Marriage in its application has a checkered reputation in world history, both on the personal level and as a major factor for general society. In the United States the personal and social tensions related to marriage and the family, have escalated since the great wars, emerging during the Flapper period after World War I. Young women began expressing their human equality with men by a flamboyant pattern of conduct so to challenge the traditions of domestic roles and safe social contexts. There was some invasion in former male haunts that carried something of a carnal context. There was a happy-go-lucky attitude with some release for women from limited home-life experience. The movement was abruptly interrupted by a great depression with a speakeasy culture. Culture shifted after World War II inspired by labor force accomplishments of women while men were off to war. It gradually gained momentum and is in a growing context in development. The consequence has been with some loss to marriage solidarity, but the greatest cause for marriage declension is found in the decline in the value system from Christian values. The earth-bound, sometimes carnal concepts, concepts of self and rights have affected all groupings.
Couples are now living together in greater numbers than ever before. Even when they marry, the marriages do not last as long as average traditional ones reserving cohabitation until after marriage vows. Divorces have increased to about fifty percent of marriages. Rural families, known for wholesome marriages, have moved to the city and/or have followed the mass cultures. Various movements and interests have arisen to advance concepts of freedom in experience, education, racial and gender issues which have impacted the former domestic tranquility and accompanying beliefs. Longtime human problems have intensified. For the power people good times began to roll in economics, in lifestyles, and contexts depressing tradition. Technology changed the culture and made selfies of the newer generations. One of the new values was to erase, as far as possible, the identity of the genders, even to the gender roles in marriage. The influences to this change are several: 1) evasion of reference to gender identity where possible; 2) freedom to choose any consensual human life partner in intimacy; 3) legal balances in relationships; and, 4) free choices by individuals in all personal matters. The concept of the spiritual meaning of relationship has, in consequence, been either diluted or disregarded as impractical.
One of the responses to the spiritual loss was made in the lead article of the journal, The City, of the Houston Baptist University for summer 2013. Ryan T. Anderson wrote on: Twelve Theses on Redefining Marriage. In summary they are: 1) Marriage exists to bring man and woman together as husband and wife to be father and mother to any children their union produces; 2) Marriage is based on the anthropological truth that men and women are complementary, to the point of reproduction, and the social reality that children need a mother and father; 3) Marriage as the union of man and woman is true across cultures, religion and time so government recognizes but does not create marriage; 4) Marriage has been weakened by a revisionist view that relates more to adults’ desires than children’s needs; 5) Marriage is recognized by government as an institution that benefits society in a way no other relationship does; 6) Marriage is society’s least restrictive means of ensuring the well-being of children – in that its breakdown weakens civil society and limited government; 7) Marital breakdown is costly to taxpayers; 8) Marriage without being redefined by government can treat persons equally and leave them free to live as they choose; 9) Marriage policy must be held rightly if civil society is to reap inherent benefits; 10) Marriage redefined would further distance marriage from the needs of children and deny the importance of mothers and fathers; 11) Marriage redefined would put into law a new principle that marriage is whatever emotional bond the government says it is, weakening the importance of monogamy and exclusivity; and, 12) Marriage redefined threatens religious liberty. The main point, in my view, is that God defined marriage in our first parents, and used it to define acceptable relationship between persons and God. (Ephesians 5:30-33; Romans 7:1-4) We must wait to see, in human experience, what the new parameters for marriage offer for society. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020