Now for a simple video that outlines the basic issue of marriage
Prager University: The Case for Marriage - Video
The Case for Marriage
— from www.nationalreview.com —
"Marriage exists, in other words, to solve a problem that arises from sex between men and women but not from sex between partners of the same gender: what to do about its generativity. It has always been the union of a man and a woman...for the same reason that there are two sexes: It takes one of each in our species to perform the act that produces children...the institution is oriented toward child-rearing."
"What a healthy marriage culture does is encourage adults to arrange their lives so that as many children as possible are raised and nurtured by their biological parents in a common household. That is also what a sound law of marriage does."
Why Marriage Matters: The Case for Normal Marriage
by Maggie Gallagher
— TESTIMONY BEFORE THE U.S. SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE —
The Case for Marriage: Why Married People Are Happier, Healthier, and Better off Financially
by Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher
— from successfulsingles.com —
The Case for Marriage
by Maggie Gallagher
— from www.AmericanValues.com —
Sex and Culture
by J. D. Unwin
Download a copy at rapidshare.com/
"The idea that the sexual act is purely private and has little to do with anyone other than the individuals involved is, quite frankly, false. Unwin's work is sociological proof that the "free love" mentality is detrimental to society in every sphere. Aside from the private repercussions to individuals who sleep around at whim, sexual laxity produces social laziness, which eventually puts a society as a whole at risk."
"Abstinence and marriage education, which seeks to re-instill a sexual norm of restraint, is not religious propaganda; even from a merely sociological view, this type of education has the society's best interest in mind. Indeed, when societies uphold norms which elevate the sexual act to its proper place in marriage, they benefit in ways that reach far beyond the sexual fulfillment of its citizens." Danielle Lussier
Unwin had no Christian convictions and applied no moral judgment: "I offer no opinion about rightness or wrongness." Nevertheless, he had to conclude, "In human records there is no instance of a society retaining its energy after a complete new generation has inherited a tradition which does not insist on pre-nuptial and post-nuptial continence." www.ChristianityToday.com - Library
— from www.Summit.org —
"In particular, cultures that adopt what Unwin dubbed "absolute monogamy" proved to be the most vigorous, economically productive, artistically creative, scientifically innovative, and geographically expansive societies on earth."
"Those committed husbands create stable marriages, which offer the greatest opportunity for raising healthy, productive children who can keep a society strong and growing." Dr. David Noebel
Trial Brief of (California) Proposition 8 Proponents
— http://www.scribd.com/doc/23892014/Trial-Brief-of-Prop-8-Proponents-Filed-12-07-09 —
"(T)he United States Supreme Court's decision in Baker v. Nelson, 409 U.S. 810 (1972), conclusively establishes that the traditional definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment." The "traditional definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman does not treat men and women differently, every federal court, and nearly every state court to address the issue has determined that this definition does not discriminate on the basis of sex. Nor is there any credible evidence that the traditional opposite-sex definition of marriage functions to maintain male (or female) supremacy or improper stereotypes." And in jurisprudence "the traditional definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman satisfies rational basis review."
"(T)hroughout history, marriage has always been understood—indeed defined—both in law and language, as the union of a man and a woman. Nor is this definition in anyway arbitrary or accidental. On the contrary, leading linguists, lawyers, philosophers, and social scientists have always understood marriage to be uniquely concerned with regulating naturally procreative relationships between men and women and providing for the nurture and care of the children who result from those relationships." "(T)he institution of marriage has always been uniquely concerned with regulating naturally procreative relationships."
Natural marriage promotes these:
- the formation of naturally procreative unions,
- stability and responsibility in naturally procreative relationships,
- enduring and stable family structures for the responsible raising and care of children by their biological parents,
- the probability that natural procreation will occur within stable, enduring, and supporting family structures,
- the natural and mutually beneficial bond between parents and their biological children,
- the probability that each child will be raised by both a father and a mother,
- and the prerogative and responsibility of parents to provide for the ethical and moral development and education of their own children.
Barbarians Within the Gates
by Melanie Phillips
The Schwarz Report - Volume 51, Number 10
"The violent anarchy that has taken hold of British cities is the all-too-predictable outcome of a three-decade liberal experiment which tore up virtually every basic social value. The married two-parent family, educational meritocracy, punishment of criminals, national identity, enforcement of the drugs laws, and many more fundamental conventions were all smashed by a liberal intelligentsia hell-bent on a revolutionary transformation of society."
"... at the very heart of these problems lies the breakdown of the family. For most of these children come from lone-mother households. And the single most crucial factor behind all this mayhem is the willed removal of the most important thing that socializes children and turns them from feral savages into civilized citizens: a father who is a fully committed member of the family unit."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8691406/London-and-UK-riots-August-9-morning-as-it-happened.html,
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2011/aug/09/london-riots-day-four-live-blog,
http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/timeline-britain-s-august-riots-4345440, etc.
PsycARTICLES
by American Psychological Association
— http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/cbs/43/3/173/ —
"For both boys and girls, fathers' positive parental control predicted higher Performance IQ and fewer internalizing problems over six years later. These findings add to the increasing body of literature suggesting that fathers make important contributions to their children's cognitive and behavioural functioning, and point to the benefits of developing policies that encourage fathers to spend time with their children (i.e., parental leave for men) and promote positive fathering and involvement through parenting courses." Fathers' influence on children's cognitive and behavioural functioning: A longitudinal study of Canadian families.
Is monogamy dishonest?
by Peter Jon Mitchell, Senior Researcher, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
— http://www.imfcanada.org/article_files/eReview_July_27_11.pdf —
"If marriage is merely a personal living arrangement between two affectionate roommates then who should care where two individuals (or more for that fact) find intimacy or even if the union survives? The point is, or rather should be, that when sex was reserved for marriage, marriage remained a uniquely positioned relationship for its procreative side, because raising children was likewise reserved for marriage. It didn't matter that some couples never had children, since most or many did and marriage remains the best environment for children (with added benefits for adults, too)."
"Just look to the neighborhoods where marriage has been most neglected and where fatherlessness has become common place. Kay Hymowitz, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute argues in Marriage and Caste in America that the lost marriage script in low income communities has (h)ad deep implications for inequality and poverty.[10]" Hymowitz, K. S. (2006). Marriage and caste in America. Separate and unequal families in a post-marital age. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee.
A wedding isn't a marriage, it just starts one
by Peter Jon Mitchell, Senior Researcher, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
— http://www.imfcanada.org/article_files/ereview_February_2_12.pdf —
"Social science confirms the advantage of the stability that marriage brings to family life and the physical and financial health benefits marriage offers its participants." For a short summary of the benefits of marriage see; Institute of Marriage and Family Canada. (2011, September 15) Benefits of marriage for adults [website]. Retrieved from http://www.imfcanada.org/default.aspx?go=article&aid=2088&tid=8
162 Reasons To Marry
by Marriage and Religion Research Institute
— http://www.marri.us/reasons-to-marry —
"Marriage is the foundational relationship for all of society. All other relationships in society stem from the father-mother relationship, and these other relationships thrive most if that father-mother relationship is simultaneously a close and a closed husband-wife relationship. Good marriages are the bedrock of strong societies, for they are the foundations of strong families."
See also: The Divorce Revolution Perpetually Reduces U.S. Economic Growth
Why Marriage Matters
by Center for Marriage & Families
— http://www.centerformarriageandfamilies.org —
"New research—made available for the first time in Why Marriage Matters—suggests that the rise of cohabiting households with children is the largest unrecognized threat to the quality and stability of children's lives in today's families."
Why Marriage Matters: Executive Summary
Our Fundamental Conclusions
1. The intact, biological, married family remains the gold standard for family life in the United States, insofar as children are most likely to thrive—economically, socially, and psychologically—in this family form.
2. Marriage is an important public good, associated with a range of economic, health, educational, and safety benefits that help local, state, and federal governments serve the common good.
3. The benefits of marriage extend to poor, working-class, and minority communities, despite the fact that marriage has weakened in these communities in the last four decades.
See also: WFC - National Marriage Week Proclamation and a Governor's proclamation
Is Gay Parenting Bad for the Kids? Evidence from recent social science research
reported in Social Science Journal
— http://thereformedmind.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/is-gay-parenting-bad-for-the-kids/ —
"Regnerus's study is a success insofar as it answers the fundamental question of whether children raised by same-sex couples end up differently: Clearly they do, and it does not require a conservative viewpoint to see that "differently" very often means "worse." It is debatable, though, whether this is an indictment of same-sex households or of instability. Indeed, the major takeaway from the report is less an indictment that same-sex households are a negative thing and more an affirmation that intact, biological households are a positive thing. Put simply, if you want to give your children the best start in life, you should have children inside of wedlock and stay together for the duration. But then, we already knew that." (emphasis added) — Charles C. W. Cooke
Read the remarkable affirmation of this study by Robert O. Lopez, Assistant Professor of English, California State University, Northridge, CA at: Son of a Lesbian Mother Backs Regnerus Study and the exoneration from the allegations of scientific misconduct at: Affirmed: Study that 'gay' family children more troubled.
Good Partner, Good Parent: Responsiveness Mediates the Link between Romantic Attachment and Parenting Style
reported in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
— http://www.researchgate.net/publication/233878898 —
"... attachment security with a romantic partner enables greater responsiveness in caregiving for others generally, which subsequently increases the likelihood of endorsing an optimal parenting style (an inter-individual effect)."
"Securely attached individuals appear to be able to manage these tasks more effectively, and thus demonstrate more responsive caregiving, partly because their own attachment needs do not overwhelm them. In parenting particularly, which can be a stressful task, the attachment and caregiving systems are often activated simultaneously. Attachment security, and thus the capacity to be a responsive caregiver, affords the parent the resources required to provide not only a safe haven in times of threat, but also as a secure base from which to explore. The provision of both safe haven and secure base is a fundamental component of authoritative parenting, which comprises a warm, child-centered approach, but with clear boundaries and democratic rules (Robinson et al., 1995)."
"... our findings provide valuable evidence that responsive caregiving mediates the association between couple romantic attachment and parenting styles." Abigail Millings, Judi Walsh, Erica Hepper, & Margaret O'Brien
This cross-sectional, dyadic questionnaire study examined the contribution of romantic attachment and responsive caregiving to parenting style, investigating both gender and partner effects.
The Science of Shacking Up
Interview by Caryn Rivadeneira, Christianity Today
— https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/september/science-of-cohabitating.html —
"Is cohabitation more or less egalitarian than marriage?
"Marriage is actually a very pro-woman institution. People don't fully realize what a raw deal for women cohabitation is. Women tend to bring more goods to the relationship—more work, more effort in tending to the relationship—but they get less satisfaction in terms of relational commitment and security."
"What sorts of problems do children in cohabitating households tend to experience?
"In terms of safety, the absolute highest risk living situation for kids—and it's three to four times higher—is living with mom and her boyfriend. Researchers say that few things place children in more harm than having them live with an unrelated adult in the home."
God, Marriage, and Family: Rebuilding the Biblical Foundation
by Andreas J. Kšstenberger
— http://books.google.com/books —
"The depiction of the original creation of man and woman and the subsequent fall of humanity in Genesis 1:3 centers around at least three very important clusters of principles, which will be explored in the following discussion. These are: (1) the man and the woman are created in God's image to rule the earth for God; (2) the man is created first and is given ultimate responsibility for the marriage relationship, while the woman is placed alongside the man as his “suitable helper”; and (3) the fall of humanity entails negative consequences for both the man and the woman."
"God's created order continues to provide the framework for human relationships (cf. 1 Tim. 4:3). While subverted by the Fall, this order is not to be set aside by Christians. Rather, it is God's redemptive purpose in Christ to counteract the effects of sin in human relationships (and other spheres) by believers' new life in the Spirit. Only in heaven will people no longer be given in marriage but be like angels (Matt. 22:30 and parallels). Currently, they still marry, have children, and are to fulfill the cultural mandate of subduing and cultivating the earth in keeping with the male-female roles established at Creation." http://books.google.com/books
The Good of Marriage
the Journal, February 2012 Volume 12 Issue 2
— http://www.summit.org/media/journal/2012-02_Summit_Journal-WEB.pdf —
"Stanton, who also is a research fellow at the Institute of Marriage and Family in Ottawa, Canada, has written five books on those subjects. In his research he has found that no matter what metric is chosen, marriage and family are the greatest stabilizing influences for personal relationships and all of society. In his latest book The Ring Makes All the Difference, Stanton contrasted the effects of marriage and cohabitation and chronicled the multitude of ways that marriage proves itself beneficial to whole societies, families, and individuals." (emphasis added) — Jeff Myers, Phd.
"Just as marrieds have a societal responsibility to guard their sexuality within the protection of their marriages, so, too, singles have a societal responsibility to guard their sexuality inside the protection of the same institution."
Twenty-One Reasons: Why Marraige Matters
A Report From The Social Sciences/p>
— https://www.familyfirst.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/2009-21-REASONS-WHY-MARRIAGE-MATTERS.pdf —
"Every child has a fundamental right to both a mother and a father. The best way to secure this right is to establish a loving and stable marriage between a man and woman for life. Therefore marriage should be encouraged, strengthened and supported by government, society and individuals in every possible way."
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Q. What is Marriage?
A. Marriage is a covenant of lifelong fidelity between a man and a woman to live together as one flesh, for their mutual benefit, and for the bearing of children (and their long term well-being). Westminster Confession (abridged)
Those who marry owe a duty to God, a duty to civilization, and duty to their mate and to themselves to bring children into this world and to rear them for God. John R. Rice, 1946
Resources:
"America on the Brink" by David Kupelian and much more.
Journal of Marriage and Family: The case for (promoting) marriage: The devil is in the details by Ted L. Huston and Heidi Melz
The Art of Manliness: The Case for Marriage by Brett & Kate McKay
Concerned Women for America: The Case for Marriage by Robert H. Knight
How Much Do You Know About Marriage? "Take The Case for Marriage" Quiz
The Ring Makes All the Difference: The Hidden Consequences of Cohabitation and the Strong Benefits of Marriage, Glenn Stanton
"Author Glenn Stanton offers a compelling factual case that nearly every area of health and happiness is increased by marriage and decreased by cohabitation."
The well-documented and overwhelming conclusion from the dozens of research studies is that living together before marriage is one of the absolute worst things a couple can do in terms of its negative effects on their overall wellbeing and chance of having a happy, long-term relationship." The Ring Makes All the Difference, Tamara's review, Jan 17, 12; http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/263433599
Lecture notes Professor Linda J. Waite, University of Chicago, presentation to the University of Chicago Alumni Club of Washington, DC.
Making the Case for Marriage: All Things Examined by: Regis Nicoll
Educational Guidance Institute
The Case for Marriage Preparation
Parents' Work: Invaluable but Nearly Invisible
The Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
The State of Our Unions - report on marriage and family life in America
Family Research Council - frc.org
Marriage and Religion Research Institute - marri.us
The Omnilist of Christian Living Resources
Marriage on trial - IMFC.org, by Andrea Mrozek, Manager of Research and Communications, Institute of Marriage and Family Canada, eReview, Vol. 10, NO. 23, December 2, 2010.
Center for Marriage & Families.org
Marriage Matters: A Case For A Get-The-Job-Done-Right - Federal Marriage Amendment
ChampionTheVote.com - Resource page
And dissenters: "The Case for Marriage is a Sham" by Bella DePaulo, Ph.D. in Living Single
For more information see: