We live in a day when courts are reconsidering whether marriage should only be between a man and a woman. And we see legislatures considering whether to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions.

So maybe it is time to stop and consider the benefits of traditional marriage. I do this in my book, A Biblical Point of View on Homosexuality. After all, traditional marriage is the foundation of civilization. Most of us have never stopped to think about the many benefits marriage confers on society.

One book that has done this effectively is the book, The Case for Marriage: Why Married People are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially by Linda Waite and Maggie Gallagher. Here are just a few of the many findings from the research. First, married people are much happier and likely to be less unhappy than any other group of people. They also found that married people live up to eight years longer than divorced or never-married people and suffer less from long-term illnesses than those who are unmarried. Their research also found that married people are less likely to engage in unhealthy behaviors such as drug and alcohol abuse.

They also were able to counter the myth that single, swinging people are having the best sex. They found that married people have twice the amount of sex as single people and report greater levels of satisfaction in the area of sexual intimacy.

If you look at other studies done by social scientists, you find they confirm these conclusions. One study on marriage and cohabitation found that married men and women report greater satisfaction with family life. Another journal article on marriage and dating found that married couples report greater sexual satisfaction. A journal article on women’s health discovered that married women report higher levels of physical and psychological health. And a longitudinal study of young adults found that married people experience less depression.

In summary, traditional marriage confers many benefits to society.