- #36
Integral
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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- 66
Les Sleeth said:Although you say we "know absolutely NOTHING about what makes a good parent," it isn't true at all. We have accumulated a great deal of information about that. Keeping in mind that I have absolutely no opposition to humans of any gender or other persuasion committing to a permanent and exclusive relationship, I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts about the value of having both male and female parents involved a child's development as the ideal.
If we knew anything, or had any concept of what makes a good parent then we could give classes and bad parenting would end. It just aint going to happen, unfortunately there are simply to many variables (the kids themselves being the major one!) . I don't care how many studies you do, you cannot predict whether a persons parenting skills will be good or bad. I doubt that we could even come up with a reasonable definition of what it means to be a good parent. The fact is good kids can come from bad parents, and bad kids can come from good parents.
To claim that sexual orientation has anything to do with parenting skills is similar to claiming that green eyed people cannot learn math. There is no correlation between the trait and the ability.
Hurkyl,
I am simply looking at this from the view point of the basic rights of a citizen of a "free society". Why, in a free society, should there be any mention of the sex, or race, or height, or weight of the partners in a committed relationship? The key here is the the phrase committed relationship, the government should encourage and even reward citizens who behave in a socially responsible manner. Committing yourself to a long term relationship with a single partner is considered socially responsible in our culture, therefore all who engage, or wish to engage, in this behavior should be rewarded equally.
Of course, my error is obvious... we do not live in a free society. It is clear that given the freedom to legislate we legislate away freedom.