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Subject: 
Re: Gay Marriage
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.off-topic.debate
Date: 
Sat, 19 Jun 2004 00:57:33 GMT
Viewed: 
2828 times
  
In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Scott Arthur wrote:
   In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks wrote:

  
   Also, I’d like to see how the “stable relationship”:”good start” metrics are compiled (you’re reporting actual findings, right...not just opinion or impression?). Further, since I know kids who did not have that environment who turned out well, confounding variables are suggested. I’d suggest we ought to figure out what those are and try to provide the things that can actually be causally correlated with the positive outcome.

These are my phrases and the terms I’ve used are subjective. I suppose I’m just reflecting the view that most married ppl accept without really questioning it. If you want to “upset the apple cart”, why not show me that I should question it?

A quick search for “How Marriage Benefits Children” produced this: http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IF03J02

That’s interesting, but an overtly biased source. I’m actually surprised that that was the best they could do. And I’ll point out that I don’t question the validity of any of the journals that they’re referencing. Their main points were:

   Children living with married parents are much safer because they’re less likely to be aborted.

I think this is sort of putting the cart before the horse since it makes all kinds of assumptions about what children and living mean.

   Children living with married parents are much safer because they are less likely to be abused or neglected.

I buy that. But why? Is it something inherent in two-parent rearing or caused by some other factor that tends to go hand in hand with single-parent situations? Perhaps we should be trying to cure the root causes rather than slapping bandaids on the symptoms. Not that I’m exactly suggesting this, but what if we had national (global!) child care so that single parents didn’t have to rely on their brother-in-law-who-can’t-get-a-job-because-he-just-got-out-of-the-pen? (To use a dramatic stereotype.) We might see that correlation vanish.

   Children raised in married-parent homes have better emotional and physical health

Same as above. It’s a believable correlation, but I want to know why.

   Children raised in married-parent homes engage in fewer risky behaviors, such as premarital sex, substance abuse, delinquency, and suicide.

I’m not trying to claim that single parenting in modern western society is superior. Just that, because it’s clear that single parents can do a fantastic job and that couples can do an awful one, there are other factors than the simple coupling that actually acount for benefits. It’s kind of beside the point, but I’m also not willing to concede that premarital sex and some forms of “delinquency” (e.g. truancy) are genuinely bad.

   Children with married parents do better academically and fare better economically.

All of the above apply equally to this point. Further, neither of these are acceptable metrics of importance to me. Self-assessed happiness, social skills, and sexual satisfaction are much more important measures.

   Children raised in intact homes are less likely to cohabit and more likely to view marriage positively and maintain life-long marriages.

And this, again, is putting the cart before the horse.

  
   Promoting marriage...is still disenfranchising to those who choose non-married lifestyles.

You mean like tax cuts for the rich disenfranchise the poor?

Well, yes. Pretty much just like that.

Chris



Message is in Reply To:
  Re: Gay Marriage
 
(...) These are my phrases and the terms I've used are subjective. I suppose I'm just reflecting the view that most married ppl accept without really questioning it. If you want to "upset the apple cart", why not show me that I should question it? A (...) (20 years ago, 18-Jun-04, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, FTX)

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