When I speak of family I am speaking of what has been considered a family from the beginning of recorded history which is a man, a woman and children. The modern- day description of a family by Ungodly People is a group of people who live in the same household. I realize some couples are unable to have children, some parents through death or divorce from abusive spouses have to rear children alone and they are no less a family but my focus here is on what we used to consider traditional families. Where possible this is the best situation for children to be in if the parents are committed to each other. God chose families with a father and mother as the best place for his children to have stability, be taught his laws, find happiness and learn to live their life in a manner that will enable them to come into his presence. To live in a household with a mother and father does not guarantee the possibilities I just mentioned. You need both parents committed to the goals God has for us. That is what I would consider a strong family. It has oft been said where you have strong families you have strong communities. Families are the basic foundational social units in all human communities around the world.
Pope Francis. of the Catholic Church, made these comments at a Vatican Conference of religious leaders of all faiths. “We now live in a culture of the temporary, in which more and more people are simply giving up on marriage as a public commitment. This revolution in manners and morals has often flown the flag of freedom, but in fact it has brought spiritual and material devastation to countless human beings, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. It is always they who suffer most in this crisis. Those who give themselves over to the poisonous mentality of the temporary, should be revolutionaries with the courage to seek true and lasting love and going against the common patterns”
David Brooks a columnist with the New York Times said this. “People are not better off when they are given maximum personal freedom to do whatever they want. They are better off when they are enshrouded in commitments that transcend personal choice-commitments to family, God, Craft and Country.”
God organized us into families where we could be taught the gospel, learn to serve others, learn to be unselfish, learn to work, learn to love and to learn compassion. In a home where those things are taught we find refuge, peace and happiness. Public opinion polls still show that the majority in every age group still consider marriage between a man and woman as the ideal.
A review of the benefits to a child living with a committed mother and father from my internet browsing was fascinating. Families set the stage for future relationships by providing a model for children to follow. Children learn to relate to a future spouse by observing their parents. When life gets hard children need support and acceptance and they can get that emotional support from their parents. All my children were Honors Students. One daughter felt like she did not belong there and all the other students were smarter that she. l had to reassure her she was a smart girl and she belonged in honors and she stuck to her studies. Our reward was she was later accepted into three difficult to get into Universities and got to choose which one she wanted to attend.
Where families are strong communities are strong. Committed parents do not let their children roam the streets so their children do not get involved in drugs or crime making their communities better places to live. Even simple things like parents being home to have meals together has a positive outcome. Pediatrics Magazine reported that children who have meals with their families consistently do better in school than students who do not. Families are a source of encouragement and affection. One study even indicated that daughters whose fathers were affectionate were less likely to be promiscuous. Children in stable homes have fewer issues with mental illness throughout their lives than children in unstable homes. Children in stable families tend to have healthier relations with others throughout their lives.
A 2009 Cornell University Study found that children in two parent homes were less likely to have substance abuse problems such as smoking, drinking, drugs and less likely to be sexually active and more likely to have long lasting romantic relationships. Other studies show that children in two parent homes have better physical and dental health, have fewer injuries requiring medical attention and are less affected by asthma, headaches and less likely to miss more that 11 days of school in the school year.
A report from the AET-Brookings Working Group on childhood in the U.S. indicated that on average children who live with two parents who are committed to each other have a stable home life, more economic resources, more likely to be wanted and welcomed by the parents and more likely to flourish.
Are there disadvantages to children being in a two- parent home? One that I can think of is your Marxist Neighbors will not be pleased. They and their useful idiot helpers are trying to destroy families and replace them with a Marxist Society so everyone can be equally miserable.
This is an opinion blog for conservatives and people of faith.