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Where Do the Libertarians Stand on Marriage?
American Thinker ^ | 07/28/2018 | Trevor Thomas

Posted on 07/28/2018 6:57:09 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

John Stossel’s recent column, “Dads Needed,” contains some timely, important, but well-known -- at least within the Christian conservative community -- truths. Much of the column focuses on the work of author, speaker, and former feminist, Warren Ferrell -- especially Ferrell’s new book The Boy Crisis. As Mr. Stossel explains,

In “The Boy Crisis,” Farrell notes that dads routinely get passed over when it comes to custody of kids, even though kids benefit enormously if they have male role models. Boys without fathers suffer more, he says.

Why does a same-sex role model matter more for boys?

“Boys tend to not have as many skills at developing friendships and emotional connections,” answers Farrell. “So when the family connection breaks apart, it affects boys more profoundly than it does their sisters. Boys are then far more likely to be disobedient, delinquent, drop out of school.”

Along with his recent column, “Stossel on Reason” recently interviewed Dr. Ferrell. Here Ferrell notes, “Men and boys started falling behind when government began subsidizing single mothers.” He later adds, “It doesn’t make a difference whether she [a single mother] needs a man, it makes a difference that her children need a father.” Farrell also notes that children without fathers “do worse in 70 different areas,” and again declares, “They are far more likely to be disobedient, delinquent, drop out of school.”

As I implied above, almost none of this is new information. For literally decades, I, and many others, have often noted the negative outcomes not just for boys, but for all children who are raised in broken homes.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: liberals; libertarians; marriage

1 posted on 07/28/2018 6:57:09 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Sadly, libertarians such as Stossel, Neal Boortz, and the like have been complicit in the left’s deceit when it comes to marriage and the family. In spite of the important truths on parenting, marriage, and family that Stossel has recently acknowledged, he was at best silent, and at worst openly hostile to the truth on marriage.

In his 2011 column, “The Gay Marriage Debate,” Stossel wrote,

As a libertarian, I think all consenting adults who want to commit to a life partner ought to be treated the same way… If they redefine marriage to include gays, that doesn't diminish my marriage. And if kids are taught that gay marriage is OK, so what?... I don't care if there are three fathers and six mothers. If it’s a stable relationship and the kids are connected with their parents, that's great… Sorry, but I still don’t see what divorce and unwed motherhood have to do with gay marriage.

Additionally, in 2015, on Facebook, Stossel said, “I happen to believe gay marriage is just fine, and I’ll happily join the wedding.” Of course, as his interaction with Dr. Ferrell and his teaching on children and parenting should have taught him, same-sex “marriage” is not “fine.” Among other immoral things like divorce and unwed motherhood, same-sex “marriage” results in this: in every sad situation, a helpless child is robbed of a parent. And as Dr. Ferrell -- and countless others -- well demonstrates, children who lose out on being raised by a mother and a father suffer.

Despite of the mountain of evidence -- including the Bible! -- that reveals children need a mother and father, I can find no instance where Mr. Stossel has been critical of same-sex “marriage.” Likewise -- and even more disturbing given his decades of writing and research on matters concerning children -- I can find no instance where Dr. Ferrell has been critical of the perverse LGBT agenda on marriage.

2 posted on 07/28/2018 6:58:19 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: All
Where Do the Libertarians Stand on Marriage?

I think both of them are kind of ambivalent on the matter.

3 posted on 07/28/2018 7:02:38 PM PDT by JonPreston
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To: JonPreston

Just from the observation of the libertarians Ive met..they just want to smoke pot and screw what ever they feel like at any given moment...not much depth of thought beyond that...


4 posted on 07/28/2018 7:09:02 PM PDT by M-cubed
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To: M-cubed

I spoke with Harry Browne years ago and challenged him on his ‘free trade’ pro NAFTA position. That was enough for me.


5 posted on 07/28/2018 7:13:14 PM PDT by JonPreston
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To: M-cubed

And that is absolutely true of the ones on this forum.


6 posted on 07/28/2018 7:13:21 PM PDT by MrEdd (Caveat Emptor)
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To: SeekAndFind

I would say they don’t care what you do just as long as you don’t impose any threats on others liberties and you do it with your own money.


7 posted on 07/28/2018 7:14:36 PM PDT by klimeckg
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To: JonPreston

As a libertarian I feel that marriage is a religious sacriment that the state has no busness butting into.

That said:

No Christian should get a “Marriage License” from a state, especially if such licenses are also provided to homosexuals - however - what perverts do is between themselves and God. If they are not recruiting my children they have every right to walk in Hell with their head held high. I will pray for them and minister to them but I cannot force righteousnes upon them. No Christian pastor or priest should EVER at this point consent to performing a state sanctioned marriage.

Marry couples (A man and a woman) before God. Leave the state out of it.


8 posted on 07/28/2018 7:15:43 PM PDT by Fai Mao (There is no rule of law in the US until The PIAPS is executed.)
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To: SeekAndFind

This is not what I ever understood about libertarian views on marriage. The only thing I ever heard is that government has no business in the marriage business. There is no actual mandate for government certifying marriage. Gay marriage should never have been “legalized” because no marriage should have been legalized. Marriage started as a religious institution. That should never have been appropriated by the secular sphere.


9 posted on 07/28/2018 7:17:13 PM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: higgmeister
There is no actual mandate for government certifying marriage.

Yes, there is.

In 1924, the Simpson Act closed the floodgates of immigration, and they remained closed until 1965 when Hubert Humphrey and Ted Kennedy reopened them. There were a number of bills packaged with the Simpson Act, and one of them laid an unfunded mandate on the states to maintain birth, death and marriage certificates.

Here is where it gets strange. The entity that pushed heavily for this law was not exactly a federal agency. It was the Federal Reserve. As to why the Fed thought this was important is something I can't consider without donning my tinfoil hat.

10 posted on 07/28/2018 7:22:11 PM PDT by Publius
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To: Fai Mao

>> As a libertarian I feel that marriage is a religious sacrament that the state has no business butting into.

Precisely.


11 posted on 07/28/2018 7:46:05 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: Fai Mao

That might be an overreaction in the other direction. The state has essentially created a “householding with legal privileges that used to go with marriage” license and called it a marriage license. If the legal privileges make sense, do it.


12 posted on 07/28/2018 7:47:08 PM PDT by HiTech RedNeck (Tryin' hard to win the No-Bull Prize.)
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To: Publius

Sucks having to make the distinction, but ‘heterosexual marriage’ is the foundation for a strong family that would raise responsible children, and likewise future taxpayers.


13 posted on 07/28/2018 7:49:52 PM PDT by Gene Eric (Don't be a statist!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Were do Liberaltarians stand? They support marriage to anyone and anything, from their favorite video game to 12 year old kid next door.

Just give them a big sack of dope to smoke with their queer boyfriend and they will support anything you want.


14 posted on 07/28/2018 7:56:22 PM PDT by Beagle8U (Liberals can kiss my bitter clingers!)
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To: M-cubed

Libertarians are basically agnostic on religion. You can believe in Biblical marriage and defend it...and even government benefits for it...and still be a card-carrying libertarian. You can oppose gay marriage but not gay relationships.


15 posted on 07/28/2018 8:48:56 PM PDT by RossA
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To: JonPreston

Marriage should not be a federal issue in anyway. It shouldn’t be a state issue. It is a religious issue. It is a legal contractural issue. If the gov took neutral stance then the political stakes wouldn’t exist.

It shocks people but our government didn’t always control marriage.

Marriage has become government run to enforce social outcomes. Child support, alimony.


16 posted on 07/28/2018 9:15:56 PM PDT by FreedomNotSafety
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To: higgmeister

“Legalization” of marriage results from legal history. The term “license” seems like a misnomer to me and I don’t know why they ever called it that.

US law is not solely based on the constitution. Civilly it is largely based on English common law. This ties into the constitution in regards to property rights.

So what happens to “your” property when you die? If you think property belongs to the state you might support big inheritance taxes. If you think it belongs to the individual you think it belongs to their family.

So how does the state “know” who that family is? The only way is if marriages and births are recorded.

Hence I always thought it should be called a marriage recording fee as opposed to license.

It could be that the original intent of “license” was a deliberate way of excluding what the entire history of civilization knew - that it was between men and women, even in the polygamous societies, and did not include same sex.


17 posted on 07/29/2018 3:41:50 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: fruser1
So how does the state “know” who that family is? The only way is if marriages and births are recorded.

A libertarian would say that the state does not need to know who the family is. The Will and Testament determines what happens to “your” property when you die.

18 posted on 07/29/2018 6:56:43 AM PDT by higgmeister ( In the Shadow of The Big Chicken)
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To: higgmeister

Many don’t have a will. In that case, common law means the state will settle the estate.

A will can also be challenged in court, by those with standing, namely, family members that may have not been mentioned.


19 posted on 07/29/2018 3:35:35 PM PDT by fruser1
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