The Case for Marriage

Today more than ever before it is great to be single. Flying solo a person enjoys the freedom to make decisions about their lives without having to consider the needs or feelings of another person. Your money is your own to do with as you choose.

Indeed the disciple Paul chose to remain single and espoused it for others. He said, “I wish that all men were as I am . . . Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion” (I Corinthians 7:7-9).

Marriage was a financial and economic necessity for women in previous eras. It was one of a few options they had. Otherwise, women stayed in their father’s house as the spinster daughter, sister, and aunt.

Opportunities in the workplace, as well as the right to control an inheritance and own capital were all limited by law. A husband was essential for a woman’s economic survival outside her father’s house.

A male of the same era needed marriage as well. He needed a wife to bear sons who would carry on the family name, to become heirs to the family business, or to work the family farm. He needed a woman to convince society that he was credible, stable, and reliable.

In contemporary society, marriage is but one of many choices for young people. They are postponing marriages later than any previous generation. Young, college educated adults with liberal discretionary income spend their twenties and thirties launching careers, exploring the world, and generally enjoying themselves. While a spiritual and civil partnership is no longer a necessity, it is still a viable option for many.

Since the terrorists’ acts of 9/11, people have shown a strong tendency to want to connect with others. While technology is one way for people to connect, it is not the way to maintain a relationship. Thus, in spite of all the technological avenues for connectivity, people still feel lonely and isolated. They long for the companionship and intimacy that is found in marriage.

If this is what you want, what have you done to get it?