Opponents of a gay marriage bill in
Britain argue that marriage is “great for kids” when their
parents are heterosexual.
The bill, which would make Britain the
15th nation to legalize marriage rights for gay and
lesbian couples, cleared a second reading in the House of Lords
earlier this month, leaving little doubt that it will become law.
And while the Church of England appears
prepared to accept the measure's imminent passage, other opposition
groups have continued the fight.
(Related: Church
of England ready to accept gay marriage.)
In a nearly 2-minute video released
last week by the Coalition for Marriage, Dr. Sharon James argued that
marriage should remain a heterosexual union and is “great for
kids.”
“Up until now the government has
regulated marriage because marriage is a public institution intended
to provide a secure environment for the raising of children,” James
says. “The law on adultery discourages husbands from fathering
children with women other than their wives. Marriage as an
institution exists to maximize the likelihood that men commit to the
women they are sleeping with and the children they help to create.”
“Redefining marriage would send out a
signal that fathers are optional. It would affect all of us by
weakening the status of traditional marriage, which provides the most
stable environment for raising children.”
“Marriage is great for kids.
Marriage works,” James adds. (The video is embedded on this page.
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According to U.S. Census data, an
estimated one-quarter of all same-sex households are raising
children.