Artist's rendition
In Michigan, plaintiffs are seeking to overturn Michigan's ban on gay marriage. The state attorney general, who is a Republican, has chosen to defend the ban, and that has resulted in a state defense that has alternately waffled between
peddling bad science and, well,
whatever this is:
Michigan’s gay marriage trial ended on an explosive note today, with the state’s final witness saying he believes unrepentant homosexuals are going to hell. [...]
“Is it accurate that you believe the consequence of engaging in homosexual acts is a separation from God and eternal damnation?” Mogill asked the state’s expert, then added, “in other words, they’re going to hell.”
“Without repentance, yes,” answered the expert, Canadian economist Douglas Allen, the last witness to testify on behalf of the state in a trial that could make Michigan the 18th state to legalize gay marriage.
Because there's no better expert on who may or may not be going to hell than a Canadian economist.
Allen was primarily there to back up previous "expert witness" Mark Regnerus vis-a-vis the Won't Somebody Think of the Children theory of discrimination. As for why his own research conflicts so substantially different from those of other studies, he has a theory on that too.
He also said that his study, compared with an American study that found no differences in child outcomes in same-sex families, “might be better” because Canadians are more likely to be more honest.
Well ... alrighty then.