Marriage - so what’s good about it?

   How do thousands upon thousands of mini institutions called the” family” work to weave together a functioning nation? And if the two legally married parents (opposite sex, please), are not so necessary, why are all the forces of hell working so hard to destroy it?

   When we hear about couples celebrating 25, 30, 50 years of marriage we all rejoice. Wedding anniversaries are not just for the married couple to celebrate. Wedding anniversaries are markers on the roadway of life, creating history and leaving a legacy for future generations to pattern their lives after so the culture and the nation can continue in strength and prosperity.

   We know the institution of marriage is under assault. Turn on the television, pick up a newspaper or just go to the local movie theatre for some family entertainment and come out insulted as fathers are depicted as buffoons, mothers flirting with the lawn boy and kids are trapped in the world wide web. Yet Hollywood tells us that this and all kinds and combinations of people and animal groupings are today’s progressive family.

   If Hollywood says it’s so, if the elementary school reading circles are getting doses of “Heather Has Two Mommies” and if Planned Parenthood is your child’s friendly neighborhood health clinic then we had better get with the program! If we don’t we will be ridiculed as old fashioned, we will be marginalized and may even have our kids taken away, all because we don’t dare stand in the way of the ever evolving progressives and their alternate lifestyles.

   The social engineers are at work. If we are going to stop them, and turn around anti family policies that already in place, we need to begin in the home. Marriage and family are intentional.

   Dick Morris, former Clinton pollster, as quoted in Dinesh D’Souza’s book The Enemy at Home, says the “marriage gap” is more significant than the “gender gap”… “If a women is divorced, she is almost certain to be a Democrat. If she’s single, she is likely to lean Democratic. If she’s married, she’s likely to lean Republican. If she’s married with children, she’s safely in the Republican camp. “ The point Morris and the author D’Souza is making is that Americans don’t necessarily vote based on their religious affiliation or family status, but rather on being religious, married and a parent. To further quote, “marriage, religion and having children are not the issues, but they are the lens through which the issues are perceived.”

   In 2004 Ohio passed a Marriage Amendment by over 60% of the vote. Ohio was joined by 10 other states in passing marriage amendments establishing that marriage is between one man and one woman. Why did so many states in the nation stand up for marriage? Because marriage is good for people and for the nation.

   Maggie Gallagher, a nationally syndicated columnist specializing in marriage and the family lists the top 10 reasons why marriage is good for you. To summarize Ms. Gallagher’s list:

   10. IT'S SAFER. Marriage lowers the risk that both men and women will become victims of violence, including domestic violence.

   9. IT CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE. Married people live longer and healthier lives.

   8. IT CAN SAVE YOUR KID'S LIFE. Children lead healthier, longer lives if parents get and stay married.

   7. YOU WILL EARN MORE MONEY. Scientific literature suggests that for men especially, marriage is a productive institution—as important as education in boosting a man's earnings.

   6. YOU'LL GET MUCH RICHER? Married people not only make more money, they manage money better and build more wealth together than either would alone.

   5. YOU'LL TAME HIS CHEATIN' HEART (HERS, TOO). Marriage increases sexual fidelity. Cohabiting men are four times more likely to cheat than husbands.

   4. YOU WON'T GO BONKERS. Marriage is good for your mental health. Married men and women are less depressed, less anxious, and less psychologically distressed.

   3. IT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY. Overall, 40 percent of married people, say they are "very happy" with life in general.

   2. YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE YOU MORE. Divorce weakens the bonds between parents and children over the long run

   1. YOU'LL HAVE BETTER SEX, MORE OFTEN. Both husbands and wives are more likely to report that they have an extremely satisfying sex life than are singles or cohabiters.

   While noting the positive aspects of marriage between one man and one woman, reality checks back in pretty quick when you take a look at what our lawmakers are doing. Read the National and Ohio State legislative briefs in this edition. While barely scraping the surface of what our elected officials are doing, nearly every piece of proposed legislation has a direct impact upon the family.

   June is the traditional month of weddings. June is also the month the homosexuals celebrate “gay pride.” Homosexuals around our nation and in particular in Dayton will be performing symbolic public acts of “marriage” to make a statement to the media and our lawmakers.

   Please, humbly pray to God for forgiveness, and seek salvation for those lost in such sexual sin. And get on the phone to our elected officials to let know that is it critically important is to create policy that keeps the traditional family and marriage strong.