MARRIAGE IN OUR SECULAR SOCIETY

We now live in a secular society in our nation. One aspect of a society that no longer respects the authority of the Almighty God, as found in His Holy Word, is the disregard of what He teaches regarding the sanctity of marriage. The following is one definition of the word, “Secularization”: “Secularization refers to the historical process in which religion loses social and cultural significance. As a result of secularization the role of religion in modern societies becomes restricted. In secularized societies faith lacks cultural authority, religious organizations have little social power, and public life proceeds without reference to the supernatural. Secularization captures a long-term societal change, but it has consequences for religion itself. In Western countries, where it has been most pronounced, it has made the connection to their Christian heritage more tenuous. Yet secularization is important beyond the formerly Christian West, given that many of the forces that first sustained it there affect other societies as well.” - Frank J. Lechner It is generally understood that a structure is no stronger than its foundation. This is true of civil governments and nations. When the foundation has been weakened, society is most likely to crumple, decay and implode. In Psalm 11:3 we read, “If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” The foundation of any civilization is the family unit. Someone has rightly said, “As the home goes, so goes the nation.” In our country, the traditional understanding of marriage and the home is under attack by Satan and our secular society. Biblically speaking, marriage is the joining together of a man and a woman as husband and wife (See Genesis 2:20-25; Matthew 19:4-6 & Ephesians 5:22-33). This is God’s design for marriage and the home, and believers in His Holy Word are bound by the will of the Heavenly Father in this important matter. In today’s society, same sex marriages have become acceptable, even among some religious adherents. It is estimated that 40 percent of children are born outside of marriage. These are only two examples that manifest a total disregard of objective truth regarding God’s design for the sacredness of marriage as found in the Bible. Here are a couple of passages of Scriptures that should be considered by all: Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Psalm 9:17: “The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God” (NKJV). “Every violation of truth is a stab at the health of human society.” - Emerson.