In the realm of discourse and ethics, one can often encounter the idea of a slippery slope. This is the danger that an ethical principle, once accepted, can lead to ramifications of ethical actions that one might be unprepared for or even repelled by. For instance, in the ethical discussion of the value of a human life, if one was to argue that one’s value is determined by one’s contribution to society, this is could be a slippery slope. How do we then assess the value of infants, senior citizens, etc.?

Gene Veith, posed an interesting and thought-provoking question about the implications of the current debate on same-sex marriage. If we are willing to rearrange the norms when it comes to marriage and gender, is this a slippery slope for rearranging marriage and number?

What do you think? Is Veith being ‘doom and gloom’, or is his point worth considering? I’d love to hear your thoughts.