Is it really the recessions fault?

An AP article posted on Yahoo news blames the recession for a marked decline in marriages. The article, "Recession rips at US marriages, expands income gap" imagines a link between the recession and lack of marital commitment. This is a false equivalency. During this same recessionary period people are spending money on things that they want. They make iPads one of the best product intro's ever for Apple. They make the iPhone 4 its fastest selling phone ever. They are continuing to go to movies (we are just finishing September and total box office for this year is approaching last years total ticket numbers). Wine sales are up this year over last. All of this to say that as a people we are doing what we want to do.

The primary reason that people are not getting married is because they do not want to. In our society we seem to realize that this might not be a good thing over all. Certainly it can't be our fault. Let's blame it on the recession. The fact that we don't want to make the commitment of marriage can't be the reason.

The real problem is that people no longer seem to have an aversion to adultery. The atheistic philosophies of our schools and universities have successfully eradicated any sense of moral commitment to marriage. This aversion to marriage is paraded across our TV and movie screens as well. The entire society is beating a drumbeat of me, me, me, me. When our focus is what is in it for me a commitment to someone else fails the "me" test. With no morally compelling reason to commit it is no wonder that marriage is in decline. This should be alarming to us because it signals a real failure of the christian community to be salt and light in our society (Matthew 5:13-16). When you look at the Matthew passage salt and light is not something that we become. Jesus says that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. In other words without us the world has no salt to bring flavor to life and without us the world has no light to truly see by. God has called us to Himself and placed us where He has placed us for a reason. We must see this and embrace the reality that is before us. Do you know someone who claims to be a Christian that is living with someone else or considering doing so? This might be one of the most difficult things you have ever done, but you should reach out to them in love. Don't condemn but point them to Christ. Help them to realize their need of repentance. Help them to see that to actively engage in pursuing sinful actions against God is to hold the cross of Christ in contempt. Be broken for them because this is where the hardest of hearts come from. Make sure that they know they are loved and that their heart and life should be focused on the Lord Jesus. Do we want to see our society regain its moral bearings? It must begin with individuals caring enough about others to help them catch a vision for pursuing Jesus Christ.

Getting priorities straight

I read an article on Foxnews.com by Phyllis Chesler called, "Where's the Outrage?". In the article she highlights how the muslim community gets up in arms over a proposed burning of the Koran. She then contrast this with the Muslim world's complete silence when it comes to the treatment of women. She talks about a woman who is scheduled for stoning and has been imprisoned in Iran for adultery since 2006. According to Phyllis the accusation of adultery can mean,

"...anything from she was raped or dared report it, or that she dared to leave a husband against his will."

The Christian community is often classified as pro-life and when we study scripture we see that God is against those who harm the fatherless and the widow (Isaiah 10:1-3). This is essentially a pro-life position. When the woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus, He confounded the Pharisees accusation and granted her grace (John 8:3-11). Once again the position is pro-life. The main thing that stands out to me here is that our news media has been almost completely silent about this woman in comparison to the uproar over the proposed Koran burning. What is ultimately more important: The life of the woman or the Koran? For the Christian would you have felt differently about the proposed Koran burning if it was being done to push Iran to release the woman accused of adultery? I would venture to guess that the vast majority of Christians are more plugged in and concerned about the politics of what is happening this November then the woman in Iran. Yet if we look at this from the perspective of what a God focused life demands we should value, I think it changes what is important. When potentially injustice against children and women are before us what are we willing to do?