Pew Research Center recently released their report on the “State of Marriage based Census and survey data. “In 1960, 72% of all adults ages 18 and older were married; today just 51% are.” One surprising detail is that the trend is across all age groups. The median age of first marriage has also greatly increased, so we will have to wait to see if this is more of a trend to delay marriage. Though from what we have been seeing through our ministries tends to point to a rejection of marriage as an institution. In working with young teen mothers, we are seeing that many are not only saying marriage is not needed for raising a family, but the guy does not even have to be part of the picture.
I have previously written about how society loves to beat on marriage and how the typical depiction of marriage is as something that is to be suffered through or escaped from. Recently at a Christmas show I attended, the only marriage depicted in the production was a portrait of dysfunctional marriage. The husband was whipped and the wife was selfish to the extreme. And this was a Christian based production.
The reason I am such a big fan of the works of Sherwood Productions, is there depictions of what marriage should be. Their movie Fireproof was the first movie in years I have seen in the theaters that actually made me feel good about marriage. Along with their recent release of Courageous we finally are seeing husbands more than bumbling fools and wives as something other than life sucking vampires.
This report shows the importance action on the part of Christians to do all they can in support of marriage. We need to show people that marriage is not obsolete, but it is vital for society. Marriage is the foundation of every culture.
Study after study has been released about how important a stable family is for child development, yet 39% of people say that marriage is obsolete. To me that is saying that 39% of people are saying that I do not care about our future as a society. If we really care about the future, then we should all be doing all we can to encourage marriages. Strong marriages build strong homes. Stong homes build strong communities. Strong communities build strong nations.
Please join us in praying for marriages, encouraging couples to pray together, promote marriage events (Art of Marriage & Weekend To Remember), and to show the world that not only we are glad we are married, but that there is more security, fun, comfort, and sex in marriage as God intended.
Recommended Reading:
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