So in getting serious, I've been thinking about the role that the family unit plays in our lives. I was talking the other day with some friends, and one of the guys mentioned that when he was in Primary School, nearly all of the families were your typical "two parent, two-four kid families". When he hit high school, he realised that the majority of families there were single parent families, or kids livign with grandparents, or aunts and uncles.
Today, it seems like the classic family unit has just disappeared. Sure, its still found in a lot of churches, but so many people now even take wedding vows that no longer include 'til death do us part'. Are the traditional wedding vows now irrelevant? These days we enter into short term work contracts, short term leases. We upgrade our cars every 3 years, our phones every 6 months. Have marriage, and the traditional family unit become archaic?
Do you think the loss of the Husband/Wife/2.3 Kids family has, in the long run, been damaging for our whole society? Which is the cause of the other?
As Christians, should we continue to be advocates of the old, or should embrace the new and discover a whole new way to minister the this Millenial family unit?
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We have to be wary of the "Post Modernistic" point of view. "Living Happily with each other, you believe what you want to believe and I'll tolerate that." As Christians we are not off this world but are simply in it. We must stand out as being different, not following trends that are against God's will. God set apart marriage as being holy and pure. Its special. These days, people simply throw it away, and end up getting hurt. To answer your question: Yes, we must "administer" to the family of today, but we must hold up and value marriage, and therefore, to put it in your terms, "stick to the old."
Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.
I agree Curious, we should not isolate the "modern day families", but should minister to them, and should also "stick to the old", I think it's something important, with something like 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 marriages ending in divorce now, I think these "old values" are something we should advocate and try to live out in our own lives... But to anyone trying to have 2.3 kids... good luck!
Hmm Trying to have .3 of a child. Can you selectively breed midgets?
I certainly agree that we should hold on to marriage. I wish everyone was able to get back to the "In sickness and health, for richer or poorer, til death do us part". There's something about the selfishness of everyone in todays society, where people only engage where it best serves them. On some levels, people have become incredibly self absorbed.
It's wierd, because we've sen in recent years how willing people are to get behind something meaningful that does support others. TEAR, Tsunami appeal, Make Poverty History, world vision.
It seems that on a personal level, people wish to indulge and feel satisfied. is it possible that somewhere inside their conscience is crying out to them to not be so selfish?
Whatever the case, If people entered into marriage with a heart to serve the other person wholly, and entered marriage purely because they love the other person (not because of what they felt the other person did for them) I think we'd see a lot less of marriage breakdown. If you only get into marriage for what you can get out of it, you're going to want to pull up stumps the first time you hit a serious rough patch. It almost seems like irresponsibility to bring kids into this.
Speaking of irresponsibility with kids, have you seen this?
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/boy-at-wheel-when-teens-killed/2006/10/17/1160850931568.html
When I read it, I was horrified and angry. Not only did this man kill other kids through his gross stupidity, but he enddangered his own children though drink driving & massive speeding. He put the four year old (without a seatbelt) on his lap to steer the car, and then when the car crashed, abandoned his children, and then tried to pass blame for the accident on to the child. What kind of trauma is that poor kid going to have to live with for the rest of his life, having the deaths of 6 people on his heads because his Father was dumb enough to let him drive a car?
Angry, so angry that a parent can put his children in such a perilous position, and then when faced with the consequences of his actions, and in neglect of all paternal instincts (does this man even possess a heart?) he leaves them and flees.
By the way, thanks for visiting!
Hmm, pretty much everyone here raises good and valid points, but i think there's nore to it....
Should marriage be forever - yes, 100% Should Christians judge and sledge people (Christians and Non-Christians alike) who want and follow through with divorce, probably not.
Why is it that people get divorced? Because like it or not, at some point they say "This isn't worth it, I give up." There are a million different reasons why this could happen, but break it down, and i think you'll see that eventually, the marriage ends because one or both partners choose their own priorities rather than the others.
Why is this important? Because Christians have a responsibility to say whats on their minds - did Jesus shut up because people didn't like what he said? No way. He told the disciples when they went out solo to go to a town and preach the Good News, if the people there didn't receive it, shake the dust of your feet and move on.
We should do the same. Instead of merely tolerating other peoples decisions (which i'm not trying to downplay, tolerence is something Jesus displayed perfectly), we do need to voice our opinions. 1 in 3 or 4 mariages breaking up is not an acceptable statistic. Just as our predecessors, we need to let people know that marriage ISN'T easy, and it IS for the long haul: If you're not willing to sacrifice, share, and submit occasionally to your partner, it's not a good idea. If people don't like what you say, at least you've told them your opinion, the rest is up to them.
Don't get me wrong, i don't stand outside Flinders Street Station every Friday, speaking on the wickedness of divorce, but when the topic comes up with friends, workmates or whoever, by the end of the discussion, they know that I think marriage is more than a legal certificate.
Christians need to work out not only how to set the standard, but also an appropriate way of getting the reasons for the standard out to others. Lead by example, but also teach what you know
*Head Capricorn*
I think that "who washes the dishes" and other dishes-related arguments is nominated most as the reason for the divorce.
It hides a deeper problem though.
(sayeth some stat from year 10 sociology)
this sounds slightly familiar now.... =P
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