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Naqamel (1138771)
Naqamel
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Marriage: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics
Friday July 18, @05:24PM
50% of all marriages end in divorce.
A common statistic that's cited by proponents of homosexual marriage, making the incorrect logical leap that since heterosexuals aren't doing so good at marriage, that the gays couldn't be any worse so we should let them get married...
However, this statistic is a terrible measure. We'll consider a successful marriage one that ends with one member's death, and a failed marriage one that ends with divorce.
I'll use a small sample to illustrate:
My maternal Grandparents were married for 47 years before the marriage ended when my Grandfather passed away.
2 people, 1 successful marriage.
There have been 3 deaths in the past few months at my church, one man was in his late 30's (I point this out only so the successful marriages aren't skewed towards the WW2 generation), and another man lost his wife to breast cancer, and the third woman lost her husband to a heart attack.
We're now up to 8 people, and 4 successful marriages.
My father-in-law is getting remarried soon. This will be his second marriage, and her 4th marriage.
So, on his side, 2 distinct people, 1 failed marriage, and on her side, 4 distinct people and 3 failed marriages.
So that works out to 6 people involved in 4 failed marriages.
Total: 14 people, and 50% of the marriages ended in divorce. However, you'll note that a minority was responsible in this example for the failed marriages.
As a mental exercise, consider how many failed marriages there are among celebrities. Whether it's Liz Taylor (married 8 times), Pamela Anderson, or any other multiple marriage/divorced celebrities, it is not difficult to see how a minority of people are involved in spiking the averages in regards to failed marriage.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.
If a lie is a statement, true or false, with the intent to deceive, than people quoting this statistic may be lying, as they are attempting to use statistics to portray something that's not.
While 50% of all marriages end in divorce, it is a minority of repeat offenders that are skewing this statistic.
A common statistic that's cited by proponents of homosexual marriage, making the incorrect logical leap that since heterosexuals aren't doing so good at marriage, that the gays couldn't be any worse so we should let them get married...
However, this statistic is a terrible measure. We'll consider a successful marriage one that ends with one member's death, and a failed marriage one that ends with divorce.
I'll use a small sample to illustrate:
My maternal Grandparents were married for 47 years before the marriage ended when my Grandfather passed away.
2 people, 1 successful marriage.
There have been 3 deaths in the past few months at my church, one man was in his late 30's (I point this out only so the successful marriages aren't skewed towards the WW2 generation), and another man lost his wife to breast cancer, and the third woman lost her husband to a heart attack.
We're now up to 8 people, and 4 successful marriages.
My father-in-law is getting remarried soon. This will be his second marriage, and her 4th marriage.
So, on his side, 2 distinct people, 1 failed marriage, and on her side, 4 distinct people and 3 failed marriages.
So that works out to 6 people involved in 4 failed marriages.
Total: 14 people, and 50% of the marriages ended in divorce. However, you'll note that a minority was responsible in this example for the failed marriages.
As a mental exercise, consider how many failed marriages there are among celebrities. Whether it's Liz Taylor (married 8 times), Pamela Anderson, or any other multiple marriage/divorced celebrities, it is not difficult to see how a minority of people are involved in spiking the averages in regards to failed marriage.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.
If a lie is a statement, true or false, with the intent to deceive, than people quoting this statistic may be lying, as they are attempting to use statistics to portray something that's not.
While 50% of all marriages end in divorce, it is a minority of repeat offenders that are skewing this statistic.
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Is that really used in this debate? (Score:1)
I usually hear this cited by people who are anti-marriage, period, rather than people who want to make marriage more inclusive. If one were to stipulate the correctness of the statistic for the sake of argument, it's a somewhat bizarre argument: "Hey, this group fails half the time they attempt to do what they set out to do! Let me climb aboard that train!"
You're completely right, though. Even if x marriage licenses are issued per year, and x/2 divorce/dissolution/annulments are issued every year, the ne
Re: (Score:1)
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DemocraticUnderground
Might have some decent articles, but I don't think I've seen a bigger bunch of whacked out fools. They damn near make me want to vote republican... Until i pop over the littlegreenfootballs, or FOX, or pudge's journals. How can anybody be heard above all that noise? Those people make the Maury Povich show sound like the Gore Vidal/William Buckley debates. They make Britney Spears sound like Beverly Sills. Hell, they make me sound like Confucius. This whole thing about "defending" marria
Wrong again. (Score:2)
Nope. I've only ever seen it used as a counter-argument to the much more asinine "homosexual marriage will destroy traditional marriage" trope, with the intention being that traditional couples don't need any help "destroying" marriage, so fuck off with your silly argument k
Need to tighten your definitions a bit (Score:2)
I know, I know... Your point was taken, but by taking your definition literally, this [dallasnews.com] could be called a "successful marriage".
(There's always one obnoxious joker in the crowd. Today it is my turn to be that obnoxious prick.)
None of your circumlocution will obfuscate ... (Score:2)
... the FACT, that the right is trying to use marriage to enforce it's own view of morality on the rest of us. Our personal religious beliefs, life style, and rights you all are attempting to trample, be damned.
Marriage is a religious institution, and that's all it should ever be. The Government has no place regulating it at all. As a straight polyamorous male, I find that the current system, which denies me the ability to protect all of my partners, is oppressive. I only hope that, after we drag the count
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The Government has no place regulating it at all.
It's all about the money, specifically the tax dodge. Like religion in general.
It is not the place of government to ram Christian morality down my throat.
What a great chance to pimp one of my JEs... but I won't :-)