Rick Santorum on Thursday compared gay
marriage to polygamy when students challenged him on his opposition
to the institution, the New York Times reported.
Santorum made his remarks during a
campaign stop at New England College in Concord, New Hampshire.
Students lined up to openly challenge
the former Pennsylvania senator after he gave his opening remarks,
which included stating that all men are created equal.
“Don't you have to make a positive
argument that the law should be change?” he asked the crowd. “You,
the person who wants do this, tell me, what is the justification?
What is the public purpose?”
Santorum, who placed second in Iowa on
Tuesday behind Mitt Romney, dismissed the argument that gay couples
want to marry so that they can visit each other in the hospital.
“If it makes three people happy to
get married, based on what you just said, what makes that wrong?”
Santorum asked.
“That's irrelevant,” the questioner
answered. “In my opinion, yeah, go for it. But what I'm asking
you is how do you justify your beliefs based on these high morals you
have about all men being created equal?”
“God made man and woman, and men and
women come together to have a union to produce children, which keeps
civilization going and provides the best environment for children to
be raised,” said Santorum, who then shifted the topic.
At the end of the town hall, the
subject of marriage equality returned and many of the students booed
Santorum as he exited the hall.
(Related: Rick
Santorum: gay people should remain celibate.)