Marriage ensures that both parents have equal and well-defined legal status, particularly with respect to their children. It also serves as a formal, public dec

Marriage ensures that both parents have equal and well-defined legal status, particularly with respect to their children. It also serves as a formal, public declaration of intent to stay together for life, and possibly to have children together. I am in favour of marriage for anyone who wants to have kids--which of course includes gay people and sterile people, thanks to technology and adoption--because it's a means of recruiting community support. Raising children well is hard, and the more people involved the better. Before the church got involved, this was essentially the purpose of marriage.