What incredibly bizarre times we live in, to even have to state such an overwhelmingly obvious truth. I might as well have penned an article with the title, “People Do Better Eating” or “Children Fare Best When They Breathe”. Of course children need a mother and father, and of course anything less than that will be less ideal.
And fifty years of social science research amply bears this out. Yet the homosexual militants want to convince us that family structure doesn’t mean beans, and any combination of adults will do just fine thanks. So to promote their destructive agenda, they have to ignore the research and attack anyone who points to these thousands of studies.
And these findings keep affirming the same thing: there is no better setting for children than to be raised by their own two biological parents, preferably cemented by marriage. Two brand new research studies have once again confirmed this.
And they demonstrate quite clearly that children raised by homosexuals do not fare as well as do children raised by their own parents. Common sense of course tells us this, but here is more research confirming what everyone except the radical ideologues already know.
Several in-depth write-ups about this have already appeared, so it is worth quoting some of those reports instead of re-inventing the wheel here. The first article says this: “The oft-cited assertion that there are ‘no differences’ in outcomes between children of same-sex parent households and those of intact biological families may not be accurate, according to a new study published today in the journal Social Science Research.
“Adult children of parents who have been in same-sex relationships are different than children raised in intact biological families on a number of social, emotional and relationship measures, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin. Among other things, they reported lower income levels, poorer mental and physical health and more troubled current romantic relationships. The study found 25 differences across 40 measures.”
The research was undertaken by Mark Regnerus, associate professor of sociology at University of Texas Austin’s Population Research Center. The article continues, “Regnerus used data from the New Family Structure Study (NFSS) to see how adults ages 18 to 39 who were raised by same-sex parents do on various outcomes compared to those raised by married biological parents, co-habiting adults, a single parent, step-parents or adoptive parents, among others. NFSS has data from more than 3,000 adults, including 175 who said their mother had a same-sex romantic relationship and 73 who said their father did.
“Regnerus said his findings were more valid on lesbian-mom households than gay-father households because they included more families and also because those studied were far less likely to have actually lived in gay-dad households. A cursory look might lead some to conclude incorrectly the study found gay dads were better parents than lesbian moms. The sample wasn’t large enough to draw strong conclusions about the men….
“He eliminated socioeconomics, age, politics, gender, geography, race and bullying as explanations for the gaps he found between family structure types. Is it the stigma the parents felt? He doesn’t know. ‘We didn’t talk to parents, and I can’t measure stigma.’ Single-parent and step-families have, much like same-sex parents, ‘a higher degree of instability’ compared to intact biological families, he said. It’s probably not just having a man and woman, either, since step-families have those and the kids don’t fare as well.”
And in the same journal that the Regnerus study appears, there is a second piece confirming his findings: “A separate analysis in the same journal edition by Loren Marks, associate professor at Louisiana State University, more directly challenges previous same-sex parenting studies as inadequate, biased and unreliable. He lists seven concerns with the science, including the fact that ‘well-educated, relatively wealthy lesbian couples have been repeatedly compared to single-parent heterosexual families instead of two-parent marriage-based families.’
“Single-parent families typically have poorer child outcomes across several measures, so it’s easier to look better against them, he said. W. Bradford Wilcox of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia said biological married families are the gold standard for better outcomes for children.”
The Washington Times also had a report on this new research, and it adds a few other details worth noting: “Two studies released Sunday may act like brakes on popular social-science assertions that gay parents are the same as — or maybe better than — married, mother-father parents. ‘The empirical claim that no notable differences exist must go,’ Mark Regnerus, a sociology professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said in his study in Social Science Research.
“Using a new, ‘gold standard’ data set of nearly 3,000 randomly selected American young adults, Mr. Regnerus looked at their lives on 40 measures of social, emotional and relationship outcomes. He found that, when compared with adults raised in married, mother-father families, adults raised by lesbian mothers had negative outcomes in 24 of 40 categories, while adults raised by gay fathers had negative outcomes in 19 categories.
“Findings such as these do not support claims that there are ‘no differences’ between gay parenting and heterosexual, married parents, said Mr. Regnerus, who helped develop the New Family Structures Study at the university. Instead, ‘children appear most apt to succeed well as adults when they spend their entire childhood with their married mother and father, and especially when the parents remain married to the present day,’ he wrote.
“Mr. Regnerus’ study of 2,988 persons ages 18 to 39 — including 175 adults raised by lesbian mothers and 73 adults raised by gay fathers — marks the first research from the new dataset, which initially included some 15,000 persons. . . . Mr. Regnerus cautioned that his study does not attempt to ‘undermine or affirm arguments’ about gay rights or link poor adult outcomes solely to gay parenting.
“However, it should raise the bar for research on gay parenting, especially since it is does not rely on ‘snowball samples,’ in which gay parents are recruited in the same places as their gay friends and colleagues, said Patrick Fagan, a family and marriage scholar at the Family Research Council.
“The Regnerus study is a ‘gold standard,’ Mr. Fagan said. And if ‘you can’t draw conclusions from it’ about causality, ‘there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell you can draw conclusions from those other [gay parenting] studies,’ he said.”
In my new book I also feature plenty of research on the issues of same-sex parenting, and the many shortcomings to the studies which suggest that children do quite alright in homosexual-headed households. This new data adds to this, and further confirms what all cultures have known: children have the right to be raised by their own biological parents, and not be treated as guinea pigs by the radical social engineers.
18 Replies to “Children Do Better With Mother and Father”
This totally shocking news, who knew that those previous studies were biased and wrong? I certainly wouldn’t expect such tactics from those groups to try and make them look better than they really are. Clearly this study has to be false in some way. (Sarcasm!)
Ian Nairn
And who is to say that it will be adults that will be raising the children, since, as you pointed out Bill when we take human sexuality out of the protective casing of heterosexual marriage, polyamory is on the way, like it or not, so then we have to do studies to show that it is not a good for a child being raised by a book case…!
We need to pray for Julia Gillard, she is under a lot of pressure to cave into the ssm thing and of course, she doesn’t have solid ground to stand on herself, living in a defacto relationship. From there she is easily pushed over.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Will Australia’s swimmers be sent home if they twitter the now controversial phrase “apple pie and motherhood”?
Fr Luke Joseph
Hi Bill,
Sorry to hijack your blog – but I’ve got a question that’s not really related to your article. I’m wondering if you know of any resources/help that I could point a Christian struggling with homosexuality towards?
For other helpful and practical resources, see groups like Focus on the Family, or Exodus International.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Here is some breaking news. The Qld government at least headed in the right direction.
QUEENSLAND’S same-sex civil unions laws will be amended so couples can no longer have a ceremony that “emulates marriage”.
Premier Campbell Newman today said cabinet had discussed advice on the laws passed last year under the previous Labor Government.
During the March election campaign, Mr Newman said a LNP Government would look at repealing the laws if it didn’t leave couples in “legal limbo”.
Today he said the laws would be amended so couples could register their relationship, but no longer have a “state sanctioned ceremony” that Christian groups had objected to.
Mr Newman said it was a “sensible” compromise.
“It will no longer emulate marriage, which I believe is demonstrating a lot of good faith to the Christian churches who have lobbied us,” he said.
Dear Bill, I think that on the whole this is bad news. I had some hopes that the Newman government would repeal the new law but the premier is taking a ‘let’s all move on’ line. This is really shutting the door in the face of major Christian objections. Many conservative governments with large majorities take a compromising line on moral standards, but why? Is this really the best we can hope for?
Peter Murnane
Hello Isaac Overton.
I’m a retired counsellor and have worked with homosexuals before. I’d be happy to help where I could, and they can throw bad eggs and rotten tomatoes at me for all I care. You can contact me through here or Bill.
Eddie Sim
Even plants produce much better quality fruit resulting from cross-pollination. Kids that see me mostly come from single-parent homes or father absence. They still have some issues even when one of their biological parent is replaced with a step-parent. It can never be the same. I know. I’ve worked with them for a very long time.
And this psychiatrist has the same experience I and others have:
“I should note something important: I hesitated to write about this topic in an opinion piece. I didn’t hesitate because I think the topic frivolous. I didn’t hesitate because I think of Social Science Research as a meaningless journal (because it is anything but that). I didn’t hesitate because funding for the NESS comes partly from conservative groups (because data are data, unless they can be refuted on objective grounds, and this study is painstaking, in many regards). I hesitated because I worried about getting more of the threats and hate mail (by post and e-mail) I receive whenever I even mention the seemingly unspeakable issue of how social forces related to sexual orientation and gender identity might impact well being in children.”
Dear Karl and Lisa
On a brief visit to the house this morning I was directed to your attempt to denigrate a finding that children do better with their biological parents in a heterosexual marriage, than those in a homosexual situation.
This comes on top of previous occasions when you have been pushing homosexual marriage.
While I am not sure whether you are pushing a personal barrow, or giving voice to management decision, the result is objectionable.
Are you aware of the following:-
1. Homosexual unions enjoy most of the legal benefits applicable to marriage;
2. Until the arrival of the politically motivated homosexual lobby, most homosexual leaders wanted nothing to do with the ’restrictions’ of marriage, preferring to engage with other partners;
3. The European Court of Human Rights, based in the Strasbourg (France), has ruled that same-sex marriage is not a human right.
Question: Would ‘Marriage’ have ever been invented were it not for the importance of parent’s love and care for children born of their love?
I want your assurance that pushing for gay marriage will be discontinued forthwith.
Pat Healy.
Well done Pat
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The irony is that every single person who fights for homosexual rights are the result of a union between a male and a female. Even in the case of IVF the cells needed are harvested from both a male and a female, whether the gay lobby wants to believe it or not.
Mario Del Giudice
Yes quite right Mario
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Hi Bill,
I am involved in numerous discussions on children’s welfare and marriage and need some examples of the many many parenting studies over the last 50 years.
Can you point me in the right direction please. Is there a compiled list anywhere?
Thanks William. There are thousands of these studies. Some volumes which seek to summarise some of the research include:
Horn, Wade and Tom Sylvester, Father Facts, 4th ed. Gaithersburg, MD.: National Fatherhood Iniative, 2002.
Logan, Bruce, Waking Up to Marriage. Auckland: Maxim Institute, 2004.
Maher, Bridget, ed., The Family Portrait: A Compilation of Data, Research and Public Opinion on the Family. Washington, D.C.: Family Research Council, 2002.
My books also offer plenty of references to these studies.
This totally shocking news, who knew that those previous studies were biased and wrong? I certainly wouldn’t expect such tactics from those groups to try and make them look better than they really are. Clearly this study has to be false in some way. (Sarcasm!)
Ian Nairn
And who is to say that it will be adults that will be raising the children, since, as you pointed out Bill when we take human sexuality out of the protective casing of heterosexual marriage, polyamory is on the way, like it or not, so then we have to do studies to show that it is not a good for a child being raised by a book case…!
We need to pray for Julia Gillard, she is under a lot of pressure to cave into the ssm thing and of course, she doesn’t have solid ground to stand on herself, living in a defacto relationship. From there she is easily pushed over.
Many blessings
Ursula Bennett
Will Australia’s swimmers be sent home if they twitter the now controversial phrase “apple pie and motherhood”?
Fr Luke Joseph
Hi Bill,
Sorry to hijack your blog – but I’ve got a question that’s not really related to your article. I’m wondering if you know of any resources/help that I could point a Christian struggling with homosexuality towards?
Blessings,
Isaac Overton
Thanks Isaac
See here for an extensive list of resources:
https://billmuehlenberg.com/2012/06/12/homosexuality-recommended-reading/
For other helpful and practical resources, see groups like Focus on the Family, or Exodus International.
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Here is some breaking news. The Qld government at least headed in the right direction.
QUEENSLAND’S same-sex civil unions laws will be amended so couples can no longer have a ceremony that “emulates marriage”.
Premier Campbell Newman today said cabinet had discussed advice on the laws passed last year under the previous Labor Government.
During the March election campaign, Mr Newman said a LNP Government would look at repealing the laws if it didn’t leave couples in “legal limbo”.
Today he said the laws would be amended so couples could register their relationship, but no longer have a “state sanctioned ceremony” that Christian groups had objected to.
Mr Newman said it was a “sensible” compromise.
“It will no longer emulate marriage, which I believe is demonstrating a lot of good faith to the Christian churches who have lobbied us,” he said.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/civil-unions-laws-amended-not-repealed/story-e6frea73-1226393174341
Amanda Simpson
Thanks Amanda. It is a good start, but it is still a poor compromise, as he is retaining the law, instead of getting rid of it altogether:
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/premier-campbell-newman-expected-to-repeal-laws-granting-civil-unions/story-e6freon6-1226392900908
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Dear Bill, I think that on the whole this is bad news. I had some hopes that the Newman government would repeal the new law but the premier is taking a ‘let’s all move on’ line. This is really shutting the door in the face of major Christian objections. Many conservative governments with large majorities take a compromising line on moral standards, but why? Is this really the best we can hope for?
Peter Murnane
Hello Isaac Overton.
I’m a retired counsellor and have worked with homosexuals before. I’d be happy to help where I could, and they can throw bad eggs and rotten tomatoes at me for all I care. You can contact me through here or Bill.
Eddie Sim
Even plants produce much better quality fruit resulting from cross-pollination. Kids that see me mostly come from single-parent homes or father absence. They still have some issues even when one of their biological parent is replaced with a step-parent. It can never be the same. I know. I’ve worked with them for a very long time.
Eddie Sim
People,
The original article by Regnerus can be found here:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0049089X12000610
Andrew Kulikovsky
And this psychiatrist has the same experience I and others have:
“I should note something important: I hesitated to write about this topic in an opinion piece. I didn’t hesitate because I think the topic frivolous. I didn’t hesitate because I think of Social Science Research as a meaningless journal (because it is anything but that). I didn’t hesitate because funding for the NESS comes partly from conservative groups (because data are data, unless they can be refuted on objective grounds, and this study is painstaking, in many regards). I hesitated because I worried about getting more of the threats and hate mail (by post and e-mail) I receive whenever I even mention the seemingly unspeakable issue of how social forces related to sexual orientation and gender identity might impact well being in children.”
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/06/12/study-finds-host-challenges-for-kids-gay-parents/?intcmp=features#ixzz1xby7NrVM
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Bill for your info:
To ‘Today@nine.com.au
Dear Karl and Lisa
On a brief visit to the house this morning I was directed to your attempt to denigrate a finding that children do better with their biological parents in a heterosexual marriage, than those in a homosexual situation.
This comes on top of previous occasions when you have been pushing homosexual marriage.
While I am not sure whether you are pushing a personal barrow, or giving voice to management decision, the result is objectionable.
Are you aware of the following:-
1. Homosexual unions enjoy most of the legal benefits applicable to marriage;
2. Until the arrival of the politically motivated homosexual lobby, most homosexual leaders wanted nothing to do with the ’restrictions’ of marriage, preferring to engage with other partners;
3. The European Court of Human Rights, based in the Strasbourg (France), has ruled that same-sex marriage is not a human right.
Question: Would ‘Marriage’ have ever been invented were it not for the importance of parent’s love and care for children born of their love?
I want your assurance that pushing for gay marriage will be discontinued forthwith.
Pat Healy.
Well done Pat
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
The irony is that every single person who fights for homosexual rights are the result of a union between a male and a female. Even in the case of IVF the cells needed are harvested from both a male and a female, whether the gay lobby wants to believe it or not.
Mario Del Giudice
Yes quite right Mario
Bill Muehlenberg, CultureWatch
Hi Bill,
I am involved in numerous discussions on children’s welfare and marriage and need some examples of the many many parenting studies over the last 50 years.
Can you point me in the right direction please. Is there a compiled list anywhere?
Thanks William. There are thousands of these studies. Some volumes which seek to summarise some of the research include:
Horn, Wade and Tom Sylvester, Father Facts, 4th ed. Gaithersburg, MD.: National Fatherhood Iniative, 2002.
Logan, Bruce, Waking Up to Marriage. Auckland: Maxim Institute, 2004.
Maher, Bridget, ed., The Family Portrait: A Compilation of Data, Research and Public Opinion on the Family. Washington, D.C.: Family Research Council, 2002.
My books also offer plenty of references to these studies.