How would that poll change if the question were worded something like:
"Do two engaged parents who have made formal commitments to each other benefit the child?"
As the question has two issues:
1. Answering in the affirmative requires saying that anyone who has a kid outside marriage is a bad person, worthy of societal hate or perhaps even legal punishment. That is a lot harsher than "having kids outside marriage leads to subpar outcomes." I have a lot of trouble with calling not harshly condemning a behaviour hypocrisy. I don't drink, mostly because my family does not drink. Not drinking has many benefits. I don't think people would call me a hypocrite for my disagreeing with throwing drinkers into prison or considering them morally wrong.
2. Marriage. What "marriage" means depends on how you interpret it. Within society, there is marriage as a religious event, then there is marriage as a legal contract, then there is marriage with its implied permanency. For decades, gay people couldn't legally marry. Interracial people couldn't legally marry. Is it immoral to have kids without government or a Church approving your pairing? Marriage is well beyond a family structure. It includes family structure, but a ton more is packed into the concept.
Comments
How would that poll change if the question were worded something like:
"Do two engaged parents who have made formal commitments to each other benefit the child?"
As the question has two issues:
1. Answering in the affirmative requires saying that anyone who has a kid outside marriage is a bad person, worthy of societal hate or perhaps even legal punishment. That is a lot harsher than "having kids outside marriage leads to subpar outcomes." I have a lot of trouble with calling not harshly condemning a behaviour hypocrisy. I don't drink, mostly because my family does not drink. Not drinking has many benefits. I don't think people would call me a hypocrite for my disagreeing with throwing drinkers into prison or considering them morally wrong.
2. Marriage. What "marriage" means depends on how you interpret it. Within society, there is marriage as a religious event, then there is marriage as a legal contract, then there is marriage with its implied permanency. For decades, gay people couldn't legally marry. Interracial people couldn't legally marry. Is it immoral to have kids without government or a Church approving your pairing? Marriage is well beyond a family structure. It includes family structure, but a ton more is packed into the concept.