http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=3741
Marriage Is Losing Its Honor In the Eyes of Many Americans
| by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
Almost 2,000 years ago, the divinely inspired Hebrews writer boldly stated: “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4). For millennia, the family unit consisting of one man and one woman who give birth to their own biological children (or adopt needy children into their homes) has been the cornerstone of stable societies. This institution was established and sanctioned by God at the beginning of time (Genesis 2:21-25) and has been the hallmark of productive societies ever since. Those societies that have attempted to tamper with this foundational unit, allowing polygamous marriages, homosexual relationships, and other forms of sexual unions not in accord with the biblical plan, have suffered the shame and debilitation that inheres in disobeying God’s pattern.
Sadly, many in the United States are falling prey to the idea that marriage is no longer important to promote human well-being in society. Associated Press writer Hope Yen recently penned an article titled, “Four in 10 Say Marriage is Becoming Obsolete.” She reported on a Pew Research Center survey that indicated that 39% of those polled say that marriage is becoming obsolete, or unnecessary. Yen stated: “More people are accepting the view that wedding bells aren’t needed to have a family” (2010). She further “reported that the opposite-sex unmarried couples living together jumped 13 percent this year to 7.5 million.” In addition, about 44 percent of those who responded said they have lived with a partner without being married.
Such troubling statistics show that many Americans no longer value God’s instructions for human sexuality and family structure. The problem with this situation is two-fold. Not only will those who disobey God’s laws for marriage and sexuality be lost eternally (1 Corinthians 6:9-10), but since God knows exactly how humans should behave in order to be happy (Proverbs 29:18), those who refuse to do His will are condemning themselves to lives of heartbreak and sadness. Over 3,000 years ago, Moses told the Israelites that God’s rules were designed for the welfare and benefit of the Israelites. He said that God’s instructions were instituted for “our good always” (Deuteronomy 6:24). That has not changed. God’s directives, rules, and laws are still designed to bring about the greatest possible human happiness. That is why Jesus said that He came so that all who obey Him might have “life more abundantly” (John 10:10). The farther Americans get from God’s design for the home (Hebrews 13:4), the farther they will be from happiness, prosperity, and the abundant life. God help us all to teach His truth concerning marriage to as many as possible in the hopes that they will want to obey Him and enjoy the abundant life He gives through Jesus Christ.