On Marriage Equality

Because of the recent excitement on same sex marriage, I thought I should weigh in with my understanding. Many people seem to be saying the recent supreme court ruling is good because equality, or that it is bad because Bible. While such statements speak to the hearts of the masses, I prefer a logical and empirical approach.

What is the purpose of marriage? I assert that its primary purpose is to raise the next generation of society. Thus, in my opinion, the grounds on which a heterosexual and a homosexual marriage should be compared is on their ability to raise children. In this we have two cases to consider: adopted and blood children.

In the case of adopted children, there is no appreciable difference between the types of parents as far as I am aware. Either type of marriage can provide a loving and stable environment in which the child can grow. Even if you believe that one marriage is objectively better than the other in this respect, consider this: Is it better for a child to grow to adulthood as an orphan, or for that child to be raised in a non-ideal family?

In the case of blood children, there are some serious logistical and legal issues that prevent a homosexual couple from raising children with the ease that a typical heterosexual couple can. The traditional case has put tab A into slot B simplicity. No other party has any need to get involved. Things are a bit trickier for a same-sex pairing. You either need donated sperm or a womb that is outside the marriage. This has been the center of high profile custody battles in the past, and likely will be in the future until a good precedent is set, (ruling out possible medical advances). Such an unstable environment is not good for children. Thus in this case we see that heterosexual parents have the advantage over homosexual parents.

In the final analysis, it seems to me that same-sex marriages are a net gain to society, though not quite as useful as traditional marriages. The future may hold more insights, but this is how I see it for now.