(FRONT ROYAL, VA) -- ``From the same country that brought you child pornography, needle park, involuntary euthanasia, and window-shopping for prostitutes, we now get homosexual marriage,'' stated Father Matthew Habiger, OSB, President of Human Life International, the world's largest pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family apostolate.

``The same anti-faith indifference that characterizes all of the Netherlands' political disasters was at work again as the Dutch parliament voted to approve homosexual marriage. There doesn't seem to be an ill-advised, immoral, or half-baked social policy that the Dutch aren't willing to make into law.''

The bill permitting homosexual marriage and adoption passed the lower house of the Dutch parliament with very little fanfare on Wednesday. Opposed only by a small group of religious political parties, the bill will become law next year, following a vote from the upper house of parliament (largely regarded as a formality). Advocates of the bill claimed that it reflected changing public attitudes about homosexuality. In order to avoid conflict with countries that do not approve of homosexual marriage, overseas adoption will be prohibited. Dutch law allows only Dutch citizens or those with resident permits to marry.

``As Amsterdam goes, so goes ... well, probably no one,'' continued Fr. Habiger. ``It is with good reason that Dutch social policy-which is similarly liberal towards drugs, prostitution, and pornography-is rarely adopted by the rest of the world. Same-sex marriage is overwhelmingly opposed by the majority of Americans. And that opposition remains constant throughout most of the world.

Homosexual marriage is an insult to the sacrament of marriage and the family. It reduces marriage to nothing more than a series of legal benefits-it robs it of its meaning and its sanctity. We have an obligation to protect children and families and discourage immoral and destructive behavior. Society depends on healthy families for future healthy citizens. This is simply legalized sterility. Lopsided families. How can a balanced future citizen come from an unbalanced, lopsided family? In the Netherlands, they seem to have gotten it backwards. The family is the foundation of our society. The Dutch may finally have delivered their last blow to those foundations with this law.''

Founded in 1981, Human Life International (http://www.hli.org, 1-800-549-LIFE) is the world's largest pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family educational apostolate, with chapters in the United States and a network of international branches and affiliates around the world.