Over the past month, this column has looked at the crucial and irreplaceable role that mothers and fathers have in our physical, psychological and social well-being.
We have examined how these vital relationships are broken by sex before marriage and divorce afterward—by artificial insemination and surrogate wombs.
Now, to close out my month-long focus on the family, I present a simple action plan. By simple actions, you can care for both kids and communities. Everyone has a vital role in strengthening Wyoming families.
You don’t have to start with ambitious policies. You can start with yourself.
If you are married, work hard to keep your marriage together. What started as a relationship between two people becomes much more when children are born into the world. Adults make vows because their children have no say. Your defense of marriage defends your children.
If you are not married, live in a way that you would like your future spouse to live. Make it your goal to provide your children with a married father and mother. Then, do what it takes to make that happen. If you did not experience a stable home in your own childhood, you know, better than others, how important that is.
You will need the help of others—especially the help of God. So, seek out friends who understand the importance of marriage and family. Learn from the wisdom of those whose marriages survive the storms of life. Encourage and strengthen other married couples never to give up.
Churches, this is where you come in. You represent the One who created marriage in the first place. Represent Him truly and faithfully. Preach and teach about marriage regularly. Don’t be intimidated into silencing His Word.
Marriage is not a peripheral issue for Jesus. He created it as His last and greatest creation (Genesis 2:21-25). And He always saves the best for last. It is no wonder that Jesus chose to rescue a faltering wedding feast as His very first miracle (John 2:1-11).
Divorce rates have risen in churches almost as fast as they have exploded outside of the church. Churches can and should change that. It starts by faithfully teaching God’s Word. It is put in action by churches that hold couples to keep the vows that they have made before God.
The state also has a role in this regard. If the state is going to let magistrates conduct marriage ceremonies, the state is also responsible for holding citizens to those vows.
It is outrageous that our courts do more to enforce business contracts than they do to enforce marriage vows. The couple standing before a justice of the peace cares enough to make solemn and life-altering promises. The least that this government functionary can do is to take them seriously.
Imagine the outrage if a banker could break his contract with a homeowner without any consequences whatsoever. A justice who ruled that mortgage fraud is nobody’s fault would be lazy and lying.
If we truly believe that marriage promotes the interests of children as an essential institution of society, we should address the inequity in law.
Educators also have a role. The first thing that our educators can do is to stop undermining those parents who are teaching their children how to build a stable home. This is not a Herculean task. Parents are not asking educators to raise the dead, only to stop poisoning the living.
Responsible parents were never keen on schools taking over their God-given task, in the first place. They only agreed to allow sex education in schools because they were told that it was necessary due to irresponsible parents.
But Progressives hijacked well-meaning programs. Instead of teaching irresponsible kids to be responsible, they teach responsible kids to be irresponsible. Family formation has gotten worse, not better.
Why not simply make sure that every student knows what Federal law already stipulates? “Marriage is the foundation of a successful society.” “Marriage is an essential institution of a successful society which promotes the interests of children.” “Promotion of responsible fatherhood and motherhood is integral to successful child rearing and the well-being of children.”
Imagine the long-term benefits of putting these sentences on colorful posters in every educational setting?
Students would be exposed to wisdom that they rarely hear, and would be encouraged to seek practical guidance.
Teachers could answer their questions truthfully, without self-censoring for fear of losing their jobs.
And anti-family ideologues would be immediately refuted. Just read the handwriting on the wall.
Jonathan Lange is a Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod pastor in Evanston and Kemmerer and serves the Wyoming Pastors Network. Follow his blog at https://jonathanlange.substack.com/. Email: JLange64@protonmail.com.
