Pioneer and Bell Church of Christ

Prior to WWII the traditional home was the norm; single parent families, especially due to divorce, were the exception. Discipline was firm, and we were not as concerned about a child's self-esteem as we were the grades on the report card.

Much has changed, not necessarily for the better. Jesus addressed the issue of marriage, and His words are truly the foundation for a strong morality in every nation under the sun! He taught in response to a query concerning easy divorce: (Matthew 19:6-9)

The home as God would have it is composed of a man and woman, who are committed to each other for life. Their children are to honor and obey them (Ephesians 6:1-4). The frayed fabric of our present culture is fundamentally because of a failure to comply with God's wishes. It does not, as Hillary Rodham Clinton pontificated, take "A Village to Raise a Child," but it does take a family as God intended. Today many of our young people are unsure of themselves as to their gender role. No wonder boys have difficulty with a masculine image, since at least 37% of the children are from a single parent family, most generally with their mother. Their masculine images are often of a succession of men, usually of a sort that have low or no morality and who are "takers" and "abusers." Most of our family shows on TV depict the husband and father (if there is one) as a bumbling, ineffective idiot, or perhaps a closet homosexual. When it comes to economics there is a huge advantage in the traditional family.

It is also important educationally and emotionally for a child to grow up in a traditional home. In the alternative, there isn't time or energy for one parent to be bread winner, housekeeper, parent, and still be able to discipline the children and see to it that they achieve their potential in school, with homework, extra projects such as sports, clubs, etc. Emotionally every child needs both a father and mother. They need the stability of life-long commitment of the Biblical family. The divorce rate of our nation and world is deplorable, and it exacts a terrible toll on our children. Living together without the benefit of marriage is even worse! The result of single-parent families, broken homes, and both parents working outside the home is that many children have very little contact with either parent. They are left on their own, and are often in trouble. Many parents excuse their neglect by speaking of "quality time" with their children. Better to have a half hour per week with quality than ten hours of ordinary time. Wrong! We simply need to spend time with our children!