Because zip has routinely misrepresented my approach here I thought it might be worthwhile to go back to where our argument substantively began. I had stated that I was supporting the principle of the right of adults to contract and in defense of equality before the law. I made a series of answers, but I'm going to sum them here in response to that original posit by zip.
You seem to be arguing for more than that though. In fact you are arguing for the right to be recognized officially by the state as marriage.
Here his mistake was in thinking that marriage is, with regard to the state, more than contract. It isn't. It's treated as one with particular rules regarding rights of parties and dissolution, etc. Marriage is just the sort of contract being entered into. It needs no religious affiliation and no inquiry is made into whether the couple contemplating the union plan to have children.
I'd say your error lies in the idea that marriage is merely a contract. Contracts are drawn up every day without the approval of the government,
This is factually misleading. Every contract must follow statutory provisions establishing terms and parties and process, must conform, depending on the kind of contract, to any number of stipulations or provisions, or it may be held unenforceable at law. And many contracts, like incorportations, are drawn up with a great deal of involvement and greater scrutiny than the marriage contract, to say nothing of government involvement and benefits thereafter.
and there is nothing preventing a homosexual couple from drawing up such a contract.
Untrue except in select jurisdictions.
So why is the government concerned with the special contract (in a civil sense) of marriage while being uninterested in other contracts?
As I set out, the government is "concerned" with any contract. And the government is more involved in business related contracts.
Why is the government involved in marriage at all?
For the same sort of reasons it is involved in every contract, to one extent of another. It has a vested interest in equity and the protection of right.
I'd say it has to do with the familial structure of society. The government recognition and support of marriage exists for the support of the basic societal unit: the family.
Certainly the social compact has a vested interest in promoting its own stability. No question. A family unit's contribution to that also isn't in question. What zip insists must constitute it is another matter.
Not only is a traditional family proven to be the most healthy and psychologically sound (children-wise),
There are numerous studies that differ with that conclusion.
it is also the only biologically viable configuration less polygamy.
Untrue unless surrogacy is prohibited--and peculiarly focused in negating the value of adoption.
There is a reason the government sanctions marriage,
Agreed and noted above.
and that reason itself precludes homosexual marriage.
No. It doesn't. There's no objective argument that can make that case, only appeals to religious principle and cultural bias. Neither of those are sufficient to support discriminatory practice.