What's Killing American Families?

Traditional families are the building blocks of society. History has shown that the strength of a nation is directly related to the strength of its families. Wherever families deteriorate from the norm, civilization deteriorates; wherever they thrive, civilization thrives. In his book Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon lists five reasons why Rome fell. At the top of the list is the rapid increase of divorce and the undermining of the sanctity of the home. If America doesn’t take history seriously, it will be doomed to repeat it. Our nation’s homes are falling apart at an alarming rate.

Why is the traditional home under attack? Why is it that the homosexual agenda is gaining ground? Why are single-parent households on the rise? Why are children being left neglected and undisciplined? Why are more young singles opting for cohabitation with their partners rather than marriage? Many sociologists blame the sagging economy. They say expectations for marriage have risen across the board. Now a couple must have a comfortable house in the suburbs, two nice vehicles, and an elaborate wedding to tie the knot. The evidence is in the numbers, they say. For decades the structure of families has diverged by social class. Among the educated and affluent, divorce is low and marriage is strong. But among the poorer, less educated, unwed pregnancies are on the rise and fewer are deciding to get married.

But as Amy Wax pointed out in her recent column, the problem we are facing is not financial, but moral. Her findings are based upon what women are saying, not what some sociologist penned up in an office in Berkley hypothesizes. Ms. Wax writes,

Men’s antisocial behavior, not their modest earning power, is the main obstacle to matrimony. The complaints are not of insufficient potential income, but of drug, use, criminality, financial irresponsibility, violence, poor work ethic, defiant attitudes and, above all, flagrant sexual infidelity ("What Women Want," Wall Street Journal, August 29, 2005).

Women want men who are reliable, considerate, and industrious. Not finding anyone who fits this description, many of them are foregoing the American dream of a husband, 2.3 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence.

In order for America to avoid Rome’s fate, she must desist from destroying herself with political correctness. Left-leaning scholars will never admit that the same factor leading to the detriment of our homes is also producing economic failure among many in the lower class—a total lack of moral commitment. As long as they excuse deviant lifestyles and disparage biblical standards of conduct, the problem will only get worse.

Solomon said that righteousness exalts a nation (Prov. 14:34). Hopefully America will learn this before it’s too late.