Social Conservative Review - December 1, 2016

December 1, 2016

Dear Friends,

There are undoubtedly a dizzying array of “top priorities” that are and will be pushed on the incoming presidential administration from all sides. But there is one priority that our culture is losing and that the new administration must make central to its agenda: marriage. FRC has repeatedly made this clear over the last three decades, but it must continually be emphasized: marriage is not merely the means by which we are raised in a materially stable environment, it is the seedbed of virtue and spiritual growth.

As Alysse ElHage writes, both candidates in the presidential race did little to address how they would promote the foundational building block of society. “[W]e’ve heard far too little ... about the central role that family structure—and in particular marriage—plays in boosting the social and economic well-being of Americans.” Study after study shows that children raised by a married mother and father are less likely to grow up in poverty, more likely to succeed academically, less likely to experience abuse of any kind, less likely to engage in sexual activity as a minor, more likely to have a higher than average income as an adult, and more likely to marry and raise their own children within marriage.

The author points out numerous pro-marriage policy initiatives that the incoming administration would do well to prioritize, including eliminating marriage penalties, increasing vocational training opportunities for those not pursuing college degrees, expanding the child tax credit, reforming divorce laws so that there are at least moderate waiting periods for couples intending to divorce, and educational campaigns for young people that promote a healthy outlook for school, work, marriage, and parenthood.

While it is important to promote marriage for its social and economic benefits, the central importance of marriage is not because of its potential for material gain, but for spiritual flourishing. Marriage has a mysterious way of forming the souls of human beings for the better, of compelling us toward virtue. Being united in a sacramental bond with another person for life is by nature a self-sacrificial act, one that opens us to new epiphanies of what real patience, understanding, and love truly are. That is why God gave marriage to the human race, so that we might have a more human way of becoming more like Him.

Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of FRC and the family.

Sincerely,

Dan Hart
Managing Editor for Publications
Family Research Council

FRC Articles

What a Trump Court Would Mean for Abortion – Cathy Ruse

Buzzfeed to Christians: No Freedom for You! – Travis Weber

Marine Corps: Spiritual Fitness Is a Necessary Component of Effective Military Service – Travis Weber

Assisted Suicide: Senseless Death in the Name of “Compassion” – Dan Hart

Corporations Can Push Back Against Anti-Religious Freedom Activists – Travis Weber

Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty in the Public Square

Server Company Pulls The Plug On Conservative Website In The Name Of ‘Diversity’ – Dustin Siggins, The Federalist