Debating Same-Sex Marriage (Point/Counterpoint)

Polls and election results show Americans sharply divided on same-sex marriage, and the controversy is unlikely to subside anytime soon. Debating Same-Sex Marriage provides an indispensable roadmap to the ongoing debate. Taking a "point/counterpoint" approach, John Corvino (a philosopher and prominent gay advocate) and Maggie Gallagher (a nationally syndicated columnist and co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage) explore fundamental questions: What is marriage for? Is sexual difference essential to it? Why does the government sanction it? What are the implications of same-sex marriage for children's welfare, for religious freedom, and for our understanding of marriage itself? While the authors disagree on many points, they share the following conviction: Because marriage is a vital public institution, this issue deserves a comprehensive, rigorous, thoughtful debate.

Self-Help

Gallagher, Maggie

Corvino, John

Relationships

Oxford University Press

A groundbreaking look at the most basic and universal of all human institutions, this authoritative and provocative book reveals the benefits-emotional, physical, economic, and sexual-that marriage brings to individuals and society as a whole. Everyone knows that we are experiencing an epidemic of divorce; rates of single-parenthood and unmarried cohabitation are skyrocketing while marriage rates continue to decline. Yet 93% of Americans still say they hope to form a lasting and happy union with one person, though fewer now believe that this is possible. Numerous books have been written about the impact of divorce on men, women, children, and society at large. But no one has yet studied the long-term benefits of being and staying married. The Case for Marriage is a critically important intervention in the national debate about the future of the family. Based on the authoritative research of family sociologist Linda Waite and other scholars, the book's findings dramatically contradict the anti-marriage myths that have become the common sense of most Americans. Today a broad consensus holds that marriage is a bad deal for women, that divorce is better for children when parents are unhappy, and that marriage is essentially a private choice, not a public institution. Waite and Gallagher flatly contradict these assumptions, arguing instead that by a broad range of indices, being married is actually better for you physically, materially, and spiritually than being single or divorced. Married people live longer, have better health, earn more money and accumulate more wealth, feel more fulfilled in their lives, enjoy more satisfying sexual relationships, and have happier and more successful children than those who remain single, cohabit, or get divorced. Statistics show, for example, that violence is less prevalent in married households and that divorce reduces male life expectancy on the order of a pack-a-day cigarette habit. While their book is not primarily a work of moral exhortation, the authors argue that in order for marriage to do its beneficial work it must be treated as a socially preferred option, not merely one choice among others that are equally valid. Combining clearheaded analysis, penetrating cultural criticism, and practical advice for strengthening the institution of marriage, the authors provide clear, essential guidelines for reestablishing marriage as the foundation for a healthy and happy society.

The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially

Waite, Linda

DOUBLEDAY

A groundbreaking look at marriage, one of the most basic and universal of all human institutions, which reveals the emotional, physical, economic, and sexual benefits that marriage brings to individuals and society as a whole. The Case for Marriage is a critically important intervention in the national debate about the future of family. Based on the authoritative research of family sociologist Linda J. Waite, journalist Maggie Gallagher, and a number of other scholars, this book’s findings dramatically contradict the anti-marriage myths that have become the common sense of most Americans. Today a broad consensus holds that marriage is a bad deal for women, that divorce is better for children when parents are unhappy, and that marriage is essentially a private choice, not a public institution. Waite and Gallagher flatly contradict these assumptions, arguing instead that by a broad range of indices, marriage is actually better for you than being single or divorced– physically, materially, and spiritually. They contend that married people live longer, have better health, earn more money, accumulate more wealth, feel more fulfillment in their lives, enjoy more satisfying sexual relationships, and have happier and more successful children than those who remain single, cohabit, or get divorced. The Case for Marriage combines clearheaded analysis, penetrating cultural criticism, and practical advice for strengthening the institution of marriage, and provides clear, essential guidelines for reestablishing marriage as the foundation for a healthy and happy society. “A compelling defense of a sacred union. The Case for Marriage is well written and well argued, empirically rigorous and learned, practical and commonsensical.” -- William J. Bennett, author of The Book of Virtues “Makes the absolutely critical point that marriage has been misrepresented and misunderstood.” -- The Wall Street Journal www.broadwaybooks.com

The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier and Better Off Financially

Crown

In a critically acclaimed work, author Maggie Gallagher attacks sacred cows as she argues that the sexual revolution and the feminist movement are killing family, marriage . . . and even sex. 6 cassettes.

Enemies of Eros

Politics & Social Sciences

Sociology

Blackstone Pub

Marriage is disappearing as a cultural norm in America, with disastrous consequences for the social and economic stability that depend on it. That's the reality that Maggie Gallagher asks us to face--and to change--in this revealing look at marriage in America today.

The Abolition of Marriage: How We Destroy Lasting Love

Regnery Publishing

Evaluates the women's movement, argues that the sexual revolution has eroded women's place in society, and suggests that the old system promoted family bonds

Enemies of Eros: How the Sexual Revolution Is Killing Family, Marriage, and Sex and What We Can Do About It

History

World

Bonus Books

The age of unwed mothers: Is teen pregnancy the problem? : a report to the nation

Institute for American Values

What happened within our family should never have happened. It shattered our lives like glass. 
Protecting one another through those early traumas seemed impossible as those new nightmares continued within. 
I was unaware of the consequence and the bitter family feud that was developing before my very eyes.\nThe traumas of my own childhood came flooding back many times. I was faced with the thought of my own children living through the same trauma. Protecting my children through those nightmares was unbearable. 
I desperately fought to keep hold of my own children for what seemed like a lifetime. My heart ached for them. I would have died without my children in my arms.\nWith no-one to talk to throughout the trauma, I became isolated. Segregated. My family became strangers unaware of the inner torment I was facing.\nMy fight for survival and happiness began. 
The fight to be able to put the past behind me and find that inner peace and happiness I had strived for all those years? The happiness of my family, the rebuilding of our lives, and the hope that one day the bitter family feud will be over, once and for all.

Invisible Scars

Biographies & Memoirs

Olympia Publishers

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Books by Gallagher, Maggie