If someone were to put your family in danger, would you immediately jump into action to protect them, or would you allow your attacker to destroy your family? In such simple terms, this is an easy question to answer…of course most people would protect their families.

A Subtle Threat to Families
A more difficult question arises from subtler, more gradual steps that also place families in danger, and redefine the very nature of all that families are. What would you do if someone were to tell you that marriage is obsolete? What would you do if someone told you that there is no ideal form of family, but that families with unwed parents, single parents, or other forms of marriage are equally suitable, and that marriage is no longer needed in America? Would you agree that marriage is a tradition of the past, or would you consider this a threat to your family and your way of life? Before you answer, consider not only yourself and your family, but also the larger implications to others and your world family. Consider not only the importance of commitment within the walls of your own home, but also the level of commitment to your neighbors, to your countrymen, and to the good of the world.

An Alarming Decline
In a subtle, but destructive way, American families are under attack, and have been for years. In a recent Pew Research Center survey, it was found that in the United States, “4 in 10 say marriage is becoming obsolete.”  The same study found that, “29% of children under 18, now live with parents who are unwed, or no longer married, a five-fold increase from 1960…” Is this not an attack on families in America? Is this not a reason to stand up and protect the cause of our families?

A Token of Commitment
The United States of America has long been a nation that values marriage and the strength of its families. Marriage is a union that has been embraced as a necessary indication of our intention to be loyal to one another. Marriage has been an essential precursor to starting families. It has been a valued token of our commitment to invest ourselves in the lives of our spouses, and to honor them and our children through everything we experience, both good and bad. Marriage is an institution that has made our country strong, because it is the centerpiece of our dedication to strive for unity, and to be there for each other with all of our hearts, no matter what challenges we may encounter in life.

The Highest Standard
Marriage is a sign of our willingness to uphold the highest standard of devotion to our families. It is a way to pledge our loyalty to our partners, rather than to leave open the possibility of separation from the beginning. Marriage is a commitment to honor ourselves, our families, and the values that sustain our beliefs in unity. This is what distinguishes marriage as the ideal form of family.

Roots of Unity
America is rooted in values of honesty, integrity, and unity of purpose. While we have had our differences, we have always held common beliefs that have bridged our divides. These values have kept America strong and resilient for many years even with it's diverse population. Uniqueness has always been accepted in America and embraced as a part of what brings us together; but there are limitations to every virtue, and in everything there is a point where good is separated from bad.

Seeing the Lines
While there are those who will advocate for every behavior and point of view in the spirit of individuality, there are points inherent in all things that define them as good and bad. Over time, we have lost our ability to differentiate what is good from that which is bad. We have gone from believing in something worthwhile to believing in anything that is convenient or easy. While the lines between good and bad have been blurred, they do still exist, and it is important for us to brush the dust off of them so that we can return to that which is right, rather than that which is easy.

Marriage is Essential
A lengthy decline of values has turned many Americans against marriage, but it is time to remark the lines that have always existed -- to make clear again what is right and wrong regarding families. We may be compelled in life to live in circumstances where we are separated, divorced, or never become married at all, but whatever our marital status may be, marriage will always be the most essential and ideal institution available to any family. Marriage will never be obsolete. No matter how vocally others may dismiss this fact, marriage is the most honorable and inherently good foundation upon which any family is built. The fact that four in ten Americans say that marriage is obsolete, is evidence that many of us have chosen what is easy over what is right. Such an attitude shows a disturbing lack of devotion, and is a threat to who we are and what we will become as Americans.

While we live in a nation of tolerance, we should tolerate only that which is decent and fair. An attack on the institution of marriage is an evil too disgraceful and unrepresentative of who we are as Americans to allow without resistance. An attack on the institution of marriage is an attack on our families. It is time to fight to protect our families, rather than to allow them to be devalued and demeaned by those who have forgotten or ignored the values that have made America and its families strong. A stronger world begins with stronger families, and there are no stronger families than those that are founded upon marriage.

Related Reading:

Family Challenges and Change: The world's most important changes are made in the home.

Fighting Technology for Family Time: Gadgets and gizmos available today are truly amazing, but have they really simplified our lives or allowed us to pay more attention to anything that really matters to us, like our families for instance?

References:

4 in 10 Say Marriage is Becoming Obsolete, Accessed November 20, 2010
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101118/ap_on_go_ot/us_declining_marriage