structure”.

Signed into law by Governor Bill Lee last month, Joint Resolution 182 emphasises the state’s responsibility in upholding traditional family values.

Among other things, it states that “the nuclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation, and it is our responsibility to uplift, protect, and support values that help Tennessee prosper”.