Quote Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr View Post
Well it's nature that doesn't let them make families the traditional way, and the reality is that that has always been by a long shot the biggest social role of marriage. Much of the social stability of marriage that you mention also comes at least in part from the process of raising kids - without it couples will not "drop anchor" in the same way. Of course we can take artificial measures to get round that by giving them other peoples' kids, but........
The question is not really about "what used to be the biggest [social] role of marriage" the question is about "what is the social role of marriage" or what should it be? Different tense is not merely being pedantic, it is the core of the argument. We do not live in the 18th or 19th century slums any more, so why let 19th century ideals borne out of that situation and fitted to the limits of that era rule us now?

Does the children argument still apply (if it ever did at all) ?