I'm comfortable with, and like, the idea of having both mothers and fathers in our society.  And I'm equally supportive of the idea that, where possible, we should strive as a society to ensure that mothers and fathers are a part of the life of each and every child.

Where mothers or fathers are absent, a hole exists, and as a concerned society, we seek to rally around that child with mother and father figures.  Popular programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters are an example of our society's concern in this regard and its work to fill those holes as best as we can.  In fact, according to BBBS's own statistics on its website, children involved in their programs are more confident in school; get along better with their families; and are 46 percent less likely to begin using drugs, 27 percent less likely to abuse alcohol, and 52 percent less likely to skip school.  Yes, mothers and mother figures, as well as fathers and father figures, do make a difference.

Given these facts, you can imagine the surprise of many when Vice President Joe Biden recently said that he's "absolutely comfortable" with same-sex "marriage."  He reportedly made this statement partly based upon meeting a same-sex couple with children.  Translated appropriately, Mr. Biden is "absolutely comfortable" with circumstances where children are intentionally deprived of either a mother or a father.

And why are these children deprived of that?  Because some other adult decided that the particular child at issue does not require either a mother or a father.  Thus, the desire of adults to have a motherless or fatherless family have trumped the needs of the child.

Question for Mr. Biden: can you look a child in the eye and tell him (or her) that you're "absolutely comfortable" with depriving him of a mother or a father because you decided that he doesn't need one?  I certainly couldn't, and intentionally depriving a child of a mother or father is not a social virtue.  And one would think that, as a widower who has himself suffered great loss, Mr. Biden would better understand this principle, as he has publicly discussed the hardship upon both him and his children stemming from his former spouse's untimely demise.  The point is that Biden's own children benefited from having a mother in their lives, yet he would deprive other children of that same benefit.

In fact, it may be the fact that mothers and fathers do matter that keeps President Obama from becoming a stalwart proponent of same-sex "marriage."  As we know, Mr. Obama grew up without a father, and he has publicly discussed this hole in his life, and how it drives him to be an active and important part of the lives of his children.  "I know what it means to have an absent father," said Mr. Obama, "[a]nd we are called to recognize and honor how critical every father is to that foundation [the family]."  He goes on:

We know the statistics -- that children who grow up without a father are five times more likely to live in poverty and commit crime; nine times more likely to drop out of schools and 20 times more likely to end up in prison.  They are more likely to have behavioral problems, or run away from home or become teenage parents themselves.  And the foundations of our community are weaker because of it.

It is no coincidence that the statistics professed by President Obama are similar to those put forth by BBBS.  Both mothers and fathers do matter, and while our country is concerned about the economy and jobs, let's not forget about the jobs of mom and dad.  I am "absolutely comfortable" with them both.

Austin R. Nimocks is senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund (www.telladf.org), a legal alliance employing a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty and the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.