The Article Archives
Topic: Truth in Culture Weekly Commentaries
|
The Death of Marriage?
October 23, 2006
S. Michael Craven
 
Recently the US Census Bureau reported that for the first
time in history, traditional marriage has ceased to be the preferred living
arrangement for a majority of US households.
According to the report entitled, American Community Survey conducted in 2005 and released in August
of this year, of the 111 million US households, 50.2 percent are single-parent
and/or unmarried while 49.8 percent remain “traditional” households comprised
of married couples.
Of those non-traditional households, 9 percent are headed by
single fathers, 25 percent by single mothers, and 66 percent are unmarried cohabitating
couples representing one-third of all households. The eclipse of the
traditional family has been due largely to the dramatic increase in
cohabitation. In 2001, only 8.2 percent of all American couples were
cohabiting. This represents a 402 percent increase in cohabitating couples in
just four years!
Douglas Besharov, a sociologist with the American Enterprise Institute,
a
Washington-based think tank, said “it is difficult for the traditional
family
to emerge unscathed after three and a half decades of divorce rates
reaching 50
percent and five decades of out-of-wedlock births.” This only confirms
the necessity of a socially reinforced commitment to the traditional
institution of
marriage. Where society modifies its perception of marriage to anything
less
than the only acceptable relationship for sex and the ideal context for
child-rearing; the social commitment to marriage as an esteemed
institution
falters. The social acceptance of divorce, cohabitation, sexual
promiscuity and
out-of-wedlock births both contribute to this shift in perception and
accelerate the demise of the marital institution itself producing a
whole host
of societal degradations.
The common perception of most people today is that living
together before marriage serves as sort of a “training ground” for future
marriage. They believe that by living together they will be better prepared to
marry and stay married. However, the evidence indicates quite the reverse. In
fact, a strong argument can be made that cohabitation prior to marriage
actually reduces your chances for successful marriage. According to studies
conducted in , couples that cohabitate
prior to marriage have substantially higher divorce rates. The recorded
differences range from 50 to 100 percent higher! (Axinn and Thorton, Demography
29)
Furthermore, cohabitations themselves are not as stable as
marriages -- and this is true in all Western societies. Cohabitations tend to
dissolve more rapidly than marriages. The fact is more than 50% of all these
unions end in dissolution within five years (Milan, 2000)
If this becomes the normative arrangement for the American
family then as indicated earlier the traditional family will experience even
further decline and more children will be born out-of-wedlock into
significantly less stable family structures. This family instability
contributes to increased crime, poverty, school drop out rates, drug and
alcohol abuse and the likelihood of repeating these same family structures in
the subsequent generation. In all, this family instability and conscious
redefinition of the traditional family erodes the essential foundations of
society.
In commenting on the recent change in the American family
structure Douglas Besharov again said “the only question is whether it is
catastrophic or just evolutionary." History has already and conclusively
answered this question; it will be catastrophic!
As I have pointed out
previously, J.D. Unwin, the noted British anthropologist of
and
universities, released his comprehensive study: Sex and Culture in 1934,
which proved conclusively that a strong sexual ethic which restrained sex to
the exclusive relationship of legal marriage was directly related to the health
and prosperity of a given civilization.
Unwin demonstrated
conclusively that no civilized society can maintain its productive status and
social order once it accepts the extension of sexual opportunities beyond the
bounds of marriage for a period of no more than three generations. There is not
one single example in all of human history where this social fact was NOT
observed. In every such instance, those societies all
suffered their demise.
American society stands at a critical crossroads. We will
either continue down the path of sexual anarchy, redefining marriage and the
natural family to accommodate our selfish sexual desires and in so doing
destroy our civilization or we will return to a true understanding of human
sexuality, marriage and parenting as revealed in Scripture and confirmed in
nature.
This is an area where the Church needs to assert itself in
culture by “taking every thought captive, making it obedient to Christ” because
the prevailing “thoughts” about sexual ethics and the family are wreaking havoc
individually, socially and spiritually.
The family is one of only three earthly institutions created
by God for the organization of human activity: the Church, the state, and the
family. Therefore it is imperative that the Church both live out and defend
this vital institution, an institution central to social order and the
transmission of values, including the Gospel, from one generation to the next.
For a more thorough apologetic on this subject I would
encourage you to read my booklet, Why is
Marriage Important? – The reasonable defense of marriage. You can view the
text online here
You can also order Marriage booklets for yourself or in discounted quantitites for your church by calling 513-521-6227.
© 2006 S. Michael Craven
|
|
Responses
|
|
Response from : Lynn Kizer |
|
|
|
October 23, 2006 10:03 AM
|
|
We have Christian friends who's adult children have chosen cohabitating. Also, I have noticed it in the work place.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : John H. Armstrong |
|
|
|
October 23, 2006 12:57 PM
|
|
Anyone who doubts that we need a culture changing spiritual awakening should have no serious doubts after reading this excellent article. The church needs to be awakened to the perspective that you bring to culture Michael or it will sleep through the missional moment that God has presented to it and end up totally marginalized and irrelevant to the future of the West, whatever that future may be.
http://www.act3online.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Gry |
|
|
|
October 23, 2006 10:48 PM
|
|
Your logic is flawed. Where are the alleged examples of civilization decline? Civilization (and the moral problems you worry about) will be fixed (not undermined) if same-sex couples are allowed to marry and we make it the socially expected behavior for Gay and Lesbian citizens to marry before sex.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Michael Craven |
|
|
|
October 24, 2006 7:41 AM
|
|
In response to Gry:
With all due respect your argument is neither logical or remotely related to the facts. As for the decline of civilizations I refer you to the Roman, Sumerian, Babylonian to name a few. There have only been 21 recorded civilizations, only seven survive today and all are decline. I would suggest a brief survey of history and more specifically J.D. Unwin's research. Also there is the modern example of the Soviet Union who in the decades following the Russian Revolution determined to eliminate "capitalistic" monogamy as represented by marriage. The results within one generation were so socially destructive that the communist government was forced to reverse all prior policies related to marriage. (See Pitirim Sorokin, Harvard 1954)
Furthermore there is the modern example of Scandinavia where same-sex marriage, in some form, has been legal since the late 1980s. In the period following, out-of-wedlock births have risen dramatically coupled with family dissolution rates producing further negative consequences. Marriage as an institution is virtually dead in Scandinavia due in large part to the acceptance of same-sex marriage which has driven home the messagae that "marriage itself is outdated and virtually any family form is acceptable." Neither has the acceptance of same-sex marriage produced fidelity and family stability among gays. In fact, the take-up rates of same-sex marriage by gay couples is exceedingly small (only in the hundreds in some countries). Gay couples are NOT marrying where it is legal.
Frankly, the historical and sociological evidence affirming the necessity marriage to social order is irrefutable and only those unwilling to face the facts ignore the evidence.
It is as Harvard Sociology chair, Pitirim Sorokin wrote in 1954, "Most peoples of decaying societies were unaware of their cancerous sickness. Most of them were sanguine about their present state and future prospects. They continued to live cheerfully in a fool's paradise...they attacked all honest appraisals of the situation, and called them false prophecies of doom and gloom." They were all ultimately proven wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Corey Pride |
|
|
|
October 24, 2006 9:37 AM
|
|
Michael,
I want to personally thank you for your spirit-filled affirmation of Christ's will for our lives as I read your weekly newsletter. In addition, as a student in your course Cultural Apologetics on Thursday evenings, it is so refreshing to see the Truth spoken and affirmed. I believe, as Christians, we must stand up against the debilitating attacks on the family. While it incites me to think of the secular world we live in and how it is less and less focused on Christ, you are so good at pointing out that we cannot fight fire with fire. The only way to win this battle is to share the love of Christ with one person at a time. We must be prepared at every moment when God might provide us the opportunity to share the love of Christ with our brothers and sisters and to do so in an effective and intellegent way. Thank you so much for your service to Him and your unyielding faith. I pray God blesses your family and your ministry with more opportunities to bring the Truth to a desperate world.
In Christ,
Corey Pride
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Lodyce Buhr |
|
|
|
October 28, 2006 8:54 AM
|
|
Unfortunately not enought people are getting this kind of info, & consequently we have this ridiculous movement to sanction any kind of so-called family structure. Appreciate very much this kind of information.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Rosemary Kalimnios |
|
|
|
October 29, 2006 8:56 AM
|
|
I believe the article is well thought imput on Love, and Relationships we see in Today's Society. We recall the "free Love" era of the 1960s and the "Hair" generation. There is, without a doubt, a decline in Religious understanding,tolerance and imperative values. The breakdown of Family has penetrated Society through media, music and other public formats.
Late country/western singer Waylon Jennings wrote a song I quote: "Maybe it's time we got back to the basics of Love".
Well, if God is Love, we better return back to Him!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Richard |
|
|
|
October 30, 2006 4:27 PM
|
|
Thanks for a timely and informative article.
I couldn't help but be amused at you choice of the word "reeking". Was that intentional? The prevaling thoughts about sexual ethics certainly are reeking, as well as wreaking havoc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Response from : Elebenua Frederick |
|
|
|
November 2, 2006 5:32 AM
|
|
No nation can achieve greatness without modulating the character of its citizens. Even in digital age strong reliable human resources is inavitable.This cannot be resourced from a society where the youths and potential adults are immoral, drug adicts,holigan, immodest and irrational.Good cannot come out of evil.America today is not the America built by the founding fathers after the independencce. They had a vission of a strong, independent, stratified compactible nation; dependable in all ramifications and a nation which both the citizens and the outside world can be proud off.This vission was entrenched on commitment, integrity, passion for selfless service,diligence, unparalled determination,rigorous discipline, innovation and creativity.Thus they were able to produce a tough and most useful nation based on justice, equity and fairness.This pioneered vission continued from independence until agents of ethical denudation came and eroded them.That Americans were the first to fly during the war in 1917 was not on the platter of gold nor on the anxioms of lawlessness advocated as social freedom by the so called social critics and intellectuals. Show me a nation that has no structured family pattern and philosophy for ethical existence as a form of character design or molding and I will show a nation that has no foundamantal principles for posterity to build on. And such nations never existed. And where they appeared to do so they have gone to extinction. America in the twenties, thirties, and even up to seventies is not the America of today. If the dead can see and make rational statements about life in the mortal world, Lincholn, ,Kenedy, Washinton, will condemn this generation and will be weeping in their gaves.In the words of Nehemiah todday America is in great affliction and reproach. There is no place to hide we have no other nation to be proud of, let us rise up and build the broken walls of morality.It must be appreciated that if this decay is not truncated the dignified American identity will be perpetually eroded. A nation without a rational family structure is as good as inexistent. Presently nothing is working. Even the dreaded American military is on the decline because you need a disciplined families to produce disciplined children and youths who will metamophose into disciplined troops. Let us go back to the devine status quo that made America great and ask ourselves some intelligent questions; where are we coming from and where are we goin to.We love this Great Nation America
Elebenua Fredrick.
23408064558987
Writes from Nigeria.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Respond to This Article
Navigation Key
|
