In light of last week’s ruling by the California Supreme Court sanctioning gay marriage, perhaps it’s worth posting a brief reminder that the states with the highest divorce rate are in the Bible Belt. (Trend figures here.) If correlation really were causation, then that would suggest intolerance of homosexuality causes family breakup, no?

Why gay marriage should be considered a threat to the traditional nuclear family is one of the great mysteries of the age. How many heterosexuals have ever said to themselves, “You know, I was going to try to make my marriage work—but now that homosexuals can marry, forget it—I’m outta here”? 

Surely Bart jests in calling it a great mystery.  Even as a lib leaning Centrist I understand the threat regardless if I agree with it or not.

Marriage is a tradition and an institution.  Moreover one the conservatives deem important to upholding the “family values” they see as so critical to the proper functioning of society.

Therefore, gay marriage waters down the definition of marriage. Even more, it muddles that definition furthur by clearing the decks for more gay families by legitimizing the marriage bonds.

I’m not saying a Murphy Brown family is bad myself, only saying it is non-traditional and counter to (some)conservative values. Of course not all conservatives are created equal, so I would not the least be surprised if conservatives howl they find gay marriage totally acceptable and why did I say these terrible things, blah, blah.

It isn’t clear how the recent experiments in Boston and Calif. will work out.  In our litigious society, I shudder to think of divorce courts swamped with randy gay men breaking up every 3-6 mos. or custody battles with two mommies, or three mommies (unlikely), or even four mommies (highly unlikely).

Maybe it will all work out. You would think a civil union would be a terrific comprimise, one that would preserve the traditional definition of marriage, create legal boundaries, yet give more opportunities to gays and protect their rights.  You would think.

Not marriage. A civil union.

What does all this have to do with the Bible Belt divorce rate ? Nothing, but it is an entertaining argument all the same.

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