Look up definition to learn Webster's thinking

Noah Webster was a very prominent founding father. He wrote several well-known books, including his “blue-back speller” (which has likely outsold every other book of its kind) and (arguably) the first American dictionary. Hundreds of thousands of people learned to read from Webster’s “blue-back speller” and you can still buy the dictionary that bears his name.

However, this dictionary has taken a turn for the worse that would make Mr. Webster roll over in his grave. Currently, “marriage” in the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary supposedly includes “the state of being united to a person of the same sex in a relationship like that of a traditional marriage.” This defines sodomy, not marriage. Webster also defined what we know today as homosexuality (sodomy.) His definition: “a crime against nature.”

Webster was a strong Christian and believed strongly in the Bible. Because of this he defined marriage as:

“The act of uniting a man and woman for life; wedlock; the legal union of a man and woman for life. Marriage is a contract both civil and religious, by which the parties engage to live together in mutual affection and fidelity, until death shall separate them. Marriage was instituted by god Himself for the purpose of preventing … promiscu(ity), for promoting domestic felicity and for securing the maintenance and education of children.” He then cited several Scripture references as example sentences.

As Noah Webster noted in his dictionary, marriage was instituted by God. Therefore it is an absolute, it isn’t going to change.

BRADY SMITH

Sagle