In an age so defined by consumer choice and product reviews, it has become intuitive to embrace the “try before you buy” motto in most areas of life. For some decisions, however, those rules simply do not work. A growing body of research suggests that romantic relationships should not be approached in the same way as buying a new car or choosing a cellphone provider.
About 15 years ago, sociologists coined the term “abusive boyfriend syndrome” to describe the increased risk to children who live in homes with an unrelated adult. According to numerous studies, these children were much more likely to be abused or even killed than children who live at home with two biological or married parents. Because of these findings, domestic violence prevention programs routinely teach parents, especially vulnerable women, that the single highest risk factor that they or their children will be abused is whether they’re living with an unrelated, unmarried adult.
God designed family in a specific way. The biological reality, that one man and one woman are required to make a child, points to the social reality, which is that children do best with a mom and a dad. This neither makes abuse inevitable for children in other arrangements, nor does it suggest that biological parents never abuse. In fact, child abuse can become tragically epidemic within certain cultures and families.
George Strait and his wife were just kids when they ran off to elope, but 50 years later, wow! In a world where divorce is common, these two prove love can conquer. It's such an incredible story. The couple is still just as in love as the day they got hitched.
A former Georgia cop who resigned from his position after facing dicsiplinary actions for sharing his beliefs on biblical marriage is taking legal action.
Actor and outspoken Christian Terry Crews recently celebrated his wife, Rebecca, as a praying woman at the 30th annual Movieguide Awards last Friday.
A fundamentalist Baptist preacher is drawing attention on social media for a viral clip in which he says husbands should be the sole determiner of how many children their wives have.
Jonathan Shelley, the pastor of Stedfast Baptist Church in Watauga, Texas, made the comments on January 8 in a sermon titled “Postpartum and Pediatricians,” according to ChurchLeaders.com, which first reported on the comments. A video clip of the sermon has been viewed more than 250,000 times on Twitter.
Since 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has followed two groups of men. One is a group of 456 boys from Boston’s most troubled families and roughest neighborhoods. The other consisted of 268 Harvard College students, chosen by a professor of hygiene specifically for their potential to become healthy, well-adjusted adults. The focus of the longitudinal study has been to discern the factors that best predict a long, healthy life.
The researchers who have followed these young men have maintained a stunning 84 percent participation rate over eight decades. They have visited homes, spoken to parents and siblings, tracked medical exams, and followed marriages and careers. The study, which is currently tracking a second generation of participants, has produced a wealth of significant data. However, in a recent article published in The Wall Street Journal, director Dr. Robert Waldinger and associate director Dr. Marc Schulz pointed to the most significant contributing factor for physical health, mental health, and longevity.
On Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill codifying same-sex marriage into federal law. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
On Tuesday, the misleadingly named “Respect for Marriage Act” was passed by the Senate. Twelve Republicans and every Democrat voted yes for the bill, whose name makes it sound as if it affirms and supports marriage. In reality, however, it further enshrines a redefined understanding of marriage into law. According to this bill, marriage is nothing more than the legal affirmation of adult desires, rather than a bedrock for thriving civilizations, built on the realities of who men and women are and oriented around the needs and best interests of children. This new bill replaces the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act.
According to reports, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) is readying the misleadingly named “Respect for Marriage Act” for a vote. While the name of the bill makes it sound as if it affirms and supports marriage, it would instead redefine it in the law, this time from the federal legislature. This bill would uproot marriage, at least legally, and ground it in nothing more than abstract desires, effectively redefining it from the institution that has long offered a bedrock for civilization to thrive.
