Jennifer Lopez, the Hollywood singer and actress, and her fourth husband, actor and filmmaker Ben Affleck, are rumored to be getting a divorce after two years of marriage. The lesson: Marriage is under attack in our modern culture.
The institution of marriage is the singular most important factor in a stable society. As the institution of marriage declines, the next generations suffer. Statistics show that children who grow up with parents in long-term marriages become the most productive members of society. Moving away from this model is tied to the depreciation of young people.
Bradley Wilcox, a professor at Brigham Young University, wrote an article for Deseret News, “Perspective: For kids, marriage still matters.” As he noted, “Children from non intact families are about half as likely to graduate from college and twice as likely to land in prison.” Wilcox added, “Evidence could not be clearer that kids are far more likely to flourish when they have the privilege of being raised by their own married parents.”
Unsurprisingly, long-term marriages are important and beneficial. But when our culture degrades the institution of marriage, that degradation all too often becomes a source of entertainment. No one should aspire to the four marriages of celebrities such as Lopez. She has misunderstood the purpose of vows to include “until death do us part.”
For Lopez and Affleck, the media obsession with their marriage affairs is hardly entertaining. But the story sells because culture undervalues the traditional institution of marriage. The problem is that marriage is not supposed to be an optional agreement dependent on romance, happiness, or ease. It is sad that traditional relationships have evolved into fixations on short-term considerations. That reality is harming families.
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The institution of marriage is sacred. We should applaud and honor those who work to provide a home for children that is built around long-term marriages. Again, the statistics show that is where many of the most productive members of society come from.
The traditional family will be and always has been the cornerstone of a flourishing culture. And this begins with strong marriages.